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QUESTION: We are serving more individuals who do not speak English, and therefore need to use foreign language translators to communicate with the individuals and families. We currently meet that need through contract arrangements with organizations like Luna language services, but the expense of using Interpreters causes us to lose more money on services that already don’t cover their costs. What other options are members using? We partnered a few times with the local College in our community. This can provide real life experience in translation for a college student under an internship or volunteer work. We use a variety of ways to meet these needs but it is a difficult challenge. At times, we do pay for interpreters. We start with seeing who in that individuals life can translate, normally there is at least one family member or friend that can do this especially if the individual is in the school setting someone usually is available. We also check with BDDS to see how they communicated with the Individual during the targeting process. We also use translation apps both for speaking and writing information. We will ensure it is clear on anything we use translator for that it is an app and may not be 100% accurate in what we are saying or writing. For Spanish, we have translated the majority of our documents into Spanish versions to utilize. We currently have a bilingual Behavior Consultant that we hired for our team specifically for this purpose. We have also used google translator as well as translation document software to help work with our Spanish speaking population as we complete interviews with them. Another idea that we have used to try and bridge the gap with these families is to work with older siblings who are interested in earning extra income by doing PAC or other services with other families that may live close to them. We have one case manager who was able to talk with an older sibling of one individual who is now providing PAC to two other families. I am not sure that will help these individuals, but this has helped us bridge those gaps for a more inclusive community with-in the individuals we serve and their families. I have not really used this for this task, but it could be of some help. There is a computer program and app called Microsoft Translator (https://translator.microsoft.com/). This program can translate most languages and can be used by many individuals speaking varied languages at the same time. It is NOT perfect. It relies on artificial intelligence and not a real interpreter, but it is completely free to use. It works on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. If you have any questions please let me know. We have 8 bilingual Case Managers that are spread throughout Indiana. Local Adult Learning Centers – where people complete there high school education (HSE/GED) often employ translators – who can be utilized either for free or for a low cost. Here in the small town of Wabash, our Adult Learning Center has Spanish speakers and right now someone who speaks Cambodian – who is helping a small group. We use LUNA Language services for interpretation as well as translation of documents. I agree that it's expensive. The cost for their services EXCEED the Medicaid reimbursement rate we receive for the services we provide. Thankfully, we don't have to use them for every single person we work with! We have concentrated our efforts to reach out to the populations of people we serve to try to connect with bilingual people that we could hire so they could potential provide their own interpretation services. When we find these individuals, we pay them extra for their additional skill set beyond the minimum expectations required for their position. This information is a compilation of suggestions, ideas, and opinions shared by INARF Members in response to the featured question. This information should not be considered official interpretation or guidance of State or Federal Policy. Additionally, statements within this document do not necessarily reflect an official position or opinion of INARF.