LanguageBank

...and Swahili, Spanish, Ukranian, Vietnamese...

We have a long history of welcoming immigrants and refugees to New Hampshire. Today, there are more than 100,000 people living in our state where a language “other than English” is spoken at home.* Whether our new neighbors come to America for opportunity or safety, our challenge as a community is how we welcome these new voices, skills, and cultural gifts into our midst.

* Source: US Census, 2000. www.census.gov

What is Language Bank?

LanguageBank is a high quality, face-to-face language interpretation service serving a wide range of New Hampshire professionals, and the people they serve who have limited English proficiency. It was created to provide medical, legal, and other professionals throughout the state with a high quality language interpretation option. Whatever your language interpretation needs might be, LanguageBank can not only help you communicate effectively with persons having limited English proficiency, but also help to more realistically ensure a quality outcome for you, your organization, and all the people you serve.

LanguageBank is also committed to helping the growing number of our state’s newest residents — from all parts of the world — to have more equitable access to a range of critical and routine services and opportunities by assisting them in communicating more effectively.
LanguageBank is prepared to assist both parties to not only understand the meaning of words in the other’s language, but also understand the meaning of critical concepts in each other’s culture.

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Many studies have shown that clear communication increases the likelihood of quality outcomes. This holds true in personal relationships, as well as in professional relationships. And as many of you know, clear communication can be challenging, even when those involved in the exchange speak the same language, and have experienced the same culture!

LanguageBank, by providing high-quality, professional, on site language interpretation, makes more equitable access to services for all your potential consumers possible. For many New Hampshire professionals, LangugageBank can greatly decrease the likelihood of communication errors, and increase the likelihood of a quality outcome.

Building more “quality” into service delivery not only engenders trust and respect from consumers, staff and the community, but strengthens your bottom line

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Why LanguageBank

LanguageBank is a professional service designed to meet the needs of professionals. LanguageBank is:

Personal: Face-to-face interpretation with a trained interpretation professional is the best way to ensure that you understand your clients with limited English proficiency, and that they understand you.
LanguageBank is complementary to currently available phone interpretation services. While LanguageBank offers interpretation services in an emergency, there are situations where phone interpretation services may be necessary until a LanguageBank interpreter can arrive.

Professional: LanguageBank interpreters are trained professionals. Our training includes: professional standards of practice, triadic communication, medical and/or legal terminology, and interpretation techniques.

LanguageBank interpreters are also covered by insurance.

Individualized: LanguageBank makes every effort match an interpreter with a both the client’s and facility’s needs and preferences. Whenever possible, the same interpreter is available to assist with ongoing services.

Convenient: LanguageBank saves you time and money by increasing your efficiency. One call is all it takes. When you call, we identify and send the most appropriate interpreter available to meet your interpretation needs, notify the client/consumer of the appointment in their own language, and send one monthly consolidated bill to your facility.

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It’s the law

All organizations and agencies that receive federal funding—either directly or indirectly— must comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. As part of Title VI requirements, services provided by an organization receiving federal funds must not discriminate based on national origin. This means that “meaningful access” must be provided to all federally funded services. Access includes interpretation services for limited English proficient persons.

Over the past several years, there have been a growing number of civil action suits filed against hospitals, HMOs, and public school systems for non-compliance with this law. What was the complaint? Lack of language interpretation limited access to services, causing errors, or creating other service delivery problems.

We are happy to meet with you to discuss how to most efficiently and cost-effectively be in compliance with this legislation.

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Who should be using LanguageBank services?

Professionals in many service areas should consider utlizing LanguageBank:

· Physicians and Medical Personnel
· Attorneys and Law Enforcement Officials
· Court Officials
· Public School Administrators and Teachers
· Public Health Workers
· Social Workers
· Employers

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LanguageBank services

LanguageBank services are available when and where you and your clients need them.

Routine services: A trained LanguageBank interpreter can meet with you and your client at your convenience. The interpreter can accompany your client through the meeting, process, or procedure, and can ensure that you are getting the information you need, and your client is getting the information he or she needs.

Routine (non-emergency) services should be scheduled 48 hours ahead of time, during our regular office hours (8:30 am–5:00 pm, Monday – Friday)

Emergency services: LanguageBank is available to New Hampshire professionals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Depending upon the availability of interpreters, LanguageBank makes every effort to provide you and your clients with high quality interpretation services in an emergency.
Emergency services can be requested by calling our office number (603-224-8111) or (1-800-244-8119). When calling before 8:30 am and after 5:00 pm, our answering service will be able to assist you.

Ongoing services: For some LanguageBank customers, ongoing interpretation services are necessary to meet the needs of your client(s) over several weeks or months. In these situations, LanguageBank makes every effort to provide the same interpreter to you and your client throughout the process or procedure involved.

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Getting started

If you wish to explore the benefits of LangugeBank services further, and/or have an immediate need for interpretation services, please call us today.

Languages: LanguageBank can provide trained professional interpreters in over 20 language and dialects, and additional languages are being added as needed.

Rates: Our rates are competitive with other interpretation services. Call us for our current rates.

Package Services: LanguageBank is prepared to provide a proposal that is tailored to your organization and your need for interpretation services, including possible opportunities to partner with other organizations that share your needs.

LanguageBank service packages offer cost savings over our fee-for-service rates. We can also show you how LanguageBank services are cost competitive with phone interpretation services. Let us know if you would like to meet with us to discuss your organization’s needs.

Call: 603-224-8111 or 800-244-8119
Ask for the LanguageBank Coordinator
Office Hours: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm

On-Call (emergencies): 603-224-8111 or 800-244-8119 (24 hour answering service)

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Additional Resources

The Art of Legal Interpretation, by Constance Emerson Crooker, Portland State University Press, 2004 (140 pages) www.cep.pdx.edu

Assessing Language Interpretation Capacity Among New Hampshire Health Care Providers, by Nancy Kohn et. al., Endowment for Health, 2004, (48 pages) www.endowmentforhealth.org

Frequently Asked Questions About Court Interpreting, by David Mintz, The National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators, 2005. www.najit.org

Immigrant Access to Health Benefits: A Resource Manual, by Claudia Schlosberg and Edited by Doreena Wong, National Health Law Program, 2002 (189 pages) www.accessproject.org

Language Barriers in Health Care Settings: An Annotated Bibiliography of Research Literature, by Elizabeth A. Jacobs, M.D. et. al, and the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care. Prepared for the California Endowment. www.ncihc.org

Policy Update on Schools' Obligations Toward National Origin Minority

Students With Limited-English Proficiency, United States Department of Education, 1991, 2003, www.ed.gov.

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