Washington Administrative Code › Title 388 - Social and Health Services, Department of › GENERAL › Chapter 388-03 - CERTIFICATION OF DSHS SPOKEN LANGUAGE INTERPRETERS, TRANSLATORS, EMPLOYEES, AND LICENSED AGENCY PERSONNEL (LAPL) › DEFINITIONS › Section 388-03-030 - What definitions are important to understanding these rules?

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
The following definitions are important to this
					 chapter:
"Authorized interpreter"
means a person who
					 has met the training and language examination requirements for screened
					 languages.
"Certified/authorized bilingual employee"
means a department employee who has passed a department bilingual employee
					 examination in either a certified or a screened language.
"Certified interpreter"
means a person who has
					 met the training requirements and has passed one or both of the following
					 examinations:
(1)The department's social services interpreter
					 certification examination in a certified language; or
(2) The department's medical interpreter certification
					 examination in a certified language.
"Certified languages for interpreters"
means
					 any of the languages listed under certified languages on the official LTC web
					 site and in the official LTC examination manual.
"Certified languages for translators"
means
					 any of the languages listed under certified languages on the official LTC web
					 site and in the official LTC examination manual.
"Certified translator"
means a person who has
					 met the training requirements and has passed the department's translator
					 certification examination in a certified language.
"Department"
means the department of social
					 and health services (DSHS).
"Employee"
means a department bilingual
					 employee whose position requires the use of bilingual skills as part of the job
					 functions.
"Examination manual"
means the language
					 testing and certification section's professional language certification
					 examination manual. To obtain a copy of this manual, visit the LTC web
					 site.
"Interpretation"
means the process of
					 transferring a message orally from one language into another.
"Language access provider"
means, pursuant to
					 RCW
					  41.56.030(10) and solely for
					 the purpose of public employees' collective bargaining, any independent
					 contractor who provides spoken language interpreter services for department of
					 social and health services appointments or medicaid enrollee
					 appointments.
"Language specialist"
means a high school or
					 above language instructor who possesses a BA or higher academic degree majoring
					 in language/linguistics studies of any language.
"Language testing and certification (LTC)"
means the section within the department that is responsible for managing the
					 bilingual skills testing and certification of employees, LAPL, and contracted
					 interpreters and translators.
"Licensed agency personnel (LAPL)"
means an
					 employee of a county government agency/program that contracts with the
					 department to provide services to department clients.
"Limited English proficient (LEP) client"
means a person applying for or receiving department services, either directly
					 or indirectly, who, because of a non-English speaking cultural background,
					 cannot readily speak or understand the English language.
"Medical interpreter"
means an interpreter who
					 renders language interpretation services in a health care setting.
"Position cluster"
means a group of DSHS
					 jobs/positions that share the same or similar nature of job functions or
					 responsibilities.
"Recognized interpreter"
for spoken languages
					 means a person who is certified by:
(1) The Washington state administrative office of the
					 courts (AOC) as a court interpreter; or
(2) The Administrative Office of the United States Courts
					 as a federal court interpreter; or
(3)A national interpreter certification body as a health
					 care interpreter and is recognized by the department; or
(4)A nonprofit organization that uses a credible
					 certification program to certify professional interpreters and is recognized by
					 the department; or
(5) Another state or U.S. territory or another country
					 whose certification program is comparable to DSHS certification and based upon
					 similar requirements.
"
Recognized translator
" for spoken languages
					 means a person who is certified by:
(1)The American Translators Association (ATA); or
(2)A nonprofit organization that uses a credible
					 certification program to certify professional translators and is recognized by
					 the department; or
(3) Another state or U.S. territory or another country
					 whose certification program is comparable to DSHS certification and based upon
					 similar requirements.
"
Screened language
" means any spoken language
					 or any dialect within a spoken language that is not one of the certified
					 languages.
"
Social service interpreter
" means an
					 interpreter who renders language interpretation services in settings where
					 human services programs are provided.
"Source language"
means the language from
					 which an interpretation and/or translation is rendered.
"Target language"
means the language into
					 which an interpretation and/or translation is rendered.
"Translation"
means the process of
					 transferring a written message from one language into
					 another.
Statutory Authority:
						RCW
						 2.43.010,
						74.04.025, and
						74.08.090. 00-06-014, §
						388-03-030, filed 2/22/00, effective
						3/24/00.