 The Linguistic and Cultural Mediation Cooperativa Tempo Libero

The service of Cultural Mediation offered by COOP Tempo Liber o In Health Services: Hospitals and Health Centres In Schools In Social Services: Minors and Family sector, social service department of the City council of Brescia

Aims of Cultural Mediation in different Sectors Remove linguistic and cultural barriers which can make the communication difficult Recognize the competency of the receiver of the service Improve the quality of services offered Promote a correct use of the services available Provide information and explanations of different services such as school, health services and social services available to foreign citizens for their better integration in the local community Identify and construct possibilities of preventing and overcoming conflicts which might arise

The role of a cultural mediator Translate from one language to another Help both sides to know and understand the significance of the words from the cultural point of view Help to understand the functioning of a service and the role of its operators Make visible the cultural origins of a migrant consumer Explicit the demands of operator and user Have a neutral position Support the operator without substituting his\her role

La mediazione in ambito sanitario

The Migrants and Health Services The relation between the foreign citizens and health services is still quite discontinuous and most of them use health services for emergency reasons only and find difficult understanding its importance as prevention Although the health service needs to intercept the demands of all citizens with their social and cultural differences Often a migrant citizen is not able to have access to these services because of linguistic barriers, a different conception of health and illness, approach towards the medical staff and differences in the organization of the service in different cultures

As for the recomendations of the WHO: for an efficient functioning of a health service it is important that the subject and the operator mutually participate in the process of healing. This recognizes the patient as a competent subject If we consider a migrant patient and the health service of the host country as two open and parallel systems it is possible to immagine how a “ short circuit” in communication is inevitable. This is because of differences in cultural references of the patient and the health system. Come far comunicare i due sistemi? Is efficient communication between these two systems possible? How?

The cultural and linguistic Mediation The cultural-linguistic mediation is an instrument which can be a bridge to create an efficient relationship between the two systems This instrument can help in constructing a relation of mutual trust between the patient and the operator since there are different conceptions of health and illness in different cultures It makes the comprehension more efficient for both sides It helps in making the patient -operator relationship more efficient as both disease and cure are in a framework which is recognized by both sides

The role of cultural mediation in health services: Decodify the meaning of the word “health” in different cultures Help in creating a climate of mutual trust Help in the comprehension of needs and demands of both patient and the operator Provide information to the patient about the services and cures offered by the health service

The mediation in schools Present in the following contexts: Nursery schools Primary schools Secondary schools Stage 1(middle school) Secondary schools stage 2 Youth centres Centres for after school activities(homework) Summer camps

l The role of cultural mediation in schools Receive the family and new student together with the teachers Gather the personal and scolastic history of the student. Provide the teachers with information about the school system in the home country of the student Translate the documents, school notices etc. Provide support in the initial phase of insertion in the class Help during the regular school and parents meetings Underline the importance of the original language and culture of the student Collaborate with different intercultural projects in the school