Employee Assistance Programmes

One of the supports Qi practitioners have in place for their interpreters is access to an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) or some form of counselling. On the surface, this looks like overkill - after all, interpreters are neutral parties, simply passing on a message. Or are they? It turns out to be far more complex than that.

We know that people in social or psychological services working directly with victims of trauma, be they abused children, families of dying loved ones, or former refugees, are always required to have regular supervision meetings to help them process the trauma and avoid stress, burnout or vicarious traumatisation. There is no legal requirement and most often not even a common understanding that interpreters in such situations can be equally impacted.

This excellent report from Nimzdi, an international research and consulting company, explains the cost to interpreters of working in traumatic situations. The article is clear and compelling, and it comes with supporting data.

If you’re a client looking for an interpreter, check that this kind of care and support is in place for the interpreters you use. You’ll get better results, and if you’re in a sector working with trauma victims, you can be doubly sure the interpreter is as well protected as they can be.

If you’re an interpreter and you haven’t had this support, ask your language services provider why not.