32 Miss. Code. R. 22-3.6.6

Current through December 10, 2024

Section 32-22-3.6.6 - Interpreters

Interpreters should be utilized as needed in any phase of the rehabilitation process. A list of freelance interpreters is maintained in the State Coordinator for Deaf Services (SCD) office. It is distributed to RCDs, District Managers and is available to others upon request. Persons needing interpreters are encouraged to secure interpreter services to ensure clients who are deaf have equal access to all aspects of the OVR program.

In order to assure effective communication in each RCD office statewide, interpreters will be available to each VR District under the supervision of the District Manager. Any Agency Community Rehabilitation Center or staff person needing the services of an interpreter can call the District Managers office to request assistance from the staff interpreter. If staff interpreters are unavailable, assistance in securing a freelance interpreter will be provided by the local RCD's office or the State Coordinator of Deaf Services' office. (See the OVR/OVRB Fee Schedule for rates of pay.)

The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc., 814 Thayer Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20901-4589, and the Mississippi Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (MSRID) have established a certification system for sign language interpreters on a national level and a state quality assurance screening on the state level.

This evaluation ensures the consumer (both the consumer who is hard of hearing and the consumer who is deaf) that the interpreter has gained a certain level of competence. This competence relates to a "qualified interpreter".

The following is a description of the different certificates issued by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID).

I. CI - Certificate of Interpretation: a high level of skill in being able to expressively interpret in American Sign Language and has demonstrated skill, at a lower standard than the formerly standard Comprehensive Skills Certificate (CSC), in the ability to reverse interpret American Sign Language.

II. CT - Certificate of Transliteration: a high level of skill in being able to expressively transliterate in a manual code for English and has demonstrated, at a lower standard than the CSC, in the ability to reverse interpret a manual code for English.

III. RSC - Reverse Skills Certificate: a high level of skill in being able to reverse (Sign to Voice) interprets or transliterate.

IV. SC: L - Specialist Certificate: an interpreter who has a CSC plus demonstrated specialized skill in being able to interpret in legal settings.

V. OIC: C - Oral Interpreter Certificate: Comprehensive: the highest comprehensive level of interpreting skill in oral situations with oral adult deaf individuals. The interpreter is skilled in being able to paraphrase or transliterate a spoken message with or without voice and reverse interpret for an oral adult individual who is deaf.

VI. OIC: S/V - Oral Interpreter Certificate: skill in interpreting for oral adults who are deaf; both in being able to paraphrase or transliterate a spoken message with or without voice and reverse interpret for an oral adult who is deaf, but at a lower standard of competence than the comprehensive certificate.

VII. OIC: V/S - Oral Interpreter Certificate: Visible to Spoken: able to understand the speech and/or mouth movements of an oral person who is deaf and repeat it for a third person. This is a reverse certificate for oral interpreting. It is generally awarded to oral adults who are deaf However, a hearing interpreter may have this certificate if they have demonstrated skill in this area.

VIII. NIC - National Interpreter Certification: Individuals achieving certification at the NIC, NIC Advanced or NIC Master level are all professionally certified interpreters. The national Interpreter Certification exam tests interpreting skills and knowledge in three critical domains:

* General knowledge of the field of interpreting through the NIC written exam.

* Ethical decision making through the interview portion of the NIC performance test.

* Interpreting and transliterating skills through the performance portion of the test.

The Quality Assurance Panel facilitates Quality Assurance Screening of interpreters to assess their functioning level, provides guidance for professional growth, and recommends candidates whose skills warrant participation in RID evaluation.

The State Quality Assurance Screening Team issues the following three levels:

Level I - Basic level for the candidate who interprets 60 percent of the material. This may be appropriate for one-to-one situations on a non-technical subject with opportunities to stop for clarification.

Level II - Intermediate level for the candidate who interprets at least 80 percent of the material. This may be appropriate for job interviews, orientation and tutoring sessions, and non-technical medical exams.

Level III - Advanced level for the candidate who interprets 90 percent of the material. This candidate would be recommended to take the RID evaluation.

32 Miss. Code. R. 22-3.6.6