ASL Interpreter

Kaiser Permanente; Fremont (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Kaiser Permanente in California seeks an experienced Medical Interpreter to provide interpreting and transliterating services between deaf and hard-of-hearing members and health care providers in a fast-paced hospital setting.

Responsibilities include educating clinicians, coordinating interpreters, enforcing booking policies, advocating for patients, and maintaining confidentiality as part of the care delivery team.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years paid experience as a professional ASL interpreter.
• At least 3 years experience as a Health Care Interpreter.
• Ability to interpret for deaf people from diverse backgrounds.
• Strong ethics and confidentiality.
• Excellent attendance and punctuality.

Responsibilities

• Provide interpreting and transliterating services between deaf/hard-of-hearing patients and physicians/staff.
• Educate health care professionals one-on-one and via group presentations.
• Develop and deliver in-service trainings on deaf culture and interpreting policies.
• Advocate for patients and act as a resource within the care delivery team.
• Enforce booking policies and coordinate contract interpreters as needed.
• Maintain confidentiality and professionalism in a high-stress medical center.

Skills

ASL proficiency

Professional ethics

Time management

Team player

Interpersonal skills

Customer service

Education

BA or BS or equivalent

Tools

PC skills

Job description

Job Summary:

Provides interpreting and transliterating services between deaf and hard-of-hearing members and their health care providers.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Provides interpreting and transliterating services between deaf and hard of hearing members and their physicians and staff according to the RID code of ethics.
  • Assists deaf patients with their health care needs.
  • Educate health care professionals one on one and conduct group presentations.
  • May develop and deliver in service training on topics related to deaf culture, working with interpreters, booking policy and procedures and deaf/hard of hearing patients.
  • Provides assistance to Interpreting Services Manager.
  • Responsible for resolving problems. Places calls to deaf patients. At times, may assist in coordinating contract interpreters.
  • All other duties as assigned.
  • Supervisory Responsibilities: N/A
  • Advocates and acts as a resource person for deaf patients as well as staff/physicians.
  • Participates as a member of the organizations health care delivery team, exercising sensitivity maintaining confidentiality of employee and patient information at all times.
  • Enforces booking policy and procedures for Interpreting Services.
  • Competencies: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies.
  • Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner, gathers and analyzes information skillfully; develops alternative solutions.
  • Customer Services - In all interactions with patients, members, physicians, staff and visitors, demonstrates service-oriented behaviors that include culturally sensitive good manners, respect, and polite communications. Demonstrates openness to creative and innovative approaches to providing service.
  • Interpersonal Skills - Maintains confidentiality; treats co-workers, patients and facility visitors with respect.
  • Oral Communication - Listens and gets clarification to ensure that instructions and requests are fully understood and ensures that interpretations are accurate and understood.
  • Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an incumbent to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • While performing the duties of this Job, the incumbent is regularly required to sit; stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The incumbent is occasionally required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The incumbent may regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
  • Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an incumbent encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • While performing the duties of this Job, the incumbent is regularly exposed to moving mechanical parts. Occasional exposure to inpatients and outpatients who may be experiencing a wide range of acute and chronic medical conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Grade: 848

Basic Qualifications:

Experience

• N/A

Education

• BA or BS or equivalent years of experience (usually 5 years).

License, Certification, Registration

• National Association of the Deaf V (Master) OR Transliteration Certificate from Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf OR National Interpreter Certification from Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf OR Comprehensive Skills Certificate from Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf OR National Association of the Deaf IV (Advanced) OR Healthcare Interpreter Certification from Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf

Additional Requirements:

• Previous exp. as a medical interpreter (inpatient or outpatient setting) required (usually 3 yrs).
• Previous demonstrated experience as a Health Care Interpreter (inpatient and outpatient settings) at least 3 years required.
• Five years previous paid experience, as a professional American Sign Language Interpreter in various settings required.
• Ability to effectively communicate in American Sign Language and the English Language, and other forms of manual communication.
• Must exhibit strong professional ethics.
• Ability to effectively interpret for deaf people from all socio-economic backgrounds.
• An excellent understanding of deaf culture.
• Must be able to demonstrate professionalism while working in a high stress, extremely fast paced Medical Center,
• Ability to act calmly and professionally in a demanding and high stress environment.
• Must be able to prioritize tasks and multitask on a daily basis.
• Efficient time management and presentation skills required.
• Must be a team player with outstanding people/ customer service skills.
• Have demonstrated excellent attendance and punctuality.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills required.
• Proficient PC skills required.
• Must be flexible, and have a professional attitude.
• Must have the ability to cooperate and work in a team environment.
• Must be able to work in a Labor/Management Partnership environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Medical terminology strongly preferred.