Vorheriger Tag Vorheriger Tag
Nächster Tag Nächster Tag
Day 15

One minute of therapy with an interpreter for a refugee in Germany

Hal yumkinukum musa3adatuna? Hal yumkinukum musa3adatuna? Hal yumkinukum musa3adatuna? Hal yumkinukum musa3adatuna?

One minute of therapy with an interpreter for a refugee in Germany
Day 15
Interpreter-assisted counseling and therapy for survivors of torture and war

Hal yumkinukum musa3adatuna? In English: Can you help us? This simple sentence could have come from a refugee family from Syria who visit the Medical Refugee Aid's therapy center for survivors of torture and war. But most of the staff would not understand them. So what do you do in a psychosocial center when clients and therapists do not speak the same language? The work is simply impossible without the use of interpreters. It is not just about understanding the language, but also about conveying the meaning of what is being said. For this reason, the organization works with professional language and cultural mediators who not only translate word for word in therapy and counseling sessions, but can also place what is said in its cultural context if necessary.

Interpreter-assisted counseling and therapy for survivors of torture and war
need
Psychosocial support and therapeutic help for traumatized refugees.
activity
Therapy and counseling for traumatized refugees are made possible through the use of language and cultural mediators.
Measurable performance
Number of interpreter-assisted counselling and therapy sessions conducted.
Result
Psychological stabilization of traumatized refugees. Overcoming the crisis makes it possible to develop a new life plan.
Systemically relevant impact
Better psychosocial care and opportunities for social participation for refugees.
background

Many refugees have fallen victim to serious human rights violations before fleeing their homeland. They have experienced violence, persecution or war. Such traumatic experiences cause many to suffer from severe anxiety and depression. The health burden is often exacerbated by the unsafe and oppressive accommodation situation as a refugee here in Germany. They urgently need psychosocial support.

The psychosocial center of the Medical Refugee Aid (MFH) offers interdisciplinary support services ranging from medical care to psychotherapy and social work. Whenever necessary, language and cultural mediators trained in counseling and therapy are used as interpreters.

Despite its central importance, language mediation is still not standard, neither in health care nor in public authorities, mainly because of a lack of funding. While the employees of our center can be financed from public project funding, this does not apply to the use of interpreters. The costs are not covered by health insurance companies and usually not by the social welfare office. The public subsidies are not nearly enough to cover our costs.

Day 15 Day 15
The good deed

With this good deed, the psychosocial center can employ trained language and cultural mediators in counseling and therapy and thus support those affected in leaving their trauma of war and flight behind them and finding a new home in the Ruhr area.

AboutGermany
Berlin
Berlin
Capital city
82 667 700
82 667 700
Population
41 902
41 902
Gross domestic product per capita per year
4
4
Human Development Index (Human Development Index)

Germany is one of the richest countries in the world and has one of the best health and social systems in the world. However, refugees have only limited access to health care.

About the organization and further information

organization

Medical Refugee Aid Bochum eV

Website

http://www.mfh-bochum.de

Further links