Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters Maria Michalczyk, Commissioner WASCLA October 15,

A National, Valid, Credible, Vendor-Neutral Certification Program National – A portable credential that follows the Interpreter throughout their career Valid – The single most important concept – the certification test measures what it intends to measure Credible – Created by Interpreters, for Interpreters and the public good Vendor-Neutral – Developed from the ground up and not reliant on any existing certification, training, testing or assessment developed or licensed by other organizations. No individual, organization, vendor or entity has any financial or other stake in the program's administration

Supporters NOTE: The participation by supporters does not constitute ultimate endorsement of CCHI’s certification program.

Test Development Supporters NOTE: The participation by supporters does not constitute ultimate endorsement of CCHI’s certification program.

CCHI Test Development Process

Why Should Interpreters Obtain CCHI Credentials? CCHI’s exams were developed by CCHI whose sole mission is credentialing and which retains full ownership and control over its examinations Exams were developed according to NCCA Standards, under direct oversight of CCHI Developed in a valid, credible, vendor-neutral way using industry best-practices CCHI’s exams have been psychometrically validated by respected, national psychometricians

Why Should Interpreters Obtain CCHI Credentials? The AHI™ and CHI™ examinations follow the blueprint created by the Job Task Analysis (JTA) 266 interpreters nationwide have already earned their CCHI credentials – 122 AHI™ and 144 CHI™ Over 200 interpreters will be taking the CHI™ examination in October/November Over 775 have applied and are in the application/examination process or have received credentials/certification

Associate Healthcare Interpreter™ credential – available to interpreters who interpret in all languages except those eligible for CHI™ Certified Healthcare Interpreter™ certification (CHI™) –  Spanish available now  Mandarin & Arabic launching in early 2012  Other languages coming soon CCHI’s current credentials

Certification vs. Certificate Certificate of Attendance or Participation Received upon completion of a course or series of courses. Does not require an assessment of knowledge or skill. Generally considered fabrications attempting to achieve the same type of respect afforded to credentials. Recipients not required to meet any professional or industry standards. Certificate of Knowledge – CCHI’s AHI™ credential Demonstrates a relatively narrow scope of specialized knowledge used in the performance of certain professional or occupational duties or tasks. Focus is on specialty or subspecialty areas within a profession. Competency-Based Certification – CCHI’s CHI™ certification Voluntary process An organization grants recognition to an individual who has met certain predetermined qualifications or standards. Individuals meet program eligibility requirements and successfully complete a rigorous assessment of their knowledge and skills.

AHI™ Associate Healthcare Interpreter™ Credential Available to interpreters in ALL languages* Entry point into professional certification Two-hour, Computer-Based, 100 Question, Multiple Choice Exam in English Tests the basics of healthcare interpreting Preliminary results are immediate at test center Credential awarded upon successful completion of the written examination (except for interpreters who are eligible for CHI™)

What does the Associate Healthcare Interpreter™ (AHI™) Credential Measure? Knowledge Required of Healthcare Interpreters  Managing an Interpreting Encounter30% - 35%  Healthcare Terminology22% - 25%  Interacting w/ Other Healthcare Professionals20% - 24%  Preparing for an Interpreting Encounter 16% - 20%  Demonstrating Cultural Responsiveness 3% - 6%

Sample Questions & Practice Exam Practice Exam available late 2011 Sample question: A nurse asks the interpreter to read a consent form to the patient and make sure the patient signs it while the nurse checks on another patient. What should the interpreter do? A. Read the consent form but have the patient wait for the nurse to come back in order to sign the document in her presence. B. Politely explain that sight translation of a consent form is not considered informed consent and ask the provider to go over the form with the patient. C.Summarize the contents of the form mentioning what is relevant for this particular procedure. D. Read the entire document to the patient and ask him to sign it while the nurse is checking with other patients.

CHI™ Certified Healthcare Interpreter™ Certification Passing the AHI™ written exam is a prerequisite One-Hour, Computer-based, Oral Performance Exam Certification awarded upon successful completion of the written and oral performance examinations Languages available:  Spanish  Arabic & Mandarin in early 2012  Other languages to follow

What does the Certified Healthcare Interpreter™ Certification Measure? Knowledge Required of Healthcare Interpreters (same as AHI™ credential) Skills & Abilities Required of Healthcare Interpreters  Consecutive Interpreting75% - 80%  Simultaneous Interpreting10% - 15%  Sight Translation/Translation8% - 10%

Certified Healthcare Interpreter™ Examination 4 consecutive interpreting vignettes (bi- directional, English to/from L2) 2 simultaneous vignettes (unidirectional, one L2 and one English) 3 brief sight translation passages from documents that healthcare interpreters might encounter to sight translate into L2 Testing of translation skills from English to L2

Prerequisites Minimum age of 18 years Have a minimum of U.S. high school diploma (or GED) or its equivalent Have at least 40 hours of healthcare interpreter training (academic or non- academic program) Have linguistic proficiency in English and the target language(s)

Fees Application: $30 (non-refundable) AHI™ exam: $175 CHI™ exam: $250 Total:  $455 total for an individual seeking Certified Healthcare Interpreter™ certification  $205 for an individual seeking Associate Healthcare Interpreter™ credential  This is for one examination administration

Testing Locations & Availability – AHI™ Exam Computer-based Offered on demand Over 250 sites nationwide /index.html /index.html

Testing Locations & Availability – CHI™ Exam Computer-based Offered during testing “windows” of 2-3 weeks each quarter Over 30 sites with more being added ification.org/certification/apply- now/183.html ification.org/certification/apply- now/183.html

Preparing for the exams Organize your calendar. Outline topics for review, create flashcards, etc. Review and understand the Healthcare Interpreter’s Code of Ethics by NCIHC, CHIA, IMIA and others. Review Healthcare Terminology. Familiarize yourself with the computer and recording yourself using headsets (for CHI TM ). Review sample questions included in the Handbook. Review the Test Content Blueprint at the CCHI Web site. Find/form a Study Group. Plan your logistics.

Credential/Certification maintenance CHI™ certification and AHI™ credential are valid for 4 years Maintenance Requirements  32 hours total Continuing Education – 16 hours (classroom or contact) in the first 2 years + 16 hours in years 3 & 4  40 hours of work experience – 20 hours in years 1 & 2, 20 hours in years 3 & 4

Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters