Communications Assistant Standards

Section 756 Section 756.210   Communications Assistant Standards a)         TRS providers are responsible for requiring that all CAs shall be sufficiently trained to effectively meet the specialized communications needs of individuals with hearing and speech disabilities.  The system provider may request such training from organizations with prior experience in the provision of services to persons with disabilities.  In addition, each CA shall have competent skills in typing, grammar, spelling, interpretation of typewritten ASL, and familiarity with hearing and speech disability cultures, languages and etiquette.  CAs must possess clear and articulate voice communications.  CAs must provide a typing speed of a minimum of 60 words per minute.  Technological aids may be used to reach the required typing speed.  Providers must give oral-to-type tests of CA speed.  TRS providers are responsible for requiring that VRS CAs are qualified interpreters. b)         CAs are prohibited from disclosing the content of any relayed conversation regardless of content and, with a limited exception for STS CAs, from keeping records of the content of any conversation beyond the duration of a call. 1)         Except for purposes of billing calls and as otherwise required or permitted by law, CAs  shall not reveal information about any call, including the fact that the call occurred. 2)         At the request of the user, STS CAs may retain information from a particular call in order to facilitate the completion of consecutive calls. The caller may request the STS CA to retain such information, or the CA may ask the caller if he wants the CA to repeat the same information during subsequent calls. The CA may retain the information only for as long as it takes to complete the subsequent calls. 3)         Appropriate measures must be taken by relay providers to ensure that confidentiality of VRS users is maintained. 4)         When training new CAs  by the method of sharing past experiences, the trainers shall not reveal any of the following information: A)        Names, genders, or ages of the parties to the call; B)        Originating or terminating points of call; and C)        Specifics of the information conveyed in the call. c)         CAs are prohibited from altering a relayed conversation and, to the extent that it is not inconsistent with federal, State, or local law regarding the use of telecommunications carrier facilities for illegal purposes, must relay all conversations verbatim unless the relay user specifically requests summarization, or the user requests interpretation of an ASL call.  An STS CA may facilitate the call of an STS user with a speech disability so long as the CA does not interfere with the independence of the user, the user maintains control of the conversation, and the user does not object. d)         CAs shall not counsel, advise or interject personal opinions or additional information into any communication which they are translating. e)         Any paper printouts made at a relay center of communications conducted over the relay service shall be destroyed at the completion of the call except as otherwise required or permitted by law. f)         No CA shall disconnect a call against the wishes of the originating and terminating parties without first obtaining the permission of the CA's supervisor.  In the instance that a call is terminated, the supervisor shall log the reason for the termination and sign the log.  The supervisor shall authorize such disconnections only in instances in which the caller is abusive to or intentionally uncooperative with the CA. g)         All CA calls shall be carefully supervised.  Disconnects shall be made promptly at the end of each call. h)         CAs answering and placing a TTY-based TRS or VRS call must stay with the call for a minimum of 10 minutes. CAs answering and placing an STS call must stay with the call for a minimum of 15 minutes. i)          TRS providers must make best efforts to accommodate a TRS user's requested CA gender when a call is initiated and, if a transfer occurs, at the time the call is transferred to another CA. j)          Relay providers must offer STS users the option to maintain at the relay center a list of names and telephone numbers that the STS user calls. When the STS user requests one of these names, the CA must repeat the name and state the telephone number to the STS user. This information must be transferred to any new STS provider.