Professional Language Services – 2022
The past 12 months have presented both challenges and opportunities for our language services team and the entire industry. As 2022 draws to a close we reflect on four categories of our language access work: collaboration with Operation Allies Welcome Minnesota and the state’s resettlement program, and language support in healthcare, education and pro bono legal asylum and related legal services.
Operation Allies Welcome Minnesota (OAWM) was a philanthropic public-private partnership created in response to the arrival of Afghan evacuees last year. OAWM raised private funds used to support immediate housing for Afghan arrivals, and our interpreters have been part of the state’s resettlement effort from the beginning. Our language services team and professional interpreters have worked alongside local agencies including Catholic Charities, Minnesota Council of Churches, the International Institute of Minnesota, Lutheran Social Services and Arrive Ministries. Guided by the Minnesota Department of Human Services Refugee Resettlement Program, these affiliates continue to provide a wide array of services, support and care for Afghan evacuees. Our interpreters and document translation team have provided over 20,000 hours of interpreting in Pashto, Dari, Farsi and Tajik, and we continue to collaborate with placement and assistance programs.
Refugees arriving in Minnesota receive immediate and long-term health and dental care services as part of the resettlement process. Refugees worldwide lack access to oral hygiene resources and those that arrive in the U.S. often present with acute and chronic dental conditions. Our local interpreters continue to work with the University of Minnesota Community-University Health Center , Health Partners Center for International Health, Open Cities Health Center, Community Dental Care and many other important health and dental care providers. As healthcare systems and clinics care for increasingly diverse patient populations, a language access plan (LAP) is essential to meet the needs of Limited English Proficient (LEP) patients. An effective plan should consider patient linguistics, body language, health literacy and cross-cultural factors. Providers who plan and prepare for LEP communication needs prior to the first patient interaction will see positive health outcomes across the care spectrum.
During the 2021-22 academic year many Minnesota schools were directly involved in the resettlement of displaced children and their families. Through our language services work with school social workers, secretaries and other school staff, our interpreters provided language support for these new students throughout the school system. For all Limited English Proficient (LEP) students, interpreting and translation services are essential components of a district’s Language Access Plan (LAP). Districts support the best outcomes for LEP students by using professional interpreters whenever possible to meet federal, state, and local requirements. Our staff adheres to all professional codes of conduct, ethics, and confidentiality guidelines, and we are proud to be a State of Minnesota approved language services provider.
Many local resettlement agencies and human rights organizations are now assisting thousands of displaced people with Special Immigration Visas (SIV) and the humanitarian parole process. As part of a statewide response, Minneapolis-based The Advocates for Human Rights created a legal resource hub for Afghan evacuees. Our interpreters provide language support to The Advocates and private law firms like Faegre Drinker, Stinson LLP,Contreras & Metelska PA, and Ernest Wiafe Law. These organizations and law firms are providing pro bono immigration, asylum and Green Card services to this displaced community. Language support is essential to all aspects of resettlement, and our interpreters will continue to work with our legal services partners during this next important phase for Afghan evacuees and other displaced populations.
The local conditions for language services are changing rapidly, and we are proud to play a role in improving and providing professional language support and access to our partners and clients. We are grateful for the opportunity to be of service to our community.
Best wishes for the New Year from all of us at University Language Center,
Karen