Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Certification of Interpreters in Health Care |
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What is certification? Certification is a process by which a governmental, academic or professional organization attests to or guarantees that an individual is qualified to provide a particular service. Certification calls for formal assessment, using an instrument that has been tested for validity and reliability, so that the certifying body can be confident that the individuals it certifies have the knowledge and skills needed to do the job.
Is there national certification for Health Care Interpreters? Currently, there is no national certification specifically for health care interpreters.
The Department of Social and Health Services of the State of Washington provides a state-level certification process for spoken-language healthcare interpreters serving Washington State residents only. Certification is available in Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Cambodian, Korean, and Lao. Click here for more information about this program.
The Department of State provides national certification for Federal Court Interpreters in Spanish, Navajo and Haitian Creole. Many states provide state-level certification for State Court Interpreters through the National Consortium for State Court Interpreter Certification. Click here for more information about this program.
The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf and the National Association of the Deaf have a joint national certification program for ASL interpreters. This certification is not specific for healthcare interpreting. Click here for more information about this program.
Is anything being done to develop a national certification process?
The Coalition will provide leadership in identifying the specific tasks necessary to move the national certification process forward and to bring together the stakeholders/experts to develop the necessary tools to accomplish this goal. These tasks are many. A certification process must be very carefully designed to be both valid and reliable, testers and raters must be chosen, trained and periodically retrained, and acceptable levels of competence must be designated. Developing a credible certification process will be time-consuming and costly.
In a broader sense, work toward national certification has been going on for years. A certification process cannot be created in a vacuum. First, a field must agree on the scope of its work, how practitioners are expected to do that work, what constitutes acceptable practice, and how that acceptable practice can be best taught and tested.
To that end, the NCIHC has been working for the past 15 years to develop national consensus on the role of the healthcare interpreter, to establish a National Code of Ethics (published in 2004) and National Standards of Practice for Interpreters in Health Care (published in 2005), and is currently working to develop national standards for health care interpreter training.
What languages will be certified? This is a decision that will be made by the Coalition with input from many stakeholders, including working interpreters.
What can I do to prepare myself while waiting for national certification? • take advantage of formal training and continuous education • attend local, state and national conferences • join professional associations • keep abreast of developments in the field
What can health care facilities or state governments do to guarantee the quality of interpreting until national certification is available?
Qualify interpreters, based on language screening and training.Certification is only one step in guaranteeing quality in interpreting. By qualifying interpreters based on language screening and training, states can encourage interpreters to take these important steps, which will both improve the quality of interpreting in the state and prepare these interpreters for certification when it is implemented.
Qualification programs are being implemented in the following states: Iowa, by the Iowa Commission on Latino Affairs. For more information, contact Armando Villareal, Administrator of the Commission on Latino Affairs at Armando.villareal@iowa.gov
Oregon, by the Oregon State Office for Multicultural Health. For more information, contact Maria Michalczyk, Chair of the Oregon Council on Health Care Interpreters at cmichalc@pcc.edu.
Indiana, by the Indiana Commission on Health Care Interpreters and Translators. For more information, contact Enrica Ardemagni, Chair of the Indiana Commission on Health Care Interpreters and Translators at eardema@iupui.edu.
A number of for profit and non profit organizations have developed assessment tests that are available to the general public.
The NCIHC's helpful Guide to Initial Assessment of Interpreter Qualifications, April 2001, can assist you in creating an assessment process.
Create a state-wide registry of qualified healthcare interpreters. Some states are also implementing statewide interpreter registries, either for all interpreters or for qualified interpreters only. This puts an important tool in place that will help potential employers find and evaluate the specific qualification of particular interpreters.
Where can I learn more about health care interpreter certification?
The National Council is also committed to keeping you informed on the work of the National Coalition on Health Care Interpreter Certification through regular updates on our certification updates page.
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