Linguistic Considerations in Supervision and Mentorship

Tuesday, December 8, 2026, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Online


AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), American Psychological Association (APA) CE Credits (1.00 hours), Association of Social Work Boards Approved CE (ASWB ACE) ACE Credit (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Attendance (1.00 hours)

Session 7 with Dr. Jason Tinero (1 CE)

Almost 44% of California households speak a language other than English, and more than 19% of Californians report speaking English “less than very well.” Providing equitable and good-quality mental health care often requires the use of interpreters, which introduces a new dynamic and requires a specific competency in order to create and maintain a therapeutic relationship. Although it is preferable to deliver therapeutic interventions in the clients’ native language, new concerns arise when either the supervisor or the trainee do not share the same linguistic competency. This session will focus on three distinct issues: (1) working with interpreters in a therapeutic setting, (2) working with trainees who share a language with the client that the supervisor does not speak, and (3) working with trainees who do not share the same language as the provider and the client.

The session will begin by discussing common challenges that patients face when they do not speak English in a clinical setting; this will highlight ways that providers may perpetuate discrimination through limiting language access or may unintentionally adjust the care they provide due to the presence of an interpreter in the room. Concrete and actionable suggestions will be offered in order to improve care provided when using interpreters or working with patients with limited English proficiency.

The session will then focus on how to translate these skills into a supervisory capacity. Participants will consider several scenarios in which either the supervisor or trainee does not share the same language as a client, and they will learn how to address these challenges with care. When trainees share both language and culture, strategies will be provided for how supervise with curiosity and humility while not placing an undue burden on the trainee to explain cultural or linguistic norms.

Presenter bio:

Dr. Jason Tinero (he/him/él) is a licensed pediatric psychologist and an Assistant Clinical Professor within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (DPBS) at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). In his current role at UCSF-Benioff Children’s Hospital, Dr. Tinero provides integrated behavioral health care for the pediatric solid organ transplant teams (Kidney, Liver, and Heart). In children’s hospitals where uncertainty and stressors abound, he is passionate about helping youth and families navigate diagnosis, illness, and healing with gentleness and authenticity throughout the entire transplant process, from evaluation through life post-transplant. As a queer, bilingual clinician, he has particular expertise working with Latinx and Spanish-speaking families as well as with LGBTQ+ patients. He is passionate about supervision and training, and he has taught doctoral-level clinical psychology coursework as well as trained and mentored various doctoral candidates interested in pediatric psychology.

1. Describe barriers to care that may arise when working with interpreters in a therapeutic context, both from the side of the clinician as well as due to patient factors.
2. Identify actionable steps to address gaps in care for patients who do not speak English and to utilize interpreters in a way that best fosters therapeutic rapport and trust.
3. Identify best practices for working with trainees who may share language abilities that the supervisor does not speak, such that the trainee does not feel an undue burden to “teach” the supervisor about language or cultural factors.

In support of improving patient care, the University of California, San Francisco Office of CME is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

APA Credit: UCSF Office of CME designates this (Activity Type) for a maximum of 7.50 APA credits. 

ACCME Credit: UCSF Office of CME designates this live Activity for a maximum of 7.50 AMA PRA Category 1™ Credit(s).

California Psychologists: The California Board of Psychology recognizes and accepts for continuing education credit courses that are provided by entities approved by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM is acceptable to meeting the CE requirements for the California Board of Psychology. Providers in other states should check with their state boards for acceptance of CME credit.

Accessibility Statement
UCSF welcomes all participants to our events. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event because of a disability, please submit a learner support ticket as soon as possible.

UCSF Land Acknowledgment Statement
We would like to acknowledge the Ramaytush Ohlone people, who are the traditional custodians of this land. We pay our respects to the Ramaytush Ohlone elders, past, present, and future, who call this place, the land that UCSF sits upon, their home. We are proud to continue their tradition of coming together and growing as a community. We thank the Ramaytush Ohlone community for their stewardship and support, and we look forward to strengthening our ties as we continue our relationship of mutual respect and understanding.

For more information, visit https://opportunity.ucsf.edu/initiatives/ucsf-land-acknowledgment.

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

This UCSF continuing education activity was planned and developed to: uphold academic standards to ensure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor; adhere to requirements to protect health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA); and, include a mechanism to inform learners when unapproved or unlabeled uses of therapeutic products or agents are discussed or referenced.

UCSF adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity, including content planners, reviewers, authors, presenters, moderators, panelists, or others are required to disclose all financial relationships with ineligible entities.

The content planners and presenters do not have any financial relationships relevant to the content of this series.

Tuesday, December 8, 2026