MS Department of Health seeking professional interpreters
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – North Mississippi continues to attract a diverse group of people, but with that diversity sometimes comes challenges in communication.
A cooperative effort between a local group and the Mississippi State Department of Health is working to bridge that communication gap.
On August 27, Saving Grace Mission teamed up with the Department of Health to host an information session at the Columbus Lowndes Public Library.
The goal is to recruit people to become professional interpreters.
Many people who don’t speak English as a first language find it difficult to navigate things such as medical visits, employment opportunities, even registering their children for school.
MSDH is looking for people who have a fluency in more than one language, who would like to develop that skill to help others.
“We want to show them and encourage them that they already have the skill of speaking language fluently, so now we want to encourage them to become professionals in that field. It’s not enough to be bilingual. You have to know how to be an interpreter. There are skills. There are protocols. There are ways you manage an encounter professionally. There’s professional development opportunities you have to follow and always try to be better in your skill,” said MSDH Office of Language and Transportation Services Director Patricia Namanny.
The August event was titled “How to Become a Professional Interpreter?”
If you are interested in looking into the interpreter program, you can contact the Department of Health at language dot access at msdh.ms.gov.
