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CCHI is looking for certified interpreters to volunteer for the CHI-Mandarin test development

We are calling for volunteers (CCHI-certified interpreters) to participate in the CHI™-Mandarin test development in March-May 2024.

The work will take place in March-May 2024 via Zoom (see details below). Please fill out the application linked below and submit it by February 15, 2024.

CCHI will provide all the necessary orientation and training via online collaboration tools. All tasks will also be performed remotely via video conference calls and other online applications. Please read about the commitment below so that you understand the scope of work.

Who should apply?

Our goal is to convene a diverse panel of SMEs, certified CHI™-Mandarin interpreters, who represent healthcare interpreters in the U.S. in a comprehensive manner. We are looking for volunteers – practicing interpreters who have the CHI™-Mandarin certification (this requirement is mandatory) – who:

  • represent different regional varieties of Mandarin Chinese
  • may also be managers (with previous practicing interpreter experience)
  • are not trainers of introductory interpreter courses (but may be trainers of continuing education courses)

If you already submitted an SME application in 2023, please email us at solutions@cchicertification.org and tell us that you are interested in this project. We may waive the requirement to submit an application again.

 

What are your commitments (if selected)?

  • Sign CCHI’s Confidentiality and Content Security Agreements (Review our SME Participation Policies prior to applying.)
  • Live participation in 8 two-hour meetings and several hours of independent work

1. Be able to complete a self-paced online orientation module between February 27-March 8, which would require approximately 2-4 hours of time.

2. Be available for the 8 (eight) Zoom video conference meetings, of 2-hour duration each, on Saturday mornings (10:30 am – 12:30 pm ET) on these dates:

March 9, 16, 23
April 13, 20, 27
May 11, 18

3. Be available for independent remote assignments between the meetings.

Please apply only if you are available on the specified days.

This is a volunteer project. CCHI will not pay any honorarium for participation in this project. However, CCHI will grant 6 PB (performance-based) CE instructional and 2 CE non-instructional hours for participation, and issue a voucher of $150 value that can be applied towards the certification renewal fee.

How to apply?

Click here to download CCHI’s SME Application in MS Word format.

Please fill it out completely (mark the Position as CHI™ test development), and to submit, email the application AND your current full resume to solutions@cchicertification.org by 02/15/2024. Only electronically submitted, complete applications will be considered.

If you have any questions about this project or about the SME application, contact us at solutions@cchicertification.org.

You will be notified as to whether you have been selected to participate in this project by February 20, 2024.

Thank you for your interest and support!

Update to CCHI’s Eligibility Requirement of Language Proficiency in the Language Other Than English (LOTE)

The Commissioners have updated CCHI’s eligibility requirement related to language proficiency in the Language Other Than English (LOTE) based on the results of the national survey “Language Proficiency for Interpreters (LPI)” conducted by CCHI in the fall of 2022. The changes take effect on November 15, 2023, i.e., all applicants whose applications have not been accepted by November 15, must comply with the new requirements. There are no changes to the requirements related to language proficiency in English.

The essence of the language proficiency eligibility requirement has not changed, i.e., all applicants must demonstrate that they are proficient in a LOTE. However, the Commissioners have more clearly defined the scope of accepted documentation verifying language proficiency in the LOTE, based on the national survey results.  CCHI plans to conduct surveys on LPI regularly and update its eligibility requirements as needed.

In brief, the updates relate to the following:

  • Applicants for the bilingual CHI™ credentials have different requirements compared to applicants for the CoreCHI™ and CoreCHI-Performance™
  • All languages are divided into three tiers which define the type of language proficiency documentation applicants need to submit. See more information about the Language Tiers at https://cchicertification.org/language-tiers/.
  • CCHI has established an initial list of language proficiency (LP) testing vendors (see at https://cchicertification.org/language-proficiency-testing/). CCHI is in the process of convening an Advisory Panel that will develop an evaluation process for LP tests and help create a national Registry of Accredited Language Proficiency Tests. Until this Registry is established, CCHI Commissioners approve LP testing vendors at their discretion, applying CCHI’s evaluation criteria.
  • The minimum accepted levels of language proficiency in LOTE are Advanced-Mid on the ACTFL scale and 2+ on the ILR scale (or an equivalent to these levels established for other tests).
  • Applicants who are ASL interpreters have different requirements for the CoreCHI™ and CoreCHI-Performance™ credentials respectively.

Please read the full requirements at https://cchicertification.org/certifications/eligibility/linguistic-proficiency/. The Candidate’s Examination Handbook will be updated shortly.

CCHI needs help with CHI-Spanish test development

We are calling for volunteers to become our Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for the Standard Setting project of the CHI™-Spanish exam! Please fill out the SME application and submit it by October 31, 2023.

CCHI regularly updates the content of its exams and conducts studies on setting the passing standards for the new exam forms. It is time to set a passing standard for the new forms of the oral performance CHI™-Spanish exam. We are looking for volunteer SMEs who will work remotely from November 10 until December 8, 2023.

We are looking for volunteers who:

  • are practicing Spanish healthcare interpreters with the active CHI™ certification
  • may also be managers (but are still practicing interpreters)
  • are not trainers of introductory interpreter courses (but may be trainers of continuing education courses)

What are your commitments (if selected)?

  • Sign CCHI’s Confidentiality and Content Security Agreements. (Review our SME Participation Policies prior to applying.)
  • 12 hours of live participation over 3 meetings and 6 hours of independent work:

 

1. Be available for the 3 (three) Zoom video conference meetings, of 4-hour duration each, on

  • November 21, 2023 (Tuesday) at 5:30-9:30 pm ET/ 4:30-8:30 pm CT/ 2:30-6:30 pm PT
  • November 28, 2023 (Tuesday) at 4:30-8:30 pm ET/ 3:30-7:30 pm CT/ 1:30-5:30 pm PT
  • December 2, 2023 (Saturday) at 10:30 am – 2:30 pm ET/ 9:30 am – 1:30 pm CT/ 7:30-11:30 am PT

2. Be able to complete self-paced online assignments within these dates:

  •     between November 11-20, 2023, approximately 3 hours
  •     between November 28-30, 2023, approx. 3 hours

3. Complete project tasks on a laptop or desktop (PC preferred) accessing our virtual platforms via Chrome browser. (Phones or tablets will not work for this project.)

 

Please apply only if you are available during the above times for all 3 of the live Zoom meeting dates (i.e., 12 hours of total time).

Click here to download CCHI’s SME Application in MS Word format. Please fill it out completely, and to submit, email the application AND your current full resume to solutions@cchicertification.org by October 31, 2023.

This is a volunteer project. CCHI will not pay any honorarium for participation in this project. However, CCHI will grant 6 PB (performance-based) CE instructional and 2 CE non-instructional hours for participation, and issue a voucher of $150 value that can be applied towards the certification renewal fee.

You will be notified if you are selected to participate in this project by November 8, 2023.

Thank you for your interest and support!

CE Webinar – Trauma-Informed Interpreting

This page contains resources related to CE Webinar #32, “Trauma-Informed Interpreting: Understanding Trauma and its Impact on Effective Communication” presented by Ludmila Golovine on 09/06/2023.

The resources are courtesy of the presenter Ludmila Golovine.

Selected Presentation Slides: Trauma-Informed Interpreting

 

Copyright & Use: All documents are copyrighted to the original respective authors.

CCHI is looking for certified interpreters to volunteer for the CoreCHI test development

We are calling for volunteers (CCHI-certified interpreters) to participate in the CoreCHI™ test development in November-December 2023.

The work will take place in November-December 2023 via Zoom (see details below). Please fill out the application linked below and submit it by September 25, 2023.

CCHI will provide all the necessary orientation and training via online collaboration tools. All tasks will also be performed remotely via video conference calls and other online applications. Please read about the commitment below so that you understand the scope of work.

Who should apply?

Our goal is to convene a diverse panel of SMEs, CCHI-certified interpreters, who represent healthcare interpreters in the U.S. in a comprehensive manner. We are looking for volunteers – practicing interpreters who have the CoreCHI™, CoreCHI-Performance™, or CHI™ certification (this requirement is mandatory) – who:

  • represent different languages or regional varieties of their Language Other Than English (LOTE)
  • may also be managers (with previous practicing interpreter experience)
  • are not trainers of introductory interpreter courses (but may be trainers of continuing education courses)

If you already submitted an SME application in 2022-23, please email us at solutions@cchicertification.org and tell us that you are interested in this project. We may waive the requirement to submit an application again.

 

What are your commitments (if selected)?

  • Sign CCHI’s Confidentiality and Content Security Agreements (Review our SME Participation Policies prior to applying.)
  • Live participation in 6 two-hour meetings and several hours of independent work

1. Be able to complete a self-paced online orientation module between Oct 17 – 30, which would require approximately 4 hours of time.

2. Be available for the 6 (six) Zoom video conference meetings, of 2-hour duration each, on Wednesday evenings (8 – 10 pm ET) on these dates:

November 1, 8, 15, 29
December 6, 13

3. Be available for independent remote assignments between the meetings.

Please apply only if you are available on the specified days.

This is a volunteer project. CCHI will not pay any honorarium for participation in this project. However, CCHI will grant 6 PB (performance-based) CE instructional and 2 CE non-instructional hours for participation, and issue a voucher of $150 value that can be applied towards the certification renewal fee.

How to apply?

Click here to download CCHI’s SME Application in MS Word format.

Please fill it out completely (mark the Position as CHI™ test development), and to submit, email the application AND your current full resume to solutions@cchicertification.org by 9/25/23. Only electronically submitted, complete applications will be considered.

If you have any questions about this project or about the SME application, contact us at solutions@cchicertification.org.

You will be notified as to whether you have been selected to participate in this project by October 10, 2023.

Thank you for your interest and support!

CCHI is hiring ETOE exam raters

CCHI is looking for experienced interpreters, holders of the CoreCHI-Performance™ certification, with the prior experience as CCHI SMEs, for three (3) positions of raters of the ETOE™ performance exam.

Applications are due by August 19, 2023. Hired applicants are expected to start virtual on-the-job training on August 30, 2023.

Rater is a telecommuting employee position at CCHI that requires the rater to utilize their own computer (or laptop) and broadband internet connection. Rater is responsible for grading the audio responses of CCHI candidates by applying CCHI-defined rubrics in a consistent and unbiased manner and maintaining their knowledge of CCHI rating process by attending rater training sessions.

Required Qualifications

  • Hold the CoreCHI-Performance™ certification
  • At least five (5) years of experience working as a healthcare interpreter as one of the following:
    • Staff – working in a full- or part-time (minimum .5 FTE) position (at a healthcare facility/provider or working for a language services agency)
    • Freelance – the majority of interpreting work must be healthcare-related.
  • Absence of conflict of interest (see the COI Policy at https://cchicertification.org/uploads/CCHI-Policies-Advisors-SMEs-Volunteers.pdf)
  • High School diploma or its equivalent
  • Excellent verbal and written communication, and interpersonal skills
  • Ability to work independently and efficiently
  • High attention to details and good organizational skills
  • Excellent computer skills in: Chrome browser, MS Word, email communication, any virtual meeting platform

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience as CCHI’s Subject Matter Expert (SME)
  • Work experience in evaluating interpreter performance, teaching a foreign language or English, or editing/reviewing translations
  • Bachelor’s degree in interpreting/translation, foreign language, English, education, or communications-related area

Please read the full job description – click here – before applying.

Send your full resume, cover letter, and the SME Application (see here) by August 19, 2023. We’ll get back to selected applicants to schedule an interview. Applications without a cover letter or SME application will not be considered. Interviews will be held via Zoom.

CCHI is looking for certified interpreters to volunteer for the CHI-Arabic test development

We are calling for volunteers (CCHI-certified interpreters) to participate in the CHI™-Arabic test development in August-November 2023.

The work will take place in August-November 2023 via Zoom (see details below). Please fill out the application linked below and submit it by August 14, 2023.

CCHI will provide all the necessary orientation and training via online collaboration tools. All tasks will also be performed remotely via video conference calls and other online applications. Please read about the commitment below so that you understand the scope of work.

Who should apply?

Our goal is to convene a diverse panel of SMEs, certified CHI™-Arabic interpreters, who represent healthcare interpreters in the U.S. in a comprehensive manner. We are looking for volunteers – practicing interpreters who have the CHI™-Arabic certification (this requirement is mandatory) – who:

  • represent different regional varieties of Arabic
  • may also be managers (with previous practicing interpreter experience)
  • are not trainers of introductory interpreter courses (but may be trainers of continuing education courses)

If you already submitted an SME application in 2022-23, please email us at solutions@cchicertification.org and tell us that you are interested in this prject. We may waive the requirement to submit an application again.

 

What are your commitments (if selected)?

  • Sign CCHI’s Confidentiality and Content Security Agreements (Review our SME Participation Policies prior to applying.)
  • Live participation in 8 two-hour meetings and several hours of independent work

1. Be able to complete a self-paced online orientation module between Aug 25 – Sep 8, which would require approximately 2-4 hours of time.

2. Be available for the 8 (eight) Zoom video conference meetings, of 2-hour duration each, on Saturday mornings (10:30 am – 12:30 pm ET) on these dates:

September 9, 16, 23, 30
October 7, 14
November 4, 11

3. Be available for independent remote assignments between the meetings.

Please apply only if you are available on the specified days.

This is a volunteer project. CCHI will not pay any honorarium for participation in this project. However, CCHI will grant 6 PB (performance-based) CE instructional and 2 CE non-instructional hours for participation, and issue a voucher of $150 value that can be applied towards the certification renewal fee.

How to apply?

Click here to download CCHI’s SME Application in MS Word format.

Please fill it out completely (mark the Position as CHI™ test development), and to submit, email the application AND your current full resume to solutions@cchicertification.org by 08/14/23. Only electronically submitted, complete applications will be considered.

If you have any questions about this project or about the SME application, contact us at solutions@cchicertification.org.

You will be notified as to whether you have been selected to participate in this project by August 24, 2023.

Thank you for your interest and support!

CCHI opens nominations for 3 Commission positions

The Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters is opening nominations for three Commission positions for the three-year term beginning in October 2023:

  • Commissioner – 2 vacancies
  • Commissioner, Public Member – 1 vacancy

Nominees for Commissioner must represent a stakeholder group of the healthcare interpreting profession, healthcare interpreting industry, or field of language access to health care. Before nominating, please review the expectations of the CCHI Commissioner (keep in mind that Commissioner meetings are still virtual at this time) and the criteria for selecting Commissioners. Also, please read the CCHI Policies for Commissioners at http://cchicertification.org/uploads/CCHI_Policies_for_Commissioners.pdf.

Nominations for Public Member must adhere to NCCA Standards, which are as follows: The public or consumer member preferably should be a consumer or potential consumer of the certificants’ skills or services. This individual may be a member of a community of patients with LEP or have experience in the field of advocacy for language access for patients with LEP. The individual who is a public member may NOT be any of the following:

  • A current or previous member of the profession, occupation, role, or specialty area encompassed by the certification program;
  • A supervisor, manager, direct co-worker, or an employee or subordinate of individuals in the profession encompassed by the certification program;
  • An employee of an individual certified by the certification program or of an employer of individuals in the profession encompassed by the certification program;
  • A person who currently receives or within the last five years has received income from the profession encompassed by the certification program.

You may nominate yourself or someone else. If you nominate someone, prior to submission of the nomination, that individual must agree to the nomination and to serve for a term of three (3) years.

Nominations must be submitted on the Nomination Form (click to download as a PDF file OR as a MS Word file) as an attachment via email with the subject “CCHI Commissioner nomination” by 8:00 p.m. EDT on August 9, 2023 to: solutions@cchicertification.org. 

Spring 2023 Discover HCI Scholarship Awards

July 15, 2023

Washington, DC
Chicago, IL

Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI)
Americans Against Language Barriers (AALB)

We are delighted to announce the three recipients of the Spring 2023 cycle of the “Discover Healthcare Interpreting” CoreCHI™ Scholarship. This scholarship supports certification of interpreters of languages for which CHI™ certification is not currently available. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Americans Against Language Barriers and Kevin Thakkar, personally, for the contribution to our Spring 2023 scholarship.

Americans Against Language Barriers (AALB) is an Illinois-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization aiming to improve the health of patients with limited English proficiency. They do this by training professional medical interpreters, providing interpreter services to healthcare organizations, and lobbying for policy reform. They envision a future where language services are seamlessly and freely available across the healthcare system.

The Spring 2023 recipients of the “Discover Healthcare Interpreting” CoreCHI™ Scholarship, sponsored by Americans Against Language Barriers, are:

1. Abigail Santos Terrazzino (Tagalog, TN)
2. Hayat Ullah Noory (Dari, GA)
3. Carroll Phillips (French, MD)

CCHI and AALB commend the achievements of the scholarship winners as well as their commitment to professional success. We wish them the best of luck on their testing and certification journey.

CCHI Commissioners and Staff
Americans Against Language Barriers

CE webinar – Hearing Health for Interpreters

This page contains resources related to CEAP’s webinar “Tuning in! Hearing Health for Interpreters” presented by Elizabeth Guinle-Salter on 05/23/2023.

The resources are courtesy of the presenter Elizabeth Guinle-Salter.

  • Levels of Noise Chart by the American Academy of Audiology:

Noise Chart

  • The Truth about Hearing Loss by the American Academy of Audiology:

Truth About Hearing Loss

  • Scripts for Interpreter’s Self-advocacy related to hearing health:

Resources and scripts to start you on your hearing health journey

 

Copyright & Use: All documents are copyrighted to the original respective authors.

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