History
PALS for Health was established in 1993. We are the language service program of Special Service for Groups (SSG) a nonprofit organization established in 1952 that provides innovative services to diverse ethnic minority and disenfranchised communities. SSG created PALS for Health specifically to increase access to meaningful and quality health care services for limited English proficient (LEP) residents of Los Angeles County.
In the early years PALS for Health’s primary mission was to serve monolingual and LEP individuals of Asian and Pacific Islander descent battling life threatening, including, but not limited to HIV/AIDS and cancer.
Considered by many as a pioneer in health care interpretation and translation services, PALS for Health has devoted over 20 years to the field of language access and communication. Services currently include linguistically and culturally appropriate interpretation, translation, language proficiency testing, health care interpreter training, custom interpreter training in requested fields (e.g. worker's compensation), written translation training, community education, and advocacy. PALS for Health provides a comprehensive spectrum of language services in a rapidly changing and growing field.
PALS for Health has successfully acquired grants from public and private sources to create sustainable tools and methods to bridge the communication divide created by diverse customs, cultures and languages. PALS for Health has received numerous awards from elected officials and recognition from private sector businesses and leaders.
With firmly established roots in the community, PALS for Health draws from a wealth of bilingual and bicultural experts who represent our area’s diverse population in the truest sense. With highly practical skills designed to enhance service delivery obtained from the variety of PALS for Health’s trainings, these community experts bring to our clients the highest quality of services that sensitively capture appropriate cultural and linguistic nuances vital to effective communications in health care settings.
For more information about PALS for Health's community education programs click here.
In the early years PALS for Health’s primary mission was to serve monolingual and LEP individuals of Asian and Pacific Islander descent battling life threatening, including, but not limited to HIV/AIDS and cancer.
Considered by many as a pioneer in health care interpretation and translation services, PALS for Health has devoted over 20 years to the field of language access and communication. Services currently include linguistically and culturally appropriate interpretation, translation, language proficiency testing, health care interpreter training, custom interpreter training in requested fields (e.g. worker's compensation), written translation training, community education, and advocacy. PALS for Health provides a comprehensive spectrum of language services in a rapidly changing and growing field.
PALS for Health has successfully acquired grants from public and private sources to create sustainable tools and methods to bridge the communication divide created by diverse customs, cultures and languages. PALS for Health has received numerous awards from elected officials and recognition from private sector businesses and leaders.
With firmly established roots in the community, PALS for Health draws from a wealth of bilingual and bicultural experts who represent our area’s diverse population in the truest sense. With highly practical skills designed to enhance service delivery obtained from the variety of PALS for Health’s trainings, these community experts bring to our clients the highest quality of services that sensitively capture appropriate cultural and linguistic nuances vital to effective communications in health care settings.
For more information about PALS for Health's community education programs click here.
