Finger Lakes Community Health offers 2 different professional development programs that prepare bilingual individuals to work as medical interpreters:

Bridging The Gap: Medical Interpreting and Bridging The Gap: Mental Health Interpreting.

Bridging The Gap Medical Interpreting course trains individuals to become competent medical interpreters and covers:

• Basic interpreting skills. Roles, conduit and clarifier interpreting, and managing the flow of the session.
• Code of Ethics for medical interpreters.
• Information on the U.S. healthcare system. Introduction to healthcare systems.
• Medical terminology. Anatomy, phisiology and basic medical proceedures.
• Culture in interpreting. Self-awareness, traditional healthcare in specific communities, and cultural brokering.
• Communication skills for advocacy. Listening skills, communication styles, and appropriate advocacy.

Tuition for Bridging The Gap Medical Interpreting is $750 (includes the $150 non-refundable fee). Limited scholarships are also available for agencies that serve agricultural workers.  All courses are hybrid. The first and last dates of each course are in-person. The remaining dates are remote by WebEx. For information on scholarships or to request an application form, contact Beverly at BeverlyS@flchealth.org.

*Please note: In order to take the Bridging the Gap Medical Interpreter course, you must be 18 years of age or older and have a high-school diploma (or equivalent) and proof of language proficiency in English and one other language that you will be interpreting in. 

Upcoming Medical Interpreting courses: 

• May 2023: Class will meet on 5/3, 5/5, 5/12, 5/24, 5/26 from 8 AM- 5 PM (40 Hours)
• June 2023: Class will meet on 6/2, 6/9, 6/16, 6/23, 6/30 from 8 AM – 5 PM (40 Hours)
• September 2023: Class will meet on 9/1, 9/8, 9/15, 9/22, 9/29 from 8 AM – 5 PM (40 Hours)
• Additional sessions may be available for groups of 6 people or more. Please contact Beverly at BeverlyS@flchealth.org.

Bridging The Gap Mental Health Interpreting course trains interpreters specifically for the mental health setting and covers:

• Terminology related to mental health.
• Challenges in mental health interpreting.
• Mental health interpreting techniques.
• Impact of culture on mental health.
• Interpreter self-care.
• Practice interpreting skills.

Tuition for Bridging The Gap Mental Health Interpreting is $500 (includes the $150 non-refundable fee). Limited scholarships are also available for agencies that serve agricultural workers. All courses are hybrid. The first and last dates of each course are in-person. The remaining dates are remote by WebEx. For information on scholarships or to request an application form, contact Beverly at BeverlyS@flchealth.org.

*Please note: In order to take the Bridging the Gap Mental Health course, you must be 18 years of age or older, have a high-school diploma (or equivalent), and provide proof of successful completion of the 40-hour Medical Interpreting course.

Upcoming Mental Health Interpreting courses: 

October 2023: Classes will meet 10/4, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/25, 10, 27 from 8 AM – 12 PM