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Community Interpretation Services Program provides interpretation services for health and human service providers in Seattle-King County. Its sponsoring agency is the Center for MultiCultural Health, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Overview:
CIS was created in 1982 at the request of the Seattle Area Hospital
Council, to provide interpretation services to hospitals throughout King
County. Under pressure from the US Department of Health and Human Services'
Office for Civil Rights, (with several complaints filed under Title
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), hospitals felt that a pooled interpreter
service would be an efficient, cost-effective means of meeting their legal
obligations to serve their diverse limited-English speaking populations.
They chose to contract with Central Seattle Community Health Centers (now
the Center for MultiCultural Health), as an organization already experienced
in providing medical interpreter services to community clinics through its
Community Health Services Program. Since 1982,
CIS has grown to be a program with over 100 interpreters who provide service
in close to 40 languages and dialects to hospitals, clinics, private practitioners,
and social service programs throughout a two-county region.
Description of the model:
Through fee-for-service arrangements with hospitals and other providers,
the CIS contracts with on-call interpreters to provide 24 hour service for
most languages. To meet the expanding needs of individuals with limited
English proficiency, CIS interpreters also provide interpretation services
in non-medical settings, including domestic violence, homeless assistance,
and mental health programs. Arrangements for interpreters are made through
calling or faxing the CIS office, which then dispatches interpreters for
both pre-scheduled and emergency requests. Most services are provided in-person,
but telephone interpretation is also provided for simple requests, such
as reminder calls, and for emergencies when immediate communication is necessary.
To be hired as an interpreter, applicants must pass a written and oral test in English and the target language, which evaluates knowledge of medical terminology, understanding of interpreter role and ethics, and general language skills. Successful performance on the test results in an interview and reference checks. In addition, certification by the Washington Department of Social and Health Services is now required for most interpreters, as this certification is necessary for CIS to receive reimbursement from the state for Medicaid patients.
New interpreters with limited experience spend time with more experienced interpreters until their skills are established. All interpreters receive a three-hour orientation to rules, policies, and ethics, followed by a 12-hour course in the Art of Interpreting, which covers ethics, roles, and standards for interpreters. In combination with workshops on specific medical topics provided by the Cross Cultural Healthcare Program, this training has provided interpreters with the basic skills and information they need.
In addition to interpretation services, CIS also provides translation services. Completed translation projects include an enrollee handbook for a managed care organization, numerous patient education materials, survey instruments, and consent forms for various health care agencies.
Intended audience/client base:
Health and social service organizations with limited-English speaking clients
in need of interpretation and translation services.
Unique characteristics:
The program is funded almost entirely through fee-generating contracts with
public and private health and human service organizations. A skilled answering
service handles after-hour emergency requests. Interpreters carry pagers
to facilitate quick response. By contracting with interpreters on an hourly
basis, the program can respond to changes in language needs over time by
adding interpreters without incurring significant additional expense. The
program is part of a larger organization which specializes in the provision
of culturally-appropriate health advocacy, health promotion, disease prevention,
and immigrant and refugee services.
Contact information:
Shelley Cooper-Ashford, Executive Director, Center for MultiCultural Health,
105 14th Avenue, Suite 2C, Seattle, WA 98122. Phone: 206-461-6910. Fax:
206-461-4890. E-mail: shelleyc@cschc.org
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| As with the rest of DiversityRx, this section is a work in
progress and we welcome information on other efforts, programs, and reports
that will expand upon the information offered here. Please
let us know if you have other examples to include here. | ||||||
essentials | models and practices | policy | legal
issues | networking | ||||||
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DiversityRx is sponsored by: |
 The National Conference of State Legislatures |
 Resources for Cross Cultural Health Care |
 Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation | |||
