This directory lists ALL Qualified Interpreters holding the Michigan Certification that is required to work in the state.
If you are providing an interpreter as a legal accommodation for a person who is Deaf, DeafBlind, or Hard of Hearing, the law requires that you use an interpreter who is Michigan Certified to be qualified to interpret at the
appropriate for the type of proceeding/setting that will be taking place (see link below for additional information).
In legal settings, medical or mental health settings, or when working with a person who is DeafBlind, the interpreter must also hold the corresponding
(see link below for additional information).
The first step when hiring an interpreter should always be to determine what will provide “equal communication access” to the person(s) using sign language.
This means that a person using the sign language interpreter is legally entitled to receive all the same information, services, and have the same interactions, as a person who does not require the accommodation.
This can only be done by assessing both the type of communication and setting involved AND the needs of the specific individual receiving the accommodation.
Determining an individual’s needs should be an
(see link below for additional information).
The entity responsible for acquiring interpreters may either contact individual interpreters directly or use an interpreter referral
.
There are two ways an agency can be used (see link below for additional information) and both parties should use caution to be clear which has the legal responsibility and liability if anyone less than a fully qualified interpreter is provided.
Efforts to secure a qualified interpreter should begin as soon it becomes apparent one may be needed. Unreasonable delay in doing so may result in a legal finding of a failure to provide a required accommodation if the delay results in the unavailability of a qualified interpreter.
Assignments of two hours or more require more than one interpreter.
Interpreters may be searched by name, region, or appropriate standard level. Interpreters whose names are listed in multiple regions have indicated that they are willing to travel to those specific areas. If you cannot locate the name of a specific interpreter, try using variant spellings, using only the first or last name, or search by geographic area. Last names in particular may change from time to time.
Michigan certified interpreters are issued identification cards that indicate, their current skill level, and any Endorsements they hold. It is standard practice to ask interpreters to show their cards. All Michigan certified interpreters are bound by the NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct which stresses the confidentiality of interpreted information.
If you are having trouble navigating the Michigan Online Interpreter System (MOIS), please contact the Bureau of Community and Health Systems at 517-335-1980 or by email at LARA-BCHS-Qualified-Interpreter@michigan.gov.
Caution: Michigan law requires that an interpreter be provided who is BOTH qualified and effective. The Interpreter Directory is published to assist in locating qualified interpreters. However, using a qualified interpreter does not and cannot guarantee an interpreter’s effectiveness in any specific situation, or with any specific individuals. A provider has a responsibility to act appropriately if it appears an interpreter is not effective, regardless of whether they are qualified.
AGENCIES
Whenever an entity (or person) is required to provide an interpreter as an accommodation, it is required to make every reasonable effort to locate and provide a fully qualified interpreter.
This entity will also be legally liable for any failure to do so.
A person seeking an interpreter can simply contact interpreters directly.
They might do so by using this Directory to search by region and interpreter qualifications, by contacting interpreters used previously, by referral, or however else the contact information is obtained.
An alternative to contacting interpreters directly is to work with an interpreter agency.
Using an agency can simplify the process, especially for those who have not hired interpreters previously.
However, depending on what the agency is agreeing to do, the entity or person responsible for providing a qualified interpreter may (or may not) still be legally responsible for any failure to do so.
There are two different ways that an entity may work with an agency to find a qualified interpreter, and it is important for the entity to understand the difference and to know what it is, and is not, contracting the agency to do.
Some agencies work only with particular interpreters. An agency operating in this manner should be able to quickly indicate whether it has a fully qualified interpreter available. If the agency has a qualified interpreter available, the agency should immediately book that qualified interpreter’s time and it may not later send a less than fully qualified interpreter. If a fully qualified interpreter affiliated with the agency is not available, the agency must inform the entity and it is the entity’s legal responsibility to determine whether a fully qualified interpreter not affiliated with the agency is available. Additionally, if no fully qualified interpreter is available, it is the entity’s legal responsibility to begin a dialogue with the person requesting the accommodation to determine the best accommodation possible (which may or may not be a less qualified interpreter from the same agency), and the entity will be legally liable it is later determined that there was a failure to provide a reasonable accommodation.
Other agencies may agree to act on behalf of an entity to provide the most qualified interpreter available, whether the interpreter is affiliated with the agency or not. A qualified interpreter who is affiliated with the agency may still be provided, but if one is not available, it is the agency’s legal responsibility to determine whether an interpreter not affiliated with the agency is available. If a fully qualified interpreter is still not available, it is the agency’s legal responsibility to begin a dialogue with the person requesting the accommodation to determine the best accommodation possible, and the agency will be legally liable if it is later determined that there was a failure to provide a reasonable accommodation.
Legal liability will remain with whoever is providing the accommodation unless it can be proven that the agency agreed to accept it. The Division neither encourages nor discourages the use of agencies, it simply urges that they be used knowingly.
Caution: Michigan law requires that an interpreter be provided who is BOTH qualified and effective. The Interpreter Directory is published to assist in locating qualified interpreters. However, using a qualified interpreter does not and cannot guarantee an interpreter’s effectiveness in any specific situation, or with any specific individuals. A provider has a responsibility to act appropriately if it appears an interpreter is not effective, regardless of whether they are qualified.
SUGGESTED GUIDELINES WHEN PROVIDING INTERPRETERS
1. CONTACT the Deaf, DeafBlind, or Hard of Hearing individual who requested sign language interpreters.
DISCUSS all of the following: interpreter preferences, needs, communication modality, and whether they have conflict of interests with any potential interpreters.
Selecting an interpreter should always be an
.
2. Determine the date, type, and duration of event or situation.
3. Determine the number of interpreters needed after assessing the various factors: duration of meeting, complexity involved, Standard Level, and number of attendees.
4. Decide whether you will contract with individual freelance interpreters or with an
. If working with an agency determine whether they are assuming your legal responsibilities related to the selection of an interpreter. Discuss costs, billing procedures and any other special arrangements.
5. Verify the interpreter’s qualifications for the assignment by checking the Michigan Online Interpreter System before contracting and confirming interpreters for the assignment.
6. Designate (or ask the agency to designate) the "Lead" interpreter when there are more than one.
7. One to two weeks prior to the event, reconfirm the interpreter(s) and provide the name and a phone number of the "On-site" contact person, as well as any maps, itinerary, or event agenda.
8. The day of the event, the "On-site" contact person should: greet the interpreters, ask to see the interpreters’ Michigan certification, explain the physical settings, introduce the deaf presenter or attendee if appropriate, locate needed chairs, glasses of water, adjust microphones and/or assistive devices and lighting and complete adjustments prior to the beginning of the event.
9. If interpreters are to work through meal times, arrangements should be made to have one interpreter eat the first half of the allotted meal time and vice versa for the other interpreter.
10. The "On-site" contact person should follow up with the deaf presenter or attendee to be sure the communication is effective.
INTERACTIVE PROCESS:
Only the person being provided an accommodation can truly know whether the accommodation provides effective communication. For this reason, the person receiving the accommodation should be involved in selecting the appropriate interpreter for his or her needs, as well as in determining whether communication is effective once the accommodation is in place.
The purpose of the “interactive process” is to determine what, if any, accommodation will be provided.
In most cases, when an American Sign Language, or ASL, interpreter meets the Michigan requirements for both
and
, the interpreter will also be effective, but this will not always be the case.
For example, the person requiring the accommodation may have worked with a particular interpreter and found the interpreter to be ineffective for reasons not directly related to either standard level or endorsement.
An interactive process is nothing more (and nothing less) than a discussion between the person providing an accommodation and the person receiving it. It may in some instances also involve additional parties like an interpreter agency. There is no need to formalize the process.
The interactive process also should be ongoing. It begins with the initial request for an accommodation, and it should continue even after the accommodation is provided to determine whether it is effective.
Every person requiring an accommodation is different and each has slightly different needs. An interactive process does not mean that anything requested must be provided, but the law requires that individual requirements are to be met whenever it is reasonably possible to do so. This cannot occur unless that individual is involved in the process of determining what the accommodation will be.
Caution: Michigan law requires that an interpreter be provided who is BOTH qualified and effective. The Interpreter Directory is published to assist in locating qualified interpreters. However, using a qualified interpreter does not and cannot guarantee an interpreter’s effectiveness in any specific situation, or with any specific individuals. A provider has a responsibility to act appropriately if it appears an interpreter is not effective, regardless of whether they are qualified.
MICHIGAN STANDARD LEVELS
The Standard Levels recognize four categories of settings and indicate the type of valid Michigan issued credentials an interpreter must possess in order to be considered qualified to work in each. Each Standard Level reflects a given level of expected proficiency for qualified interpreters. Each level establishes the minimum credentials necessary to protect the health, welfare, and safety of the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing consumer and the interpreters working in specific proceedings. The Standard Levels Chart is a reference chart that Qualified Interpreters, Appointing Authorities and Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing consumers must review during the
when requesting an interpreter.
Standard Levels 1, 2, and 3, recognize three broad categories of settings and indicate the types of credential an interpreter must possess to be considered qualified to work in that setting. Standard levels are based on a proceeding's relative complexity (content of meeting, use of special vocabulary, number of participants, etc.), and the risk (what is the harm if information is misinterpreted). An interpreter is qualified to work in the settings described for their Standards Level as well as any level lower than their own. Specific types of proceedings also require a valid Michigan
.
An interpreter who processes the necessary credentials for a particular Standard Level is “qualified” to interpret in the corresponding settings/proceedings. However, Michigan law requires an interpreter to be both qualified AND effective. Therefore, an Appointing Authority who provides a properly credentialed interpreter is presumed to have met their legal obligations UNLESS the individual interpreter is shown to be ineffective. On the other hand, an Appointing Authority who provides an interpreter who does not have the appropriate credentials will have failed to meet its legal obligation unless it can establish that the interpreter was the most effective communication accommodation available in the particular circumstances.
In addition to the three general Standard Levels, there is a separate Educational Standard. This standard applies to accommodations provided to a student up to grade 12. Interpreters within the education standard are further divided into those qualified to work in elementary or secondary educational settings. The requirements in elementary education settings are slightly more restrictive than in secondary education settings. This reflects the intention of the Michigan Rules that the need for the highest quality interpreters was greatest at the Elementary level when a student's language acquisition skills are being developed.
TYPES OF PROCEEDINGS BY STANDARD LEVEL
Standard Level 1
Standard level 1 involves non-complex situations with low risk. Qualified interpreters cannot interpret when topics relate to health, mental health, legal, employment, finance, or government.
Examples include:
Workshops
Meetings
Training
General Presentations
Video Relay Services (VRS)
Post-secondary Education
Vocational Training – Post High School and Assessments
GED Training(General Educational Development Test)
DeafBlind (in Appropriate Settings)
Standard Level 2
Standard level 2 involves moderately complex situations with medium-high risk. Qualified interpreters may interpret when topics relate to government, employment, or finance.
Examples include:
All Level 1 settings
IEP (Individualized Education Program) Meetings
Meetings
Interviews
On-the-Job Training
Employment Grievances/Discipline
Staff Meetings
Political Events
Financial, Banking, and Personal Transactions
Government Meetings
Presentations by Dignitaries and Public Personalities
Plays, Concerts, TV News
Tax Assessment Meetings/Appeals
Applications for State/Federal Services
Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) as Appropriate to This Level
DeafBlind (in Appropriate Settings)
Addiction Treatment , Couseling, and Psychiatric Evaluations*
Healthcare situations beyond basic first aid involving a health care practitioner, doctor, rehabilitation specialist, therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist *
All health care administered in an emergency room, trauma center, urgent care facility, hospital, nursing home, triage, hospice, rehabilitation center, dialysis center, inpatient facility, outpatient facility, or mental health facility*
Health-related and mental health-related presentations by speakers, training, and workshops *
*Medical or Mental Health Endorsement is required in addition to a Standard Level 2 certification
Standard Level 3
Standard level 3 involves legal proceedings and high risk situations. You must also hold a Legal endorsement in order to be considered a Standard Level 3 interpreter.
Examples include:
All Level 1 settings
All Level 2 settings (with appropriate Endorsement)
Forensic Psychiatric Evaluations
Evaluations of a Legal Nature
Emergency Broadcasts
Legal Workshops or LegalTraining
VRI (legal subject matter)
An Activity Involving Police/Prison/Prisoners
An Activity Involving an Attorney or the Courts
An Activity Involving Children’s Protective Services (CPS)
An Activity Involving Probation/Parole
DeafBlind (in Appropriate Settings)
Caution: Michigan law requires that an interpreter be provided who is BOTH qualified and effective. The Interpreter Directory is published to assist in locating qualified interpreters. However, using a qualified interpreter does not and cannot guarantee an interpreter’s effectiveness in any specific situation, or with any specific individuals. A provider has a responsibility to act appropriately if it appears an interpreter is not effective, regardless of whether they are qualified.
MICHIGAN ENDORSEMENTS
Within each of the three broad practice levels, there are specific practice settings that require an interpreter to possess unique and specialized skills. These specialized skills are reflected by an interpreter’s endorsements. An interpreter must possess a Medical/Mental Health endorsement to interpret in a medical or mental health setting, a Legal endorsement to interpret in a court or other legal settings, and a DeafBlind endorsement in order to interpret for an individual who is both D/deaf and B/blind.
An interpreter’s endorsements are listed on the front of his or her Michigan interpreter identification card, in addition to being in this Directory. An endorsement does not permit an interpreter to work in an inappropriate
.
Caution: Michigan law requires that an interpreter be provided who is BOTH qualified and effective. The Interpreter Directory is published to assist in locating qualified interpreters. However, using a qualified interpreter does not and cannot guarantee an interpreter’s effectiveness in any specific situation, or with any specific individuals. A provider has a responsibility to act appropriately if it appears an interpreter is not effective, regardless of whether they are qualified.
