Main Room Notes

Language Access Work Group

Notes from 

Meeting 3 Main Room

August 22, 2023

SUMMARY OF MEETING 3

Welcome and agenda review

Thanh Trần

Review community agreements

Thanh Trần

Consolidated highlights from the last meeting’s breakout room discussions 

Helen Henera

Breakout room discussions

Breakout Room Facilitators and Participants 

Breakout room discussion recap

Breakout Room Facilitators

Conclusion and next steps

Thanh Trần

 

Meeting 3 Participants

Patricia Alonzo Lynora Hirata Casey Peplow
Gabrielle Bachmeier Larysa House Theresa Powell
Tara Bostock Agata Ianturina Jennifer Price
Milena Calderari-Waldron Jarrod Irvin Joana Ramos
Vicky Chan Cristina Labra Cindy Roat
Faye Chien Trisha Lamb Elsie Rodriguez Pas
Nadia Damchii Shelby Lambin Zenaida Rojas
Helen Eby Eliana Lobo Manny Santiago
Zugey Garcia Ruiqin Miao, PhD María Sigüenza
Jon Gould Leroy Mould Yun-Mei Wang Wilborn
Luisa Gracia Natalya Mytareva Michael Woo
Aranzazu Granrose Gustavo Negrete Sandy Yang
Tony Griego Hugo Nuñez  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting 3 DSHS Support Staff

Sharon Armstrong, Breakout Room Facilitator
Herminia Esqueda, Breakout Room Facilitator
Helen Henera, Meeting Support Staff
Benjamin Lee, Zoom Host
PaKou Lee, Breakout Room Facilitator
Stacii McKeon, Breakout Room Facilitator
Morgan Olson, Breakout Room Facilitator
Tony Rice, Meeting Support Staff
Thanh Trần, Main Room Facilitator
Malia Wallace-Mello, Project Manager

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WELCOME AND AGENDA REVIEW

The Main Room Facilitator introduced himself and the Zoom Host. He then gave a quick recap of the agenda.

 

COMMUNITY AGREEMENTS

The Main Room Facilitator reviewed the community agreements established during the first meeting:

  • Respect each other in action and speech.

  • Stay present.

  • Listen with an open mind.

  • Arrive prepared and ready to engage.

  • Consider your thoughts before speaking.

  • Honesty in all communication.

  • Contribute from your lived experience.

  • Clarify to avoid assumptions.

  • Plain speak as much as possible.

  • Avoid acronyms and complications.

  • Ask questions out of curiosity.

  • Use specific, and whenever possible, brief examples for clarity.

  • Be open to different cultural and linguistic modes of expression.

  • Respectful disagreement is ok.

 

Participants were thanked for accepting these agreements and holding themselves accountable to them as the group works together to develop understanding and propose recommendations.

 

CONSOLIDATED LIST OF WHAT WAS SHARED DURING MEETING TWO 

The LTC Program Manager reviewed a consolidated list of what participants said in breakout rooms when asked the following question during the last meeting: In what ways can the State of Washington support having more qualified medical interpreters? 

 

  • Tap into the talent pool of LEP communities. Provide career path for immigrants and children of immigrants.  

  • Implement interpreting in school curriculum. Tap into the schools since they already require a foreign language. The talent pool is in the school system; the state needs to reach out to them. 

  • Washington State can invest in community colleges to recruit and train new interpreters. 

  • Provide quality services for LEP clients. Training needs to be nuanced to provide quality services. 

  • Add prerequisites, including verification of English language proficiency and training in medical interpreting. Quality interpretation involves much more than being bilingual. 

  • Offer scholarships and assistance with fees. 

  • A general language test does not include enough medical terminology; potential medical interpreters need specific medical training before taking a test. 

  • Expand electronic testing access. 

  • Add more physical locations for testing based on geographic need. Deliver test proctors to where the masses are. 

  • Make testing more accessible with increased opportunity through more locations and more dates. 

  • Have specific tests incentivized with a pay grade for each.  

  • Washington State certification needs to be updated. 

  • Students are always asking about how to get certified. Need a clearer explanation of the certification process. 

  • Interpreters need to feel dignified and respected for their expertise and profession. They often feel their voices and input are not centered to make sure they are able to provide quality service and make a living. 

  • Drop down options when requesting interpreters specific to need; requests are nuanced. 

 

All participant comments will be considered as we develop the final recommendation. Participants were thanked for offering up their lived experience and expertise.

If participants would like to see a less consolidated version of the discussions, they are encouraged to check out the breakout room notes on the Meeting 2 of 6 page on the SSB 5304 Language Access Work Group website.

 

BREAKOUT ROOMS

Participants moved into breakout rooms to share what they would like to see in a draft recommendation, or what they have already shared in a draft recommendation, regarding the first two main components of the Preliminary Elements of Medical Interpreter Testing and Certification information sheet: testing entities and technology.

For more information about the breakout room discussions, please see the notes from each of the five breakout rooms on the Meeting 3 of 6 page of the SSB 5304 Language Access Work Group site.

 

CONCLUSION AND NEXT STEPS

The Main Room Facilitator thanked participants who have already submitted their draft recommendation and expressed hope that those who have not yet submitted a draft recommendation will do so soon. Submitted documents are posted on the Draft Recommendations page of the SSB 5304 Language Access Work Group website for all participants to read and reflect on.

In preparation for the September 5 meeting, participants were asked to:

  1. Read the Preliminary Elements of Medical Interpreter Testing & Certification information sheet, focusing particular attention on the last two main components from that document: tests and resources to support clients and healthcare providers, and

  2. Submit their draft recommendation, or updates to any previous submission, by completing the Draft Recommendations Google form or by emailing workgroupssb5304@dshs.wa.gov.

 

Participants were encouraged to contact the work group project manager, Malia Wallace-Mello, if they have any questions.

Everyone was thanked.