Non-instructional CE Activities

CCHI certificants are allowed, as an option, to submit non-instructional continuing education (CE) equal to up to 8 hours (points) per a four-year cycle towards their certification renewal requirements.

• One (1) point in non-instructional CE activities equals 1 CE hour for certification renewal purposes.
• Points are earned for unique and mutually exclusive experiences and not for interrelated experiences (see examples below).
• Points do not reflect the actual hours of work.

Non-instructional CE activities are defined as “activities that support the healthcare interpreting profession through volunteerism, leadership and research.”

The following categories of non-instructional activities are accepted as CE for CCHI certification renewal:

1) Professional Engagement:

a) Membership in a professional organization – 0.5 points per year, maximum 2 points

• Points are awarded for active membership in a national, international, or local professional organization of healthcare interpreters or with healthcare interpreters as a significant segment of membership.
• Points are awarded per year. For example, individuals with two years of active membership in one organization would earn 1 point for the four-year cycle. Individuals with two years of active membership in two organizations would earn 2 points (0.5x2x2=2). Maximum 2 points are allowed in this category.
• Points are earned for unique and mutually exclusive experiences and not for interrelated experiences. For example, you may not earn points for being an organization member (under “Membership” category) and a president of the same organization (under “Leadership” category) for the same term.
• Accepted documentation: receipt for payment of membership dues for a specific year, must contain organization’s and member’s name, and dates of active membership.

Examples of Eligible Activities:

• Member of a national organization, e.g., NCIHC, RID, etc.
• Member of a state association or society of healthcare interpreters, e.g., CHIA, TAHIT, RID divisions, state or local associations of interpreters for the deaf, etc.
• Member of a combined association of court and medical interpreters, e.g., CCIO is in Ohio, CWCIA in California, etc. (Membership in an exclusively court interpreter association, e.g., NAJIT, is not applicable.)
• Member of a combined association of interpreters and translators, if such association represents the interests of healthcare interpreters via educational events, etc., e.g., ATA, ATA chapters, TAPIT in Tennessee, etc.
• Member of an international organization as long as it has U.S. healthcare interpreter representation, e.g., IMIA.

b) Volunteering related to healthcare interpreting – 1 point per year, maximum 4 points

• Points are awarded for specific activities that support the healthcare interpreter profession through volunteerism. Points are not awarded for volunteer activities not related to promoting the profession.
• Points are awarded per year. Maximum 4 points are allowed in this category.
• See specific point values per activity in the examples below. If your activity is not listed in the Examples below, contact us at renewal@cchicertification.org for guidance.
• Points are earned for unique and mutually exclusive experiences and not for interrelated experiences. For example, you may not earn points for being a conference volunteer (under “Volunteering” category) and a conference committee member and chair of the conference committee (under “Leadership” category) for the same conference.
• Accepted documentation: certificate of appreciation/recognition or official letter from event organizer, must contain volunteer’s name, event organization’s name, nature of volunteer activity (including clear statement that this is volunteering, not a paid activity), date(s) of volunteering, and contact info of the person signing the certificate or letter.

Examples of Eligible Activities:

• Volunteer at a healthcare interpreters conference or educational event – 1
• Public speaking about the profession and certification – 1
• Volunteer for charitable medical missions (i.e. unpaid work as interpreter for a medical mission outside the U.S.) – 2
• Volunteer for a project of a professional organization of healthcare interpreters or with healthcare interpreters as a significant segment of membership – 2
• Volunteer for a committee of a professional organization of healthcare interpreters or with healthcare interpreters as a significant segment of membership – 2

Ineligible activities: Interpreting free of charge (“volunteer”) for individual patients, organizations or events (except for charitable medical missions mentioned above).

2) Leadership and Recognition:

a) Serving on the volunteer Board of a professional organization of healthcare interpreters or with healthcare interpreters as a significant segment of membership – 4 points per year, maximum 8 points

• Points are awarded for leadership position (Board member or Chair of an organization’s committee) in a national, international, or local professional organization of healthcare interpreters or with healthcare interpreters as a significant segment of membership.
• Points are awarded per year. Maximum 8 points are allowed in this category per renewal cycle. E.g., a Board member for 2 years of the renewal cycle can count 8 points for that cycle. A Board member for 4 years of the renewal cycle can still count only 8 points.
• Points are earned for unique and mutually exclusive experiences and not for interrelated experiences. For example, you may not earn points for being an organization member (under “Membership” category) and a president of the same organization (under “Leadership” category) for the same term.
• For examples of the accepted organizations see the Examples for 1.a) Membership category above.
• Accepted documentation: letter from the Board’s President/Chair, VP or Secretary confirming the position on the Board, must contain organization’s and volunteer’s name, position, dates of the term.

b) Receiving a professional award related to healthcare interpreting – 2 points per award, maximum 4 points

• Points are earned for awards related to the healthcare interpreter profession or language access issues.
• Points are earned for awards given to the individual (not to an institution or organization).
• Points are awarded per award. Maximum 4 points are allowed in this category per renewal cycle. E.g., if a certificant received 3 eligible awards within the four-year cycle, still only 4 points can be counted for that cycle.
• Accepted documentation: Certificate, official notification letter, press release or other formal documentation that contains organization’s and volunteer’s name, name of award, and date of award.

Examples of Eligible Awards:

• CHIA’s Interpreter of the Year
• NCIHC’s Language Access Champion Award
• TAHIT’s Texas Star in Language Access Award
• Tony Winsor Award in MA

3) Research and Publications related to the healthcare interpreting profession – 4 points per year, maximum 8 points

• Points are awarded per published work as specified in the following Examples. Maximum 8 points are allowed in this category per renewal cycle. E.g., if 2 books are published within the four-year cycle, 8 points can be counted for that cycle.
• Co-authors earn half of the points.
• Content must be research-based or educational/instructional.
• Points are awarded per unique publication, i.e. if substantially the same article is published by multiple organizations, only one such publication is counted.
• Accepted documentation: electronic reference to the publication (e.g., URL to the article or newsletter, link to online retailer, other retail or library listing) or official statement (e.g., transcript or letter) from the academic institution where the thesis was successfully accepted; must contain publisher’s/organization’s and author’s name, title of publication, and date of publication.

Examples of Eligible Activities:

• Book, including textbook, or book chapter – 4
• Thesis (master’s or PhD) – 4
• Peer-reviewed article published in professional periodical – 2
• Non-peer-reviewed article published in professional periodical – 1
• Published performance support tool (e.g., glossary, curriculum) – 1

Ineligible activities: Work that is for marketing purposes, presentation slides, website comments, blogs, wiki entries, letters to the editor, opinion-based articles, and other unedited, non-reviewed online items.

If you have any questions, contact us at renewal@cchicertification.org.