Meeting Announcement – DODHH Rules and Regulations

Dear members of the Deaf Community,

Please attend this important meeting on Thursday Friday if you are able to because it is related to the procedures and regulations of the new interpreter law and your input/comment are critical for them to hear from you during the public comments – as well as sharing information with the Deaf Community on what went on during the meeting.

Thank you,
MDC

Click to download the flyer (pdf format): DODHH – March 26 Rules Meeting Public Announcment pdf doc

If you cannot open the document:

DATE: March 17, 2010
TO: Deaf, Deaf-Blind, Hard of Hearing, Interpreter and Hearing Community
FROM: Sheryl D. Emery, M.A.
Director, Division on Deaf and Hard of Hearing
SUBJECT: DODHH Rules and Regulations meeting – March 26, 2010

Meeting Announcement – DODHH Rules and Regulations

DODHH Rules and Regulations committee meeting for
PA 204, The Deaf Persons’ Interpreter Act

** Meeting documents will only be available for download at www.mcdc-dodhh.org in the “Events” section **

****New Location & Time****

Date: March 26, 2010
Time: 8:30AM – 2:00PM
Location: Peckham Headquarters
2nd Floor – Beech/Oak rooms
3510 Capital City Blvd.
Lansing, MI 48906-2012
517-316-4000
info@peckham.org
** Located on the grounds of Lansing Capital City Airport**

Public comment will be heard on the afternoon agenda, time limits for comments will apply.
**Please note that public comment for this meeting is not the formal public comment that will occur during the formal public hearing of the rules draft.

Please be aware that there may be limited public seating at the meeting location and the committee lunch hour is closed to the public. There is a full service cafeteria onsite.

Sign language interpreters and real time captioning (CART) will be provided. Should you need additional reasonable accommodations for the meeting, please contact the DODHH at 877-499-6232 no later than March 23, 2010.

Interpreter’s Letter Re: Michigan Rules and Regulations Draft Concerns

Dear Michigan Interpreters and Interpreter Rules and Regulations Committee:

Upon reading the draft for the proposed rules and regulations for the Michigan Interpreter Law, I had several concerns. I have heard many interpreters responses after reading this Draft and many of them are frustrated to the point of talking about moving out of state or leaving the profession. These are good interpreters we cannot afford to lose. There is already a shortage in our state. While we are all in agreement about wanting standards for interpreters to improve, I believe we must take care in how much we are expecting realistically from Michigan interpreters to continue in this profession.

The new BEI test sounds like a good, sound test and a good replacement for the Michigan QA exam. However, I am concerned about the equivalencies being made with national certifications from RID and NAD.

Many of the interpreters who have worked very hard to achieve national certification from RID or NAD are feeling frustrated that their certifications on this Draft, are being placed in a lower class than interpreters passing the brand new BEI State testing. Interpreters have worked for years at becoming nationally certified, while using state testing as a stepping stone towards that goal. Being asked to take a State test after national certification seems like going backwards.

I have 23 years of interpreting experience and spent several years doing community interpreting full time which included extensive mental health and legal interpreting and yet, according to the proposed draft, I would be excluded from these two areas. My concern is that someone who might have a “class 3” credential may be excluded from “class 4” assignments and yet may have experience and specialized training in that area. Whereas, someone who has just passed the BEI at a level 3, will be allowed to interpret anything and that interpreter may have no experience or training in either mental health or legal interpreting.

RID has recently put in educational requirements to sit for the national testing, or they offer an alternative pathway in lieu of the degree requirements which is pretty extensive in taking experience, education and training into account. Where does education and experience fit into the proposed rules and regulations as far as the BEI candidates go?

I would like to suggest adding in NAD IV with greater than 5 years with that certification be made eligible for Class 4. I would like to suggest an NAD III with greater than 5 years with that certification be made eligible for Class 3. This would reflect the skill levels of many interpreters in the community holding these certifications.

I have a concern about the BEI test that, to my understanding, there is no portion of the test that tests a candidates’ knowledge of the RID/NAD Code of Professional Conduct or Ethics. As seen in the Interview portion of the NIC test, RID/NAD have made demonstrated knowledge of the CPC of paramount importance in becoming certified.

I have great concern over the K-12 Educational interpreting requirements. According to the Rules and Regulations draft, someone with the lowest level of a State test (BEI I) would be considered qualified to interpret for K-12. I think higher standards should be looked at–requiring EIPA, national certification, or the higher levels of BEI. We should endeavor to provide the best possible interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing children of Michigan.

Many interpreters already feel overextended financially. We are also affected by the current economy in Michigan. We have to pay considerable amounts of money to take the NIC tests, EIPA tests if we work in an educational setting, pay our RID/NAD membership fees annually, pay to go to workshops to earn CEUs to maintain our credentials, pay for education/student loans, pay the State of Michigan registration fee, pay our local MIRID dues, and now the State of Michigan seems to be asking to add on the BEI testing as well. This seems like an undue burden on Michigan interpreters.

For example, currently, as an NAD IV certified interpreter I am required to pay $195 per year in RID/NAD dues and the Michigan Registration fee. I have just taken the NIC performance test ($325). I have very recently returned to work in an educational setting, and I am scheduled to take both the elementary ($60) and secondary EIPA tests ($310). It is costly to work as an interpreter. I feel like taking interpreting tests is consuming all my time and resources.

These are just some of my concerns as a long time Michigan interpreter. I hope other interpreters and Deaf and Hard of Hearing people will also offer feedback to the Rules and Regulations Committee on their proposed Draft.
I have endeavored to find the email addresses of all those on the Rules and Regulations Committee to send them this email but have been unsuccessful. If any of the members of the Committee would kindly pass my concerns along, I would appreciate it very much.
I would love to hear what others have to say, so please email me…..

~Christine Alexander

MI BEI Interpreter Test Now Open

Download the memo: Memo Interpreter Test Now Open

Memo from DODHH Director Sheryl Emery

DATE: 10/23/2009

TO: Interpreters, Partner Agencies, and Members of Deaf Community

FROM: Sheryl D. Emery, M.A.

Director, Division on Deaf and Hard of Hearing

SUBJECT: Interpreting Test Now Open

Nearly one year ago on October 30, 2008 our Quality Assurance Test (QA) was suspended. For many years the QA screening tool served our needs but it was not designed to serve as a state mandated test. As incoming Director I made a personal vow to have a new screening and assessment tool in place within a year. With the help of a great many people I have been able to keep this vow.

Effective today, I am announcing that DODHH Interpreter testing is now available and is no longer suspended. The Division on Deaf and Hard of Hearing is unveiling for the general public the new Michigan Board for Evaluation of Interpreters Test (MI BEI). Developed by the University of Arizona, in conjunction with the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), the test has been proven valid, reliable and legally defensible. The test is being leased from the Texas DARS – Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. As part of the leasing agreement our state will have reciprocal certification recognition in any state where the BEI is used. Currently that is in Texas and Michigan. We anticipate there will be others.

In the upcoming weeks we will be hosting forums to discuss the BEI and interpreting standards, we encourage all members of the community to attend these free forums as we anticipate there will be great changes coming to Michigan’s Deaf and Interpreting Community. Please see the list of the various forum sites at our website homepage (www.mcdc-dodhh.org) in the Events section.

Henceforth effective with this memo, interpreters that were granted an extension dated January 1, 2010 and/or thereafter are required to now take the BEI before the expiration date listed on their interpreter card.

No additional extensions will be granted for cards expiring on or after January 1, 2010. Application for testing, the BEI Guide Book, dates for the Test of English Proficiency (TEP) and the Performance test will be posted on DODHH webpage (www.mcdc-dodhh.org) by the first week of November.

DODHH: MI BEI Workshops

Download the document to see the listing of BEI workshops: 2009 Fall Flyer for MI BEI Workshops

If you cannot open the document for some reason:

Please join DODHH for FREE presentations about the NEW Michigan Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (MI BEI) test.  The MI BEI will replace the State of Michigan Quality Assurance Assessment (MI QA).  We will cover information about:

• Requirements for Application,
• Statewide Testing Sites,
• Preparation Materials,
• Availability of Tests, and
• Testing Rubric.

October 29, 2009 (Thursday) 6:30-8:30 PM- Grand Rapids

Highlands Elementary School (cafeteria)

4645 Chandy NE

Grand Rapids, MI 49525

November 5, 2009 (Thursday) 6:00-8:00 PM- Detroit

Cadillac Place (Conference room L-150)

3044 W. Grand Blvd.

Detroit, MI 48202

November 21, 2009 (Saturday) 10:30AM-12:30 PM- Lansing

Michigan Library and Historical Center (Forum-1^st floor auditorium)

702 W. Kalamazoo

Lansing, MI 48915

November 21, 2009 (Saturday) 2:00-4:00 PM –Flint

Flint Association of the Deaf

4156 Holiday Dr.

Flint, MI 48506

Pre-registration is not required as participation is free but requests for accommodations need to be received two weeks prior to any workshop. All workshops will be given in ASL—unless no Deaf community members attend. If a voice interpreter is needed to accommodate you, please call 877-499-6232 and speak to Joy Thomassen, State Interpreter Coordinator.