The National Capacity Building (NCB) Project at the Center for Victims of Torture and the National Consortium of Torture Treatment Programs is pleased to announce this recorded webinar, held on June 30, 2026, on “Supporting the Supporters: Trauma-Informed Organizational Care for Interpreters and Cultural Brokers Serving Refugee Survivors of Torture”.
Description
Interpreters and cultural brokers are vital partners in trauma-informed care for refugees and survivors of displacement and torture, yet their own emotional wellbeing is often overlooked. Working at the intersection of language justice, cultural brokering, and therapeutic care, they frequently carry significant exposure to traumatic material, complex relational dynamics, and the invisible emotional labor of cross-cultural service provision.
This presentation examines the impact of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, burnout, and moral injury among interpreters and cultural brokers, while offering a culturally responsive, narrative-informed framework for organizational support. Participants will explore practical strategies—including alliance building, peer support, and trauma-informed wellness programming—to strengthen workforce resilience, interdisciplinary collaboration, and quality of care for survivors.
Learning Objectives
After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Recognize the unique occupational stressors experienced by interpreters and cultural brokers working with trauma-impacted displaced populations.
- Increase awareness of vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, burnout, and moral injury in the context of interpreter work.
- Apply trauma-informed, culturally responsive organizational strategies that support interpreter wellbeing and improve systems of care.
Target Audience
Staff of torture rehabilitation programs that are funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement and/or are members of the National Consortium of Torture Treatment Programs as well as SASIC Program staff. This session is designed for providers working with survivors of torture populations across disciplines, such as: legal services, social work, psychology, psychiatry, medicine, and case management, including but not limited to mental health clinicians, social workers, refugee service providers, torture treatment professionals, interpreters/cultural brokers, supervisors, and organizational leaders engaged in cross-cultural trauma care.
Resources
- PowerPoint
- Litz, B. T., Stein, N., Delaney, E., Lebowitz, L., Nash, W. P., Silva, C., & Maguen, S. (2009). Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans: A preliminary model and intervention strategy. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(8), 695-706.
- Lustig, S., & Tennakoon, L. (2008). Testimonials, narratives, stories, and drawings: child refugees as witnesses. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 17(3), 569–584.
- Marmarosh, C. L. (2017). Fostering engagement during termination: Applying attachment theory and research. Psychotherapy, 54(1), 4–9.
- Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Occupational Behaviour, 2(2), 99–113.
- McCann, I. L., & Pearlman, L. A. (1990). Vicarious traumatization: A framework for understanding the psychological effects of working with victims. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 3(1), 131–149.
- Newell, J. M., & MacNeil, G. A. (2010). Professional burnout, vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue: A review of theoretical terms, risk factors, and preventive methods for clinicians and researchers. Best Practices in Mental Health, 6(2), 57–68.
- Ruiz, A., Chen, J., Brown, T. T., Cai, X., Hernandez Fernandez, P., & Rodriguez, H. P. (2025). Comparing remote and in-person interpretation experiences for clinicians and Spanish-speaking patients with limited English proficiency: a mixed methods study. BMJ open quality, 14(2), e003227. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjoq-2024-003227
- Stamm, B. H. (2010). The ProQOL manual: Professional quality of life scale: Compassion satisfaction and fatigue subscales, R-IV. Center for Victims of Torture.
- Varghese, R., Quiros, L., & Berger, R. (2018). Reflective practices for engaging in trauma-informed culturally competent supervision. Smith College Studies in Social Work, 88(2), 135-151.
- White, M. (2007). Maps of narrative practice. W. W. Norton & Company.
- Yalom, I. D., & Leszcz, M. (2020). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (6th ed.). Basic Books.
Presenters:
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Arima Nam Minard, MA, MS , Pre Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor
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Choeden Lama, MA , Clinician/Interpreter