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) › CERTIFICATION/QUALIFICATION OF INTERPRETERS AND TRANSLATORS › Section 388-03-114 - Can I provide language services to DSHS without taking a department examination?

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
There are five ways that you may gain department
					 recognition as an interpreter or translator without taking the department's
					 certification examinations.
(1) If you
				  are certified as an interpreter by either the Washington state administrative
				  office of the courts or the Administrative Office of the United States Courts,
				  the department will recognize you as a social services interpreter without
				  requiring you to take its social service interpreter examination. However, you
				  must formally submit a written request for recognition, a photocopy of your
				  valid official certificate, and a copy of official record attesting to your
				  completion of the required minimum DSHS interpreter/translator orientation and
				  interpreter/translator professional ethics trainings to the entity you contract
				  with for your language services.
(2) If you are certified as an interpreter by
				  either the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) or the
				  National Board of Certification for the Medical Interpreters (NBCMI), the
				  department will recognize you as a medical interpreter without requiring you to
				  take its medical interpreter examination. However, you must formally submit a
				  written request for recognition, a photocopy of your valid official
				  certificate, and a copy of official record attesting to your completion of the
				  required minimum DSHS interpreter/translator orientation and
				  interpreter/translator professional ethics trainings to the entity you contract
				  with for your language services.
(3) If you are certified as a translator by
				  the American Translators Association (ATA), the department will recognize you
				  as a translator without requiring you to take its translator examination.
				  However, you must formally submit a written request for recognition, a
				  photocopy of your valid official certificate, and a copy of official record
				  attesting to your completion of the required minimum DSHS
				  interpreter/translator orientation and interpreter/translator professional
				  ethics trainings to the entity you contract with for your language
				  services.
(4) If you are certified
				  as an interpreter or translator by another state or U.S. territory or another
				  country that is comparable to DSHS certification and based upon similar
				  requirements, the department may recognize your certification. In your written
				  request for DSHS recognition, you must submit a photocopy of your valid
				  official certificate and a copy of the official examination manual containing
				  descriptions of the test development process, the scope of the examination, the
				  knowledge and skills to be evaluated, the test validation approach and related
				  statistics, the evaluation criteria, and the passing benchmark. Your request
				  must be submitted to LTC. LTC will evaluate all requests on a case-by-case
				  basis. If LTC determines that your certification meets DSHS certification
				  requirements, a recognition letter will be issued to you, which you will submit
				  with your written request and a copy of your valid official certificate, and a
				  copy of the official record attesting to your completion of the required
				  minimum DSHS interpreter/translator orientation and interpreter/translator
				  professional ethics trainings to the entity you contract with for your language
				  services.
(5) If you are certified
				  as an interpreter or translator by a nonprofit organization that uses a
				  credible certification program and is recognized by the department, the
				  department may recognize your certification. In your written request for DSHS
				  recognition, you must submit a photocopy of your valid official certificate and
				  a copy of the official examination manual containing descriptions of the test
				  development process, the scope of the examination, the knowledge and skills to
				  be evaluated, the test validation approach and related statistics, the
				  evaluation criteria, and the passing benchmark. Your request must be submitted
				  to LTC. LTC will evaluate all requests on a case-by-case basis. If LTC
				  determines that your certification meets DSHS certification requirements, a
				  recognition letter will be issued to you, which you will submit with your
				  written request and a copy of your valid official certificate, and a copy of
				  official record attesting to your completion of the required minimum DSHS
				  interpreter/translator orientation and interpreter/translator professional
				  ethics trainings to the entity you contract with for your language
				  services.
(6) DSHS does not
				  recognize any academic interpreter/translator degrees/certificates or training
				  courses as substitutes for its certification/authorization examination
				  requirements.
Statutory Authority:
						RCW
						 2.43.010,
						74.04.025, and
						74.08.090. 00-06-014, §
						388-03-114, filed 2/22/00, effective
						3/24/00.