Role

To actively support HIN’s development program through the formulation of strategies and activities that will serve to facilitate the recruitment of corporate sponsors and the identification of private sector and government funding which may potentially support the advancement of the standards in the delivery of interpreter services in the healthcare sector.

Committee Responsibilities

  • Development of an Annual Resource Development Plan this would include the identification of a priority activity – educational/resource development – to be undertaken by HIN.
  • Identification of the resources necessary to the implementation of the plan.
  • Identification of potential sources of financial or in kind support for the implementation of the Resource Development Plan.
  • Make application to the identified sources of support.
  • Oversee the implementation of the activity.

Activities 2008-2009

The Resource Development Committee has been working on obtaining funding to hire an administrator and on building strategic partnerships that will forward the goals of HIN and/or support efforts to de-fragmentize the profession of Community Interpreting.

Committee member Latha Sukumar was successful in obtaining an Investing in Neighbourhood grant from the municipality of Toronto.  It will fund an administrator position for 12 months.

Following up with feature reporter Lynda Hurst, we were directed to another Star reporter that covers immigration stories.  Lesley Ciarula Taylor interviewed Axelle Janczur and Elizabeth Abraham, as well as other HIN members and a psychiatrist at UHN.  The article, “ Language called a health care barrier”  was published in December 2008.

In June 2009, Elizabeth Abraham participated in a consultation with the Windsor Women Working with Immigrant Women to discuss legal strategies to draw attention to human rights violations when LEP patients are denied an interpreter.  The funding was allocated by the Court Challenges program before it was disbanded.  HIN will continue to work with this group of human rights attorneys and legal academics once the Board of WWWIW decides on a strategy.

In partnership with the Ministry of the Attorney General, the Resource Development Committee has initiated a working group on the standardization of testing, training and ongoing professional development for interpreters working in the fields of health, law and social servers. Key stakeholders from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, Ministry of Community and Social Services, MAG’s Victims Services, and the Law Foundation of Ontario will be brought together in an effort to harmonize the disparate qualification requirements for each field.

Resource Development Committee
Healthcare Interpretation Network
Co-Chairs

Elizabeth Abraham
University Health Network

Latha Sukumar
MCIS

Members of the Board

Elizabeth Abraham
University Health Network

Latha Sukumar
MCIS