Collaborating for Equitable Language Access for Survivors of Sexual Violence: (1) Interpreter Services for Forensic Clients

This webinar will be presented by: Ana Paula Noquez Mercado LLM, MA, LLB, Flor Castellanos Sanchez BA, MA, Angelita Olowu BSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, Hannah Chin

Ana Paula Noquez Mercado

Ana Paula Noguez Mercado joined the Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence (API-GBV) in February 2018. She is a national trainer, and technical assistance provider on language access, language justice and equitable communication, as well as on interpreting skills building, mainly focused on serving gender-based violence survivors. Prior to joining API-GBV, Ana Paula worked to advance gender justice at the National Women’s Institute (Mexico City), as well as immigrant justice and linguistic rights at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund- MALDEF (Los Angeles), among other organizations. Ana Paula co-founded Antena Los Ángeles, a language justice collective (2014-2021), and has focused her work on social justice/community interpreting, translation, capacity-building, as well as consulting and advocating to foster language justice and equitable communication with national and local organizations and public agencies. Ana Paula received her law degree from Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico City), a master’s degree in Gender and the Law from Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona/CIESAS, and received her LL.M. (Master of Laws) in Critical Legal Studies and International Human Rights Law from UCLA School of Law.

Flor Castellanos Sanchez

Flor Castellanos Sanchez is the Founder & Director of Speakworthy Language Services where she provides training and consulting focused on interpretation. Prior to Speakworthy Flor earned a graduate degree in Educational Psychology from UT Austin & ran an interpreter training program for a non-profit. She has worked with asylum-seekers in detention centers in the US & with refugees in camps and schools abroad. These experiences led to her work as an interpreter & interpreter trainer. Her interpreting work has specialized in the field of victim services with survivors of torture. Flor is an advocate of language justice & passionate about training others to leverage their language skills.

Angelita Olowu

Angelita Olowu is a Forensic Nurse with 12 years of nursing experience. She holds dual certifications as a SANE-A and a SANE-P. Currently, Angelita is a Forensic Nursing Specialist at the International Association of Forensic Nurses. In this role she serves as a content expert, provides technical assistance on the recommendations within both the National Adolescent/Adult and Pediatric SAFE Protocols. In addition, Angelita teaches Indian Health Service and IAFN Adolescent/Adult and Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner didactic and clinical education. In her previous role as a fulltime forensic nurse at Hillcrest Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Angelita provided education and leadership to the forensic nursing staff. She also provided guidance around her patient population to the Hospital and the community partners. Angelita has a background in Trauma and Emergency nursing. In her role as a forensic nurse she served patients whom have been victimized by sexual assault, domestic and intimate partner violence, child maltreatment, elder maltreatment, human trafficking, strangulation, physical assaults, and traumas with penetrating injuries. She provides community education and outreach to various entities including schools, colleges and universities, and other health care professionals on prevention and topics related to caring for those who have experienced trauma of personal violence. She has served as a member of a hospital based Domestic Violence Committee, a hospital-based Child Protection Team, and the Cuyahoga County Child Advocacy Center Advisory Committee. She is a member of the International Association of Forensic Nursing, the Emergency Nurses Association, the Cuyahoga County Sexual Assault Response Team, the Civil Rights Task Force, and she serves on a committee with the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking and a chair for the Integrating Culture Committee with the Canopy Child Advocacy Center.

Hannah Chin

Hannah was born and raised in a quad-lingual home in Hong Kong. She then later studied Spanish in high school and college. She has, like many others, spent her life as a cultural and linguistic broker. She graduated from the University of Michigan with degrees in Sociology and International Studies, and graduated from Tulane University with her Master’s of Social Work. She has worked at KIDS-Talk Child Advocacy Center in Detroit Michigan, as well as Canopy Child Advocacy Center in Cleveland Ohio. She has completed interviews for children and vulnerable adults regarding allegations ranging from physical and sexual abuse, neglect,
torture, arson, human trafficking, and witnesses of homicide.

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