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Track
2-5a
Research
Medical Interpreter Standards of Practice and
Certification:
Trends and Challenges
In this presentation, Ms. Avery will discuss the development
of the Medical Interpreting Standards of Practice that have been adopted
by the Massachusetts Medical Interpreters Association as its standards
and that have been endorsed by the national Council on interpretation
in Health Care as the best available in the nation. These standards will
be presented in the context of an underlying conceptualization of the
role that included cultural brokering within its scope. The discussion
of standards will serve as a springboard for a look at the current national
movement to develop testing and certification for interpreters. While
such a movement may be central to the professionalization of the field
and to the recognition of competent interpreting, there are also dangers
and pitfalls in prematurely creating certification processes that can
lead to the exclusion of much needed cultural and linguistic resources.
The advantages and dangers of certification will be examined and a framework
for the training and preparation of interpreters will be discussed as
integral to the development of a fair and just process. Finally, implication
for future work will be identified.
Maria Paz-Avery
Senior Research Associate,
Educational Development Center, Inc.
55 Chapel St.
Newton, MA 02458-1060
Phone: (617) 969-7100
Ms. Avery is a Senior Research Associate at Education
Development Center, Inc. where she directed a three year project to develop
a 27-credit college level certificate program to prepare bilingual adults
as medical interpreters. With members of the Massachusetts Medical Interpreters
Association (MMIA), she helped developed its standards of practice which
have now been recognized by the newly formed group, the National Council
on Interpretation in Health Care, as the best available in the nation.
Currently the chair of the MMIA Advisory Board, she is working with its
certification committee in the development of a certification process
for Massachusetts. She has presented at the International Conference on
Community Interpreting on cultural issues in health care interpreting
and the development of standards. Ms. Avery brings to this work over 25
years of training and consulting experience in the area of cross-cultural
communication and the management of diversity in health, mental health,
and educational settings. NEXT >
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