Enrollment for 2025 Bridging the Gap is now open!  Click Here 

New Course

Bridging The Gap in Mental Health Interpreting

Gain the skills and knowledge necessary to be an effective interpreter in mental health care.

BTG Mental Health

$475*

*If self-enrolling on our course site, log into the system to view the auto-generated coupon code to receive your course for the discounted price
Live, In-Person Training
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24-Hour Training / Live

New Course

Bridging The Gap in Mental Health Interpreting

Gain the skills and knowledge necessary to be an effective interpreter in mental health care.

BTG Mental Health

$475*

$400

*If self-enrolling on our course site, log into the system to view the auto-generated coupon code to recieve your course for the discounted price

ONLINE VIRTUAL TRAINING

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24-Hour Training / Live

Add Mental Health Interpreting to

Your Qualifications

The Bridging the Gap in Mental Health Interpreting is a 24-hour course developed by CCHCP to meet the unique needs of interpreting in mental health care.

Students must have taken the Bridging the Gap 40-Hour medical interpreter training or another 40-hour medical interpreter training approved by CCHCP.

The class is designed to be interactive and includes role plays, case studies, and other activities to foster a collaborative learning environment.

Upcoming Classes: In-Person Sessions

Each class will be held from 8 AM to 4 PM Eastern Time:

April 30th, May 1st and 2nd, 2025

December 1st – 3rd, 2025

All Included

Textbook

Glossary in Mental Health

Held virtually via Zoom

Mental health interpreting techniques

Application Requirements

In order to enroll in this course applicants must:

  • applicants must be able to attend all 24 hours of the training.
  • are 18 years of age or older.
  • provide proof of Language Proficiency (GED certificate, or University/College degree). If you don’t have any we will provide Language Proficiency Test in English and Target Language (free of cost).
  • have or obtain proof of language proficiency in English and one other language that you will be interpreting in. Please refer to the application form for a list of acceptable documents.
  • have taken the Bridging the Gap 40-Hour medical interpreter training or another 40-hour medical interpreter training approved by CCHCP.

Our Instructors

Sameh Abdelkader

Sameh Abdelkader is the Director of our Education Department and is the lead instructor for two medical interpreter training courses: the nationally recognized 40-hour Bridging the Gap (BTG) course and the 48-hour The Community Interpreter: Medical Edition course. In 2012, Sameh delivered the BTG course to over 120 students.

Mr. Abdelkader has over 22 years of experience in education and has brought his skills in management, teaching, training, recruitment, and cultural competency to Liberty Language Services.

Mr. Abdelkader holds a B.A. in English from Zagzig University in Sharkya, Egypt. In addition to being a licensed trainer for BTG and The Community Interpreter: Medical Edition, he is also a licensed trainer for the legal interpreter training course, The Language of Justice. As an educator and member of the IMIA, he adheres to the IMIA Educators Code of Ethics.

Sameh’s Professional Certifications

  • 40-hour Interpreting in Health and Community Settings (NVAHEC)
  • 40-hour Bridging the Gap Medical Interpreter Training Course
  • The Community Interpreter Training of Trainers (TOT)
  • 3-day Language of Justice Legal Interpreter Training
  • Bridging the Gap TOT
  • The Language of Justice TOT
  • Awarded “Distinction in Interpreter Education” IMIA 2015
  • Completed a 16-Hour Online Training of Trainers: The Interpreter Trainer Online

Maria Teresa Buendia

Ms. Buendia is the Assistant Director of our Education Department and is an interpreter trainer and certified healthcare interpreter (CHI) for Spanish/English and has held CHI Spanish certification since 2013. Maria Teresa is a licensed instructor for Bridging the Gap and instructor for the training course Behavioral Health Interpreting developed by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. She is an experienced video remote interpreter and, since 2020, has trained over 250 interpreters for remote video interpreting and telemedicine interpreting assignments.

Additionally, she developed new and updated language proficiency tests, including specialized tests for public schools, behavioral health, and medical settings. Maria Teresa has a degree in microbiology from Universidad de Los Andes Bogotá, Colombia. In April 2021, she was a presenter at the annual Virginia Language Access Conference.

Maria’s Professional Certifications

  • CHI for Spanish and English
  • Trained over 250 interpreters for remote video interpreting and telemedicine interpreting assignments
  • Instructor for Bridging the Gap
  • Instructor for the training course Behavioral Health Interpreting

Career Opportunities

When you encounter a language barrier, you need a trusted company that can bridge that gap in communication. Liberty Language Services offers a full suite of language services. We’re proud that every single one of our interpreters are highly trained and rigorously credentialed in each specialty. They’re also fully compliant with all standards in all the major industries.

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