Professionalism is one of the nine NCIHC standards, yet trainers do not always address it. In this panel presentation, three seasoned trainers will discuss the standard and how you can train interpreters to go beyond its scope to succeed in business. Whether your students become independent contractors or staff interpreters, you can teach them how to be true professionals. This webinar will discuss best practices for following the NCIHC standard, diving into topics such as effective resume/bio writing, invoicing, timeliness, performance quality, social media and communication, professional associations, certification, and building relationships. Working conditions, knowing one’s worth, preparation techniques, apps and web-based resources, and client/employer expectations will also be presented. By introducing your students to the world of business, they will join the ranks of successful and fulfilled professionals who can navigate the ever-changing market conditions in healthcare interpreting.

By the end of this webinar, interpreter trainers will be better equipped to:

1. Teach strategies and introduce tools for interpreters to become successful professionals;

2. Define and apply the national standard of professionalism;

3. Leverage social media effectively to enhance professional network;Help interpreters better prepare for assignments;

4. Help interpreters understand what it means to be a professional.

About the presenters:

Rosanna Balistreri is a linguist fluent in Spanish, Italian & English. In 2010 & 2011, she served as President of the California Healthcare Interpreting Association (CHIA).  She has been teaching in the Translation & Interpreting program at Cal State University Fullerton, and has also served as Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters.  She is currently on the Board of Directors of the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care (NCIHC), where she also serves as a member of the Standards and Training Committee and co-chairs the Languages of Lesser Diffusion (LLD) Work Group. Rosanna is the founder REACH-reaching diversity, a consulting agency for cultural & linguistic services geared exclusively toward healthcare. 

Elena Langdon, M.A., CT, CoreCHI^TM, has been a professional interpreter and translator since 2000. She is certified by the American Translators Association (ATA) as a translator (Portuguese into English) and by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters as a core-certified healthcare interpreter. She holds a Master’s in Translation Studies and has been teaching interpreting and translation since 2005. Elena was chairperson of the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters and currently helps produce webinars for interpreter trainers for the National Council on Interpreting in Health Care. She is also on the Board of Directors of the ATA and organizes the annual conferences of the New England Translators Association. She is based in Massachusetts, and enjoys traveling worldwide for work and play.

Giovanna (Gio) Lester, CT, has been a translator and interpreter since 1980. Born in Rio de Janeiro and raised in Bahia, Brazil, she has lived in the US since 1985. Gio served as interim vice-president and director of the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI). In 2011 she founded and became the first president of a new American Translators Association Chapter, the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Florida (ATIF). She is also a member of the National Association of Judiciary Translators and Interpreters (NAJIT), International Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters (IAPTI), and Associação Brasileira de Tradutores e Intérpretes (Abrates). Currently, she chairs the Miami-Dade College Translation and Interpretation Advisory Council.