Interpreter for the Deaf

Commonwealth of Massachusetts•Boston, MA

12h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Mental Health (DMH) is seeking qualified candidates to join DMH as full-time staff Interpreter for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The Interpreter provides proficient (complex and specialized) ASL (American Sign Language)/English interpreting, both on-site and remote, for Deaf supervisory staff in the DMH Central Office and/or an Area/Site Office. Works predominantly in mental health settings including at site offices, facilities with in-patient units, community programs and with other mental health providers. The Interpreter helps with scheduling and coordinating the work of freelance hearing and Deaf interpreters as needed. Supervises interpreting interns. Provides education/training to staff in the use of interpreter services and to freelance interpreters on the needs of DMH. Translates documents as required.

Requirements

Knowledge of both formal and informal registers of English, American Sign Language, and other signed communication (PSE, Contact Sign, etc.)
Knowledge of Deaf culture and the Deaf community.
Ability to perform simultaneous and consecutive interpretation.
Ability to work in a team setting and independently.
Ability to establish rapport with persons from different ethnic, cultural and/or economic backgrounds and deal tactfully with others.
Experience in the use of technology required for the job, including technology critical for remote work (e.g., Zoom, Outlook Calendar, Teams, etc.).
Excellent written, oral, and digital communication skills.
Flexibility and willingness to work with an ever-changing schedule.
Minimum of a High School Diploma or the equivalent.
Certification by the national Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf or other interpreter certification judged equivalent by MCDHH OR proof of successful screening through MCDHH.
Strong understanding of the Code of Professional Conduct established by the national Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc.
At least two years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, professional experience providing interpretation and/or transliteration services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing population.
Ability to travel for work-related assignments and/or reliable access to transportation.
Available to work 37.5 hours per week.
Successful completion of the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Screening is required.
Those employees who elect to use a motor vehicle for travel must have a current and valid Massachusetts Class D Motor Vehicle Operator’s license or the equivalent from another state.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual or multilingual fluency in languages other than ASL and English.
Familiarity with Mental Health conditions/experience working in Behavioral Health settings.
Knowledge of specialized vocabularies (technical, medical, scientific, and so on) in both English and American Sign Language.
Bachelor’s Degree from an Interpreter Training Program.
Advanced certification or successful completion of training in the Mental Health interpreting specialty area.
Proficient usage of Microsoft Office products including Excel and Outlook and other software programs.

Responsibilities

Directly provide both in-person and remote ASL/English interpreting/transliteration services to Deaf/hard of hearing supervisory staff in their interactions with other agency staff, supervisors, clients/consumers, service providers, colleagues, community members and other stakeholders as instructed.
Translate from ASL to written English and written English to ASL as required.
Maintain professionalism and professional standards as delineated in the Code of Professional Conduct of the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.
Confer with fellow interpreters when working as a team, holding joint responsibility for the message.
Skillfully resolve cultural/communication challenges that involve interpreting services in the context of a combined hearing/Deaf environment.
Strive to obtain and review materials prior to providing interpreting services.
Actively engage in reflective practice with colleagues to ensure best practices in ethical, linguistic, and cultural competencies.
Stay current on Deaf/hard of hearing topics and technology.
Share acquired skills and knowledge with other staff/contracted interpreters and Deaf staff locally, regionally and at the Statewide Deaf Services meetings.
Provide training and consultation for DMH staff on the role and appropriate use of interpreters.
Interpret DMH staff and public announcements, such as those by the Commissioner, when requested and if scheduling permits.
Interpret at DMH special events when requested and if scheduling permits, as instructed by the Language Access Coordinator.
Work closely with Deaf supervisory staff to ensure the MS Outlook calendar is up to date, schedule appropriate blocks of time for interpreting services following staff requirements and team availability, identify scheduling conflicts and help meet short notice/last minute requests, and coordinate plans for complex communication situations such as large meetings, situations with multiple interpreters and languages, training/education events, and so forth.
Under the direction of the Language Access Coordinator, provide assigned interns with opportunities to observe and practice interpreter skills in the mental health setting; and help train new interpreters in the needs and demands of DMH/Case Management settings.