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is enhanced when the contribution made by interpreters and families is
maximized. One way of doing this is by working with interpreters as bilingual
co-workers. Practitioners hold the primary responsibility for identifying the
language needs of families and for facilitating effective communication with
them. Service managers have an important role in relation to securing the
necessary interpreting resources to support the practitioners’ work.
The article suggests that practitioners draw on the full range of competencies
that bilingual co-workers possess and the range of roles they are able to
undertake. It also suggests that use is made of a broad contextual framework for
understanding the psychological needs of young people and their families.
Reflective practice ensures that the emotional responses of all the participants
involved in the therapeutic encounter are processed and incorporated into the work.
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