MTI Leadership Team Meeting Notes
October 18, 2005
Attendance:
Kit Boesch, Human Services; Pat Carlson, Centerstar; Jason Varga, FIRST Project; Kevin Flores, St. Elizabeth’s; Helen Fagan, BryanLGH; T.J. McDowell Community Health Endowment; John Nason, LMHC; Jean Krejci & Cordelia O’Koye, LLCHD; Malcom Miles, Region V Systems, Susan Kash-Brown-SECC; Suzy Prenger, PPNCB & SECC; Cecelia Creighton PH Center; Raponzil Drake, NHHSS;
Guests: Corey Smathers & Carol Brown LAP-LanguageLinc.
Kit Boesch called the meeting to order. Following introductions, T.J. introduced our guest speakers Carol Brown and Corey Smathers (LAP) to share information about the LanguageLinc program.
Historically, this is a cooperative project of 6 different organizations funded via ORR funds. LanguageLinc provides professional on-site interpreters, telephone interpretation, and on-line scheduling. They also will do document translation. Interpreter testing is done through a California testing company at a cost of $95/test. Practice sessions have become extremely popular. These sessions are open to any SECC interpreters. They are often 2-3 hours long, very well attended, and often provide cross education/awareness opportunities. Carol said she thought perhaps we should look at developing a community test. Others disagreed and felt a standardized proven test was preferable.
- McDowell gave the staffing report. CHE Board of Directors approved up to $20,000 for staffing for the MTI project with the hopes of a $10,000 match from the community. A small group (Kit, Jason, Helen, and T.J.) will develop potential options for staff housing, job description, and actual budget. They will bring these options back to the Leadership Team for final approval at the next meeting.
Malcom Miles reported CLAS has set aside funding for a “statewide summit”. He shared names of several key speakers they anticipate coming and potential content topics. They are anticipating a summit in 2006. One of the summit goals might be to take steps to adopt Federal Standards of Excellence for MTI services.
- drew our attention to the survey created by graduate students for our purpose and sought feedback. The goal is to keep the survey short—1 page, not several. We discussed how this would be disseminated. T.J. said the Lincoln Medical Society will fax the form to pharmacists, physicians, etc. We probably also need to take past discussions and have more discussions with clients on the issue of whether the interpreters are meeting their needs. What kind of rapport do they have with the interpreter? Jason noted Dr. Maria Prendes-Lintel sits on a State Committee, which is also developing a survey. She too has indicated these concerns in both health and mental health. TJ said if anyone has revisions to the survey; please get them to him ASAP.
Susan Kash-Brown and Suzy Prenger reported on the Interpreter Standards Committee. They are reviewing other states’ legislative bills and codes of ethics. Regarding certification, one of the problems is national testing corporations are hard. Existing interpretive groups all want their own exams and their own ethical standards. Unfortunately, this could result in lowering the bar of quality for interpreters. Attached is the NCIHC Standards (20 pages) and Massachusetts Code of Ethics for Interpreters that the MTI Standards committee is reviewing.
Our next meeting will be:
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
SECC Continuing Education Building
301 South 68th Street Place (old Gallop, Inc.)
Brown Baggers Lunch Provided