Peer Support and Consultation Project for Interpreters  (PSCPI) pronounced 'Pah! Skippy'

Since 2006

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The Peer Support and Consultation Project for Interpreters (PSCPI) is a unique, experiential approach to confronting and ameliorating compassion fatigue and vicarious traumatization. These conditions have the potential to erode attitude, self-management, neutrality, community, professionalism, and overall effectiveness of interpreters. Intelligent protective factors are integrated into the design of monthly PSCPI meetings. The groups provide a fresh, supportive and challenging environment where interpreters can learn and share self-management tools while reviewing, reflecting and sharing the sources and impacts of professional stress. Through this unique sharing, members lessen the impact of this type of stress on their lives and the increase the quality of their personal and professional relationships.

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In the broadest sense, the goal of all interpreters, including medical and mental health interpreters, is to work effectively and comfortably in the many and varied settings we encounter. Interpreters are on the front-lines of patient care provision, working with sex offenders, survivors of abuse, and more. We all work with people who have experienced oppression, pain and sometimes trauma, simply by being part of a linguistic and cultural minority. Certainly that oppression is systemic - sometimes that system includes their own families. Part of our work will bring us into close proximity with intensity, trauma and oppression. Naturally, there are profound personal, professional and societal benefits to working in these settings. There are also unavoidable negative consequences that we need to acknowledge. Interpreters everywhere have developed unique short and long-term strategies for managing the 'shadow' side of our work. 

 

It is critical that interpreters and the systems that employ interpreters, recognize that as a result of working in these more ‘highly charged’ settings, there is increased risk for vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, among other occupational hazards, too. Medical personnel, corrections, police, attorneys, among others, are vulnerable to these conditions that lead to diminished professionalism and zest for life. The consequences can be devastating for all who work in close proximity to the pain and trauma of others.

 

Arlyn Anderson and Marty Barnum designed PSCPI to counteract, minimize and reverse the effects of occupational stress.  PSCPI meetings have become a favorite with interpreters.

 

Factors that help reduce the impact of occupational stress, such as vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue, include:

• Peer validation

• Normalization of experiences

• Increased awareness of professional options

• Shared resources

• Feeling as though one is a part of a supportive professional network

 

The erosion of well-being and attitude (such as, respect, neutrality, open-mindedness, flexibility) are among the consequences of compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma and secondary trauma. Resilience, authenticity, trust and professional flexibility are among the consequences of belonging to a supportive professional network such as PSCPI.

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What will I gain from participating in PSCPI?

 

• Awareness of the risks of occupational stress. Knowledge is power and can prevent or lessen the impacts of vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue;

• Sharing experiences with other interpreters offers social support, normalization of experiences, amends cognitive distortions, and helps to maintain objectivity;

• Groups are an opportunity to reconnect with others;

• Members share potential coping resources;

• You will offer and receive validation and support;

• Reinforce and broaden options for personal coping strategies;

• It's an opportunity to share new information about the work;

• Group is a good place to vent feelings in a productive, positive, professional and confidential manner;

• Group provides support for dealing with the aftereffects of intensity;

• Increasing your professional network decreases professional isolation;

• Members have the opportunity to Increase objectivity, empathy and compassion;

• We have fun, go deep and laugh a lot!

 

• PSCPI groups can be designed to meet the needs of individual teams and may be held in-person, or on video.

   

  Contact:

  Arlyn Anderson, MA, PCC, CPCC

  Whole Interpreter Enterprises, LLC

  612-961-6421

  Arlyn@wholeinterpreter.com

  www.wholeinterpreter.com