Mental Health Services & Information

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Find an Interpreter

The use of professional medical interpreters is essential for effective intercultural mental health care when clinician and patient do not share a common language. Cultural mediators or culture brokers are resource people who help explain clinically relevant cultural differences to patients and to clinicians.

Alberta

Interpretation and Translation Services (Calgary)
The Language Bank is committed to facilitating equal access of community services and programs for immigrants and refugees through the provision of high quality translation and interpretation services. We provide document translation in over 50 languages at affordable costs. Interpretation services are provided for individual clients and government/community organizations.

How can you access our translation and interpretation services?

  • For translation requests contact (403) 705-8893 to book an appointment or email [email protected] for inquiries.
  • For interpretation requests contact (403) 538-8360. Agencies will need to fill out theInterpretation Request Form for the requests.
  • For CRCFS interpretation requests fill out the Interpretation Request Form or contact (403) 705-4380.

Language Bank – Edmonton Immigrant Services Association (Edmonton)
Edmonton Immigrant Services Association (EISA) provides translation and interpretation services free of charge for eligible clients. EISA provides certified translation of basic documents needed for immediate settlement, educational and vocational purpose such as: diploma or degree certificates/transcripts, birth/marriage/death/divorce certificates, and professional accreditation documents. EISA also provides Interpretation in clients’ first language to assist with appointments at the government and other organizations.

Tel: (780) 474-8445 (ask for Language Bank staff)

British Columbia

Provincial Language Service (Province-wide)
The Provincial Language Service (PLS) was established by the Provincial Health Services Authority in 2003 to support the health system to more effectively meet the needs of BC’s culturally and linguistically diverse population. PLS has since grown to support not only the health system, but also many other clients across BC and Canada through on-site and on-demand interpreting in over 180 languages, as well as translation, consulting and training services.
In addition to partnering with organizations such as BC Mental Health & Addictions Services to translate evidence-based and culturally relevant mental health information for BC’s non- or limited-English speaking residents, PLS is able to provide interpreters that are specifically trained for the mental health setting.
Our training program, Interpreting in Mental Health: A Team Approach, complements the language and professional skills of our interpreters through 25 hours of workshop-based training. The program recognizes the influence of culture in mental health, and at the same time, provides a deeper understanding of the western approach to mental health definitions and context. Because the training is intended to position the interpreter as a member of the mental health team, we are also able to provide training for health care professionals so that they can benefit from and better utilize the skills of the interpreter.

MOSAIC (Vancouver)
MOSAIC is a language-services agency specializing in interpretation, translation, foreign-language consultation, videoconferencing and more.They have been providing interpretation and translation services to the private and public sectors for over 20 years. They work with fully accredited, professional interpreters and offer interpretation in over 50 languages. They offer both simultaneous and consecutive interpretation. Services can be provided in person or by phone/videoconferencing. They also provide interpretation for medical and psychiatric assessments and treatments

Aiming for service excellence, they only recruit and work with qualified individuals committed to upholding the ethical and performance standards of the industry. User agencies have recognized their commitment to service excellence by nominating them for the Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Award.

They stay abreast of developments in the field through our membership in professional federations such as AILIA (Association de l’industrie de la langue – Language Industry Association), and are active in advocating for improved access to training through participation in advisory committees as well as in industry federations.

DIVERSEcity (Surrey)
DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society is a registered charity with a 40+ year history of empowering newcomers and other diverse communities to build the life they want through our programs and services in language, settlement, employment, counselling, and interpretation and translation.

DIVERSEcity Interpretation and Translation is the largest interpretation and translation service provider in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, with a network of 300+ professionals who provide services in 88+ languages, including indigenous languages and many rare ones. We deliver consecutive interpretation, simultaneous interpretation, dubbing/voice-over interpretation, 3-way call phone interpretation, virtual (Video) remote interpretation and American Sign Language (ASL) to individuals, community agencies, government or non-government public organizations and private businesses. DIVERSEcity is a client-centred organization committed to quality and accountability.

At DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society, newcomers and other diverse communities are empowered to build the life they want in Canada. Our free, multilingual programs and services in language, settlement, employment and counselling provide them with a foundation of information, skills and connections to achieve their goals. As a social enterprise, we reinvest our earnings into DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society’s charitable services for newcomers and diverse communities.

Vancouver Coastal Health (Vancouver)
Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is a regional health authority providing direct and contracted health services including primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary care, home and community care, mental health services, population and preventive health and addictions services in part of Greater Vancouver and the Coast Garibaldi area.

VCH is one of six publicly-funded healthcare regions within the Canadian province of British Columbia. The Provincial Government of British Columbia, through the British Columbia Ministry of Health, sets province-wide goals, standards and performance agreements for health service delivery by the six health authorities.

Spoken Language interpreters Spoken Language interpreters are available to help with communication between staff and patients who have limited English. These interpreters may be requested by VCH staff only. If you or your family needs the help of an interpreter, please speak to a staff member.

BC Nurseline (Vancouver)
HealthLink BC provides BC residents with 24/7 access to non-emergency health information and advice via telephone, online and in print.
The website, at www.HealthLinkBC.ca, provides medically-approved information on more than 4,000 health topics, symptoms, and over-the-counter and prescription drugs and offers tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It also offers an integrated search and mapping function to more than 4,500 health services to help British Columbians find health services close to their home communities.
Residents of British Columbia can also call 8-1-1 (or 7-1-1 for deaf and hearing impaired callers) from anywhere in the province to speak to a nurse, dietitian or pharmacist or to find a health resource in their area. Translation services in 130 languages are available upon request.

Manitoba

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (Winnipeg)
Manitoba is one of the largest and most diverse health regions in Canada. It is responsible for providing health care to more than 700,000 people living in the City of Winnipeg as well as the surrounding Rural Municipalities of East and West St. Paul and the Town of Churchill, located in northern Manitoba.

The WRHA also provides health care support and specialty referral services to nearly 500,000 Manitobans who live outside its boundaries as well as residents of northwestern Ontario and Nunavut who require the specialist referral services and expertise available in Winnipeg.

With an annual operating budget of nearly $2.6 billion dollars, the WRHA operates or funds over 200 health service facilities and programs, which employ approximately 28,000 people working within the health region.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) uses Language Access interpreter services. Language Access employs trained health interpreters who provide face-to-face interpreter services in 34 languages. There is no cost for services within the Winnipeg health region. For sign language services however some conditions apply. Interpreters also provide other language services such as face-to-face interpreting, conference call interpreting, message relaying, call reminders, and over-the-phone interpreter services.

This number is only for authorized health care providers at the following facilities: (1) Children’s Hospital (Children’s Clinic, Day Surgery, CH/K3, CH4, CK5, Pediatric Day Unit), (2) Women’s Hospital, (3) Klinic Community Health Centre, (4) Nine Circles Community Health Centre.

For Indigenous, Inuit and/or American Sign Language interpreters, call (204) 788-8585.

WRHA Language Access Interpreter Services (LAIS):
Provides qualified, trained interpreter services 24/7/365, either in-person, by telephone or via Manitoba Telehealth for non-Indigenous, spoken languages. These evidence-informed services are critical to reducing barriers between service providers and patients/clients who do not share a common language. They enhance the WRHA’s commitment to providing high-quality safe care to every person regardless of ethnicity, race or culture.

WRHA Language Access Interpreter Services are provided at no cost to all government funded health services, e.g. WRHA-funded facilities, programs and services, Cancer Care Manitoba, WRHA funded dental services, and for fee-for-service physicians working in the Winnipeg Health region.

Services are also available on a cost-recovery basis to other health authorities and government departments (provincial and federal). A variety of other organizations can also access these services with a charge.

In-person interpreter services are provided in over thirty (30) languages by a team of trained and qualified WRHA Language Access casual employees. Immediate over-the-phone interpreter services are also available in approximately 200 languages through an external contracted service provider. Interpreter services are arranged by service providers. Please let your service providers know should you require an interpreter and they can request the services by calling the Language Access central intake line at 204-788-8585 (24/7) or by fax (non-Indigenous spoken languages only).

Immigrant Women’s Counselling Services (Winnipeg)
This program has over 50 active female interpreters trained in legal and medical terminology and issues related to the court system who provide appropriate interpretation for female clients and their families dealing with health, legal and immigration issues. Interpreters receive additional training related to domestic violence issues. As much notice as possible is requested as interpreters work on an unpaid volunteer basis.

Sexuality Education Resource Centre (Winnipeg)
Free Health interpretation services (for medical appointments and counseling) in the area of reproductive, maternal/child health, pre and postnatal and sexual health. Two full time staff speak Cantonese and Spanish and trained volunteers who speak over 20 languages can be available to provide confidential interpretation upon advanced request (at least one-week notice preferred).

Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council Inc. Welcome Place (Winnipeg)
MIIC provides interpretation services free of charge to all newcomers living in Winnipeg who entered Canada as refugees or refugee claimants as long as they are currently registered as clients of MIIC. MIIC provides translation free of charge only to refugee claimants as part of the refugee claim process. The request for translation must come from the Manager of Inland Protection at MIIC. Clients willing to pay a fee or who have been in Canada over three years are referred to fee for service translation services. MIIC does provide fee for service interpreter/translation services to agencies (but not individual clients) at a moderate rate with a minimum of two hours required (Examples include: school without contracts, social assistance appointments initial intake, medical/health appointments).

Indigenous Health Services (Winnipeg)
Advocacy Services supports the interests, needs and rights of Indigenous patients in the hospital. The advocate receives and resolves health and human service complaints affecting patients, addresses Indigenous patient concerns, provides advice regarding resources or services and works with community programs to improve patient care. Advocacy Services works with patients and families within the hospital system and at a regional level to ensure holistic healing plans. In addition, Indigenous Health Programs partners with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs to address the advocacy needs of First Nations clients. The AMC patient advocate works collaboratively with WRHA programs and services as part of the Indigenous Health Programs team to address the health issues and concerns of First Nations clients seeking health services in the Winnipeg health region. The interpreters have special training in medical terminology and function as members of the health care team. They facilitate communication between health providers and patients by providing interpretation in Swampy Cree, Ojibway and Oji-Cree/Island Lake dialect.

New Brunswick

New Brunswick Community Interpeter Project
The New Brunswick Community Interpreter Project is a grant-funded, non-profit program that trains English-Spanish bilingual Rutgers students in the skills of medical interpreting for service in local clinics and hospitals.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Association for New Canadians (St. John’s)
The Association for New Canadians provides language services and a database of translators and interpreters to immigrants and refugees in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Northwest Territories

We have no resources for this region at this time. Please check back in the future or contact us.

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia Interpreting Services (Halifax)
Nova Scotia Interpreting Services (NSIS) is a non-profit organization based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They offer in-person and telephone interpreting services to hospitals, government departments and other organizations serving the public.

Nunavut

We have no resources for this region at this time. Please check back in the future or contact us.

Ontario

Interpreters Niagara Hamilton (Region of Niagara and the City of Hamilton)
Interpreters Niagara Hamilton is an interpretation service provided by a non-profit charitable community organization INCommunities (formerly known as Information Niagara) based in St-Catherine, Ontario. Their mandate is to enable individuals and service providers the opportunity to communicate accurately and confidentially through professionally qualified interpreters. The service provides free and fee-based spoken interpretation services in the Region of Niagara and the City of Hamilton.

Available interpretation services include:

  • Individual or group counseling settings
  • Domestic violence shelters, domestic violence court preparation, crown attorney meetings
  • Police
  • Appointments with housing, social assistance
  • Legal appointments
  • Hospitals (including sexual assault units)
  • Medical appointments
  • Schools for parent-teacher meetings
  • Health, community, family services
  • Government services
  • and more

Type of Service:

  • On-site (face to face) interpretation between the service provider and their non-English speaking client. Documents requiring client’s signature can be sight-translated to ensure complete comprehension.
  • Telephone interpretation is done by three-way conference call between the service provider, the non-English speaking client and the assigned interpreter.
  • Message relays are brief messages relayed to the non-English speaking client such appointment reminders, instructions, etc.

Fees:

Free: Interpreter assistance to victims of domestic or sexual violence or human trafficking whose first language is not English is free of charge.

Fee-based: Service rates for other individuals can be determined by phone or by email

Cultural Interpretation Services for Our Communities (CISOC) (Ottawa)
CISOC is a registered charitable organization founded in 1993. Their mandate is to provide the highest standards of interpretation and translation services. With over 160 professional interpreters and translators working in more than 60 languages and dialects, the services include interpretation, on-site and by phone (24/7/365), Translation into-and-from over 20 world languages, interpretation certification training and testing, and intercultural training. Developed by CISOC, the Cultural Interpreter Language and Interpreting Skills Assessment Tool (CILISAT) is a provincially recognized testing system that allows potential interpreters to acquire professional accreditation and certification in any of 37 languages. CISOC is responsible for managing and administering the CILISAT throughout Ontario.

Immigrant Women Services (Ottawa)
Immigrant Women Services Ottawa (IWSO) is a non-profit agency that provides counseling and support services to abused immigrant women and their families in Ottawa and its surrounding areas. IWSO language Interpretation service ensures accurate communication between Ottawa’s legal, social, health, community agencies, and their multilingual clients.

Types of Services:

  • Interpretation services are offered 24 hours per day and 7 days per week
  • Face to face interpretation
  • Message relay
  • Telephone interpreting
  • Group Interpretation.

Fees:

Free: The service is free for victims of violence.

Fee-based: Other language interpretation services.

Other:
IWSO provides Interpretation training to individuals with the skills, tools, and knowledge to deliver a professional interpreter service. Trainees must be fluent in English, and a second or third language and are required to pass a language test (ILSAT or CILISAT), before taking the training. The organization also offers a training program for service providers to heighten their awareness to the cultural differences of immigrant and visible minority women and to work towards the provision of appropriate and accessible services.

Access Alliance (Toronto)
Access Alliance works to promote health & well being and improve access to services for immigrants and refugees in GTA. They provide interpretation and document translation to a diverse range of customers. Their interpreters all receive a minimum of 70 hours of core training on Community Interpretation and are required to complete a course in Medical Terminology. Some of our interpreters are internationally trained and also hold certificates in court interpreting.

Types of Services:

  • Access Alliance provides ongoing professional development workshops to interpreters
  • They can accommodate requests for an interpreter with specific terminology expertise
  • Face-to-face interpretation at your agency or in your client’s home
  • Telephone message relay
  • Conference calls
  • Group Interpretation
  • Training and consulting services to organizations to enhance their ability to work with customers and interpreters
  • Other community programs and services

Contact:

Multilingual Community Interpreter Services (Toronto)
MCIS is a non-profit social enterprise. It provides fee-based professional interpretation, translation, and training for new interpreters in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The different types of interpretation services provided include face-to-face, group, and telephone interpretation in 96 languages. Additional services include sight translation of key documents, translation and audio/video transcription services and training and orientation for all service providers working with interpreters and translators. MCIS offers services to over 630 agencies in South Central Ontario across all sectors including the medical sector. They train an average of 200 interpreters every year to work in the medical and legal sectors. They all pass a standardized language proficiency test and undergo 100 hours of training. In addition, they complete glossaries, work on online language labs, go on-site visits, complete homework assignments and participate in online forums.

RivInt (Greater Toronto Area)
RivInt is a Social Enterprise offering fee-for-service translation and interpretation services. They provide professionally screened, trained and qualified interpreters and translators. They also offer interpretation and translations services, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. RivInt is a non-profit, community-based business managed by Elspeth Heywoth Centre for Women (EHCW), dedicated to providing exceptional language services to the public and private sectors by focusing on the interpretation needs of the service providers and their clients. RivINt services for immigrants and refugees reach to all areas in and around the Greater Toronto Area.

Across Languages (London)
Across Languages Translation and Interpretation Service exists to eliminate language barriers to communication between people of diverse languages and cultures. We strive to ensure that communication across language barriers is effective, giving all people equal opportunity to access and participate in societal processes, services, and institutions. Across Languages provides interpreters for area hospitals, the City of London, the Children’s Aid Society, the London Middlesex Health Unit, several provincial government ministries, WSIB, WSIAT, CPP, Designated Assessment Centres, lawyers, schools, counsellors and therapists, family doctors, police, provincial courts, community agencies serving refugees and immigrants, as well as many other organizations in London and across South-western Ontario and beyond. Through a network of non-profit interpreting services across Ontario, we can draw upon approximately 600 similarly-trained interpreters covering up to 65 languages.

The Canadian Hearing Society After-Hours Emergency Interpreting Service
The After-Hours Emergency Interpreting Service is a sign language interpreting service for health or mental health emergencies.The service is available in Ontario from 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weeknights and 24 hours/day on weekends and holidays. The After-Hours call centre will accept calls for interpreters until 8:15 a.m. Anyone who needs a sign language interpreter to communicate clearly in a health or mental health emergency can use the service. This includes hospitals and walk-in clinic emergency personnel, Children’s Aid Societies staff, mental health clinic/shelter staff, deaf, deafened and hard of hearing people, friends or family members.

Prince Edward Island

We have no resources for this region at this time. Please check back in the future or contact us.

Quebec

Cultural Consultation Service
The Cultural Consultation Service of the Jewish General Hospital Department of Psychiatry provides comprehensive assessment and evaluation of patients from diverse cultural backgrounds, including immigrants, refugees and members of ethnocultural communities, as well as Indigenous peoples. The Service is available to assess new patients in psychiatry and medicine as well as those in ongoing treatment who require re-evaluation. Referrals must have a primary clinician or case manager who requests the consultation.

Interregional Interpreters Bank
People who do not have sufficient command of English or French to interact with health workers in Quebec should contact their CSSS to obtain the services of an interpreter. The CSSS decides whether the request is admissible, and if the decision is positive covers all the costs related to interpreting services.

  • Tel: (514) 597-3284
  • Fax: (514) 286-6535
  • Request for interpreters online: www.jeromeplus.ca
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Address: 3725, rue Saint-Denis, Montréal (Québec) H2X 3L9

Monday to Friday: 8:30 am to 12:00 pm and 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Evenings and weekends: services are available in case of an emergency

Interpreting, Support, and Referral Services for Immigrants
Interpreting, Support, and Referral Services for Immigrants (SIARI) offers a range of services that aim at assisting immigrants with the integration processes. SIARI provides immigrants with interpreters, but also provides language courses, information on Quebec and various services that are available to immigrants, counseling services, social support, and other services.

Centre international des femmes de Québec (Quebec City)
The Centre International des Femmes, Québec (CIFQ) is a non profit organization created in 1981 to specifically help immigrant women and their families to facilitate their integration. The Development of Local Networking in Health Services and Social Services Agency recognizes the specific role of the CIFQ with regards to the health and social services for women of the cultural community and their families. The CIFQ must facilitate the immigrants access into the network and do some prevention.

  • Tel: (418) 688-5530
  • Fax : (418) 801-6463

Accueil parrainage Outaouais, Banque d’interprètes (Agence régionale – Hull)
The interpreter service provides interpretation in 36 languages, 12 of which are spoken by staff at the APO. The services are only available during working hours for the organization and certain interpretation services have a cost associated with them.

Service d’aide aux Néocanadiens, Banque d’interprètes (Sherbrooke)
This organization has 90 interpreters who speak 34 languages. This service is offered to all family physicians in the region. The cost of interpretation services is $20 for community organizations and $25 for businesses or public organizations. They provide emergency interpretation services for the police and also provide translation services.

  • Tel: (819) 566-5373
  • Fax: (819) 566-1331

Saskatchewan

Saskatoon Open Door Society Interpretation and translation in more than 35 languages.

The Regina Open Door Society RODS provides interpretation and written translation services upon request.

Click here to download a list of Organizations serving culturally diverse populations in Saskatchewan

Yukon

We have no resources for this region at this time. Please check back in the future or contact us.