Health Affiliates Maine is accepting resumes for Interpreter Services in multiple areas within the state of Maine. Part of the vision of Health Affiliates Maine is to increase accessibility to services by supporting providers caring for consumers in their own communities. 

Individual Duties and Responsibilities: Best Practice Standards

1. Interpreters will participate in one or more interpreter trainings, to maintain their professional standing. 

2. Interpreters provide accurate, impartial and professional linguistic services, adhering to the standard of the profession and the Code of Ethics at all times. 

3. Interpreters observe and protect the confidentiality of the client, through both words and actions, regarding both words and actions. 

4. Interpreters do not “follow the client”, interpreting for other types of appointments.  Interpreters who provide interpretation for other kinds of appointments will disclose an existing relationship with a client prior to meeting with the client, so that issues of dual role/relationship, patient advocate vs. neutral third-party, and possible conflict of interest can be discussed with the client. 

5. Providers and interpreters discuss with a client what will happen if a client sees an interpreter outside of the providers’ office, to ensure the client’s comfort and privacy. 

6. Interpreters convey accurately the meaning of what is being said by each party to the other. They interpret everything that is said by all involved in the interaction without omitting, adding or changing the core meaning of anything. They are impartial, and refrain from providing counsel, advice or personal opinions. 

7. Professional interpreters correct themselves when they realize they’ve made an inaccurate interpretation and ask for clarification when they don’t understand the meaning of a term. They ask for something to be repeated when they didn’t accurately hear everything being said. They encourage provider-client contact, connection, and relationship. Professional interpreters don’t speak for the parties involved, ask questions of his/her own initiative, or tell what occurred in other interpreted settings. 

8. Providers and interpreters don’t have side conversations. Conversations between interpreters and providers should happen after or in advance of meeting with a client. 

9. Interpreters don’t have side conversations with clients. If a client initiates a conversation, interpreters politely say they can talk with the client about this after the session. 

10. Providers and interpreters meet before beginning to work together to discuss the needs of each, and best practice standards for the work. They also meet periodically to ensure optimal effectiveness as a team and mitigate compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. Clients may be contacted with the use of phone interpreters on occasion to evaluate the interpretation experience. 

11. If two or more persons are speaking at the same time, interpreters ask that one person speak at a time so interpretation can happen successfully. 

12. Clients bring themselves to meetings, if possible. If a ride is provided, interpreters refrain from discussing personal material with clients. This protects the interpreter and keeps the neutral emotional space from client. 

 Qualifications: 

• 40 Hours Medical Interpretation Training Certification
• Certified HealthCare Interpreter (CORECHI or CHI)  or Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI or HUBCMI)
  

If you are interested in more information about Health Affiliates Maine, please visit our website at Mental Health - Health Affiliates Maine.