Eva Stitt Mental Health Memorial Lecture

This 2-day event will take place on Thursday, June 12, from 1:00 - 5:00 PM
and also on Tuesday, June 17, from 1:00 - 5:00 PM US-Eastern.

Start time: 1 PM US-Eastern | 2 PM US-Central | 12 PM US Pacific

This webinar will be recorded. The recording will only be available through the NCIHC Learning Center. Once the recording is available, individuals will need to submit a separate registration form to view the recording, including those who registered for the live broadcast. Recordings are free for NCIHC members and $30 for non-members.

Eva Stitt Memorial - Registration

NCIHC Members: FREE

Non-NCIHC Members:  $60.00

(Become an NCIHC Member today!)

CEU Approvals:

CCHI - pending

IMIA - pending

RID - pending

Eva Stitt Mental Health Memorial Lecture

This lecture aims to equip behavioral health interpreters with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively facilitate communication between health providers and clients from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. This online event will combine informative lectures, interactive discussions, and practical exercises to ensure that interpreters can deliver high-quality services in the behavioral health context. The first session will also be a panel discussion of recent behavioral health interpreting related research that has been done in the US. 

Objectives:

1. To enhance participants' understanding of behavioral health terminology and practices.
2. To cultivate skills in handling sensitive topics and emotions during interpretations.
3. To explore ethical considerations and confidentiality in behavioral health settings.
4. To provide strategies for de-escalating stressful situations and fostering effective communication.

Facilitators

Cecily Peeples Rodriguez

Cecily Peeples Rodriguez is a researcher and advocate for language access. She currently serves as Associate Director for Research and Organizational Innovation at the Institute for Policy and Governance (IPG) at Virginia Tech. Her master’s degree in public administration has equipped her with a strong public policy and management foundation. Additionally, Cecily is a Certified Diversity Executive, reflecting her commitment to fostering inclusivity and equity in all aspects of governance.

Her research focuses on language policy and its critical role in promoting social equity, with particular attention to the needs of immigrant and non-English-speaking communities.

She is also a member of the National Network for the Elimination of Disparities in Behavioral Health, where she works to address systemic barriers that affect access to mental health services for diverse populations.

Margie Bruce-Miguel

Margie Bruce-Miguel is a Level II Interpreter for Fairfax County Public Schools, the sixth-largest school district in the United States. Trained by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) as a Bilingual Staff Interpreter and a Behavioral Health Interpreter Trainer 3, she plays a vital role in facilitating communication among parents, educators, psychologists, and students with emotional disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and other challenges during Individualized Education Program (IEP) conferences, as mandated by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015.

Margie finds great satisfaction in her work, helping families and individuals from diverse backgrounds. She holds a bachelor’s degree in design from Universidad Autónoma del Caribe in Colombia.

Freshta Taeb

Freshta currently leads the Refugee Interventionists Program at Cornerstone Family and Marriage Intervention. She spearheads intervention sessions that incorporate, but are not limited to, clients with PTSD, anger management, and domestic violence. She oversees a team that implements emotional wellness workshops for refugee teens and adults.

She is also the Managing Director of FT Translation Services. She has acquired extensive translation experience through continual collaboration with renowned media outlets such as Al Jazeera America and The New York Times. This year she has started to teach Behavioral Health Interpretation courses to various groups including mental health providers in NOVA and hosts an Afghan TV show that discusses community issues such as civic engagement.

Access Statement: The goal of the NCIHC is to provide full access to anyone wanting to participate in our programming. We must receive your request for a reasonable accommodation no later than two weeks prior to the date of the event. For those who request accommodation after that date, every effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodation; however, we may not be able to do so given potential time constraints. If you need accommodations to participate, please email [email protected] by May 29, 2025.