REGION I

Christina Stevens, NIC Region I Representative

CEUs are always on the forefront of an interpreter’s down time. Do I have enough? Where can I learn about this new topic? How can I improve my skills? Will I get this done in time? In the last 5 years, and really the last two plus years, the ability to find and attend workshops has changed. With our profession changing so are our abilities to attend workshops from presenters all over the world. Interpreters are getting up at 5am just to attend a workshop that starts at 9am EST. Or staying up late to attend a west coast based workshop. Yet, have we become complacent with our workshops? Are we just taking this workshop just so we have the right number of CEUs to maintain our certification? OR are we advancing ourselves and taking workshops that challenge us or inspire us?

The volunteer sponsors support RID’s Professional Development system by diligently checking on attendance and participation and by guiding teachers to develop clear educational goals as well as assessment tools to monitor the transfer of knowledge during the event. Here in Region 1 we have many AC (Affiliate Chapter) leaders who are providing safe and brave environments to begin tackling the hard work of Social Justice, Racism, and other -isms, within our work and ourselves. Also “Do I have enough? Where can I in Region 1 we have new learn about this new topic? How can I improve my skills?” ideas being researched and explored including our keynote speaker at this summer’s virtual conference, Sociocracy for All. These workshops are shared via email list serves within each AC and on social media.

Do we as interpreters apply the same code of moral ethics to our learning as we do to our interpreting work? Do we arrive ready to learn and work and improve ourselves? Giving focus to the presenter? Or do we just let the webinar run in the background as we clean the kitchen? Our CMP volunteer committee works hard to set standards that our volunteer CMP sponsors follow. Since 2020, the state of Rhode Island has been engaged in a community-wide health system transformation initiative made possible through an innovative partnership between the Rhode Island Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (RICDHH) and Rhode Island College (RIC). In an effort to reduce health disparities and eliminate barriers to healthcare access experienced by Deaf,

Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind consumers, the project has focused on three main goals: data collection, workforce training, and workforce development. This third goal has led to the establishment of the nation’s first professional development institute for interpreters with a focus on public health and equity.

The Rhode Island College Public Health and Equity Sign Language Interpreting Program (PHESLIP) is a 9-month, 120-hour professional development program for interpreters (both Deaf and hearing). The program consists of a hybrid format, with a one-week in-person residency in Rhode Island in August, followed by 9 months of online asynchronous coursework in medical, mental health, and behavioral health interpreting. Qualified participants who complete this non-credit program will receive a Certificate in Professional Studies and Continuing Education, 12 RID Continuing Education Units (CEUs), and will meet the 40-hour training requirement to sit for the CCHI certification test. This program [PHESLIP] is designed for current interpreters who want to specialize in public health interpreting and/or want to increase their readiness to work in healthcare environments. Current sign language interpreters who are both credentialed and non-credentialed are eligible to apply. Tuition for the program is currently free. For more information about this program, please contact: Christine West, PHESLIP Program Specialist, at cwest@ric.edu or Dr. Marie Lynch, PHESLIP Program Director at mlynch@ric.edu.

As we fall into the new year and prepare for RID’s Conference in the summer of 2023 themed “Are you Ready” ...What are you ready for? What are you ready to learn? What are you ready to improve with your learning? What CEU opportunities are you ready for?

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