Servicing staffs working with clients/patients are prohibited from disclosing or communicating any personal information to anyone regarding the clients/patients other than parties involved with the patient's care and/or client's case (such as doctors, nurses, attorneys, etc.). This is strictly enforced.
Interpretation
Our interpreters' main duties and responsibilities are to interpret and convey accurate information from patients/clients to the directed parties; however, for the high quality services that we provide, in addition to interpreting, servicing staff should also be sure that the information conveyed by the parties are understood by both or all parties involved. Servicing staff should also share and make aware of cultural differences before proceeding with interpretations. Because of the misunderstanding of cultural differences, patients/clients are often misunderstood and often put under scrutinity and placed into difficult situations.
Treatment of patients and clients
While servicing staff should be courteous to patients/clients, there should be no favors accepted by the servicing staff, nor should the servicing staff be given responsibilities other than interpreting. Again, interpreters are here at the client's request to interpret, not to give patients medication, or to be personal assistants to patients/clients.
Professional Attire
During business hours, interpreters/servicing staff should always dress in a professional manner. No t-shirts or jeans should be worn while providing services. Men should be clean shaven. While suit and tie are not necessary, slack and polo shirt or button down shirt are recommended. For women, nothing improper should be exposed; skirts should be at least a couple inches above knee length. No tube tops or cut-offs are allowed. For both men and women, cologne and perfume should not be overpowering.
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Among other policies, these are our top priorities for servicing staff. These policies are strictly enforced and have very little tolerance for those who choose not to abide by them. However, our servicing staff can only perform their duties well and follow these policies if we have the cooperation from our requesting clients.
1. Interpreters are to keep consumers/patients of the client of IHS personal information strictly confidential and shall abide by HIPAA agreement.
2. Interpreters will not in any way reveal or share information about any assignment, including the fact that services has been delivered. In cases where information becomes a matter of public record, interpreters will not reveal information unless to do so violates the law.
3. Interpreters will perform services faithfully, always conveying the content and spirit of the speaker
4. Interpreters must transmit communication in a manner that conveys the speaker’s message as accurately as possible without adding or deleting information.
5. For any reason, an interpreter feel discomfort interpreting in certain situation due to cultural, religious, or believes he/she must relieve his/herself and transfer the assignment to others.
6. Interpreters shall not act as a counselor, an advisor or interject personal opinion while interpreting.
7. Interpreters shall act as a professional and shall not have any interest in the consumers/patients and must not become personally involved in the situations while interpreting.
8. Interpreters shall only accept assignments for which they are qualified for.
9. Interpreters shall not accept or provide services in situations where kinship or personal relationships exist between the interpreters or consumers/patient of the IHS clients.
10. Interpreters shall conduct themselves in a manner that brings respect to his/herself, our agency, consumers/patients and our clients.
11. Interpreters shall conduct his/herself in a manner appropriate to the cultures of both parties during interpretations.
Interpretation Professionalism
Our organization highly emphasizes ethical performance professional code of conduct, client/patient confidentiality and while providing services. Our sole purposes of our interpreters are to interpret and convey information from clients to patients (in medical facility, from caregiver to patients). However, along with interpretation, our interpreters are also obligated to ensure that all parties involved are in complete understanding of one another and are at the same level of understanding. Our interpreters are not to anyway give advice, opinion, statement of personal belief or stand as a mediator to clients/patients while providing services. Interpreters, however, are permitted to respond to staff or physician of the requesting agency of any questions or concern regarding the patient welfare which may include cultural differences, opinion and personal concern.
Interpreters of International Human Services, Inc. are to respect both the agency’s staff and clients/patients and should expect the same from both agency’s staff and clients/patients. Interpreters are not to act as a medical assistant to any patients while performing services, this include, but are not limited to giving medication, escorting patients, assisting in feeding and providing comfort. Interpreters are limited to mingle or continue conversation with clients/patients when not interpreting. These limited conversation should pertain to identity (introduction & from what agency), professional work, rule and/or policy of service provided, and request for agency’ staff and caregiver. Any questions or concern from the patients of the patients; care should not be answered by the interpreters, furthermore; should be forwarded to appropriate staff of the agency.
Interpreters are permitted to assist in filling out application with information given from clients/patients, however, are not permitted to sign on behalf of the clients/patients or as a representative. For forms that are in need for clients/patients consent, agency’s staff must go through and provide explanation with the assistant of interpreters for interpretation. Interpreters are not permitted to directly go through the consent documents with the clients/patients, furthermore; interpreters should only sign as an interpreter and should not be asked or permitted to sign as a witness.
Our organization strictly enforces clients/patients confidentiality. Information given by the client/patients or provided of clients/patients will not be forwarded, shared, or use by the interpreters in any way.
Most of our interpreters are certified through the national testing languages to interpret in which we have copies of on file. Interpreters that do not have certificates of interpretation; however, are still qualified due to their degree of education of the language and the many years of experience interpreting (minimum of 2 years in medical facility) and student with proven credential degree of knowledge of the language (minimum of Bachelor Degree) and is confident and knowledgeable in medical terminology. Upon becoming an interpreter for our organization, the qualified candidate is required be educated and trained in the HIPPA, Ethics and Professional Code of Conduct.
Our interpreters had gone through annual training either through our organization or another agency similar to ours. . The purposes of these training are to educate interpreters’ proper interpretation (professional code of conduct) and to make aware of any ethical issues that may arise. Anything in question will be addressed. Our interpreters also understand our organization’s professional and strict conduct policy.