Certification Maintenance

PURPOSE: This rule provides information regarding the minimum requirements for certification maintenance in the Missouri Interpreters Certification System. (1) Annual participation in a continuing education program is required for interpreters certified in the Missouri Interpreters Certification System (MICS). This program involves study and performance options which must have prior approval from the Board for Certification of Interpreters (BCI) and which fulfill the requirements for certification maintenance in the MICS. This program may include seminars, lectures, conferences, workshops, extension study, correspondence courses, teaching, mentorship, self-study, and other options, all of which must be approved by the BCI and must be related to interpreting. (A) Program options may provide for evaluation methods to assure satisfactory completion by participants. (B) The BCI shall ensure that persons responsible for the delivery or content of program options are qualified in the subject matter by education, experience, and expertise. (C) Presentations or program options offering MICS Continuing Education Units (CEUs) may be approved through any of the following methods: 1. All presentations and workshops offered by an Interpreter Training Program (ITP) recognized by the BCI and housed in an accredited institution of higher education will automatically be approved for MICS CEUs; 2. All presentations and workshops that give attendees CEUs approved by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) will automatically be approved for MICS CEUs; 3. MICS CEUs will be given for undergraduate or graduate studies related to interpreting in any regionally accredited institution of higher education. Satisfactory proof of course completion, as required by the BCI, must be submitted in order for CEUs to be granted. The following hourly equivalents will be used by the BCI in issuing courserelated MICS CEUs: A. 3 college credit hour course = 45 contact hours; B. 2 college credit hour course = 30 contact hours; and C. 1 college credit hour course = 15 contact hours. 4. The BCI may approve continuing education presentations and program options other than those offered by an ITP or the RID if they meet the following criteria prior to the event: A. Application should be submitted not less than thirty (30) days prior to the event. Applications received less than thirty (30) days in advance cannot be guaranteed notification of approval; and B. Application to the BCI for approval shall be made on forms developed by the BCI. The application shall require detailed information relating to administration and organization, teaching staff, education content and development, methods of delivery, length of education activities, targeted skill level of interpreters, facilities, and method of evaluation; (D) With adequate documentation to the BCI, any interpreter whose primary responsibility is not the education of interpreters who leads, instructs or lectures to groups of interpreters or others on topics related to interpreting in organized continuing education or in-service programs shall be granted MICS CEUs for the time expended during actual presentation. Approval must be requested using procedures outlined in paragraph (1)(C)4 above. MICS CEUs for the same presentation in the same town will be allowed only once during a year; and (E) Any interpreter whose responsibility is the education of interpreters shall be granted MICS CEUs only for time expended in leading, instructing, or lecturing to groups of interpreters or others on topics related to interpreting in an organized continuing education or in-service program outside his/her formal responsibilities in a learning institution. Approval must be requested using procedures outlined in paragraph (1)(C)4. above. MICS CEUs for the same presentation in the same town will be allowed only once during a year. (2) One (1) contact hour earns one-tenth (0.1) MICS CEU, except in the case of mentoring, whether as a mentor or a mentee, where one (1) contact hour earns five-hundredths (0.05) MICS CEU. (3) An interpreter shall be required to earn two (2.0) CEUs annually for certification maintenance in the MICS, with three-tenths (0.3) specifically focused on Ethics. An interpreter may earn up to one (1.0) MICS CEU per year through mentoring, whether as a mentor or as a mentee. Contact hours earned in another state will be accepted by the BCI provided that the hours acquired can be documented. The twelve- (12-) month period for annually earning CEUs will end ninety (90) days prior to the licensing deadline. This section will become effective for the CEU cycle beginning November 3, 2015 and ending November 2, 2016. (4) Providers will give evaluation forms to participants to be submitted with final reports. (5) Proof of completion of continuing education requirements shall be provided by interpreters to the BCI by submitting annually a completed CEU form approved by the BCI, proper documentation, and the CEU processing fee, on or before December 2. Proper documentation shall include one (1) or more of the following: (A) Certificate(s) of completion; (B) Letter(s) from providers stating date of attendance and program; and (C) Transcript(s) (if available). (6) The BCI will review and verify all MICS CEUs claimed on the CEU forms submitted. After verification, the BCI will notify the State Committee of Interpreters of the number of CEUs interpreters have earned for the year. Failure to submit a CEU form with verifiable MICS CEUs, proper documentation, and the CEU processing fee by the December 2 CEU deadline will result in an interpreter’s certification not being renewed, effective December 15. The State Committee of Interpreters will be appropriately notified of the interpreter’s failure to renew certification upon the interpreter’s failure to meet the December 2 certification renewal paperwork postmark deadline. (7) The BCI may elect to audit any interpreter to assess the authenticity and validity of contact hours submitted. (8) CEUs may be earned in any area or for any activity related to interpreting, with the prior approval of the BCI, including, but not limited to, the following: (A) Culture: 1. Sociolinguistics; 2. Deaf culture; 3. American culture; 4. Multi-culture; 5. Cross-culture; and 6. Contextualization; (B) Skills Development: 1. Receptive skill development; 2. Expressive skill development; 3. American sign language (ASL) skills (grammar, syntax, etc.); 4. English skills (grammar, syntax, etc.); 5. Deaf/Blind interpreting; 6. Oral interpreting; 7. Cued Speech; 8. Minimal Language Skills (MLS) interpreting; and 9. Communication modes; (C) Trends/Issues in the Interpreting Profession: 1. Current issues relating to the profession; 2. Theories of interpreting; and 3. Ethical Rules of Conduct; (D) Specialized Skills: 1. Legal setting; 2. Medical setting; 3. Mental Health setting; 4. Educational setting; 5. Performing Arts setting; 6. Rehabilitation setting; 7. Governmental setting; and 8. Technical setting; (E) Instruction: 1. Mentorship; 2. Independent study; 3. Presenting a workshop; and 4. College credit course work. (9) A “mentorship” is defined as a focused learning relationship between two (2) individuals with pre-approved goals and learning objectives for the enhancement of interpreting skills. The mentor shall be a licensed interpreter in the state of Missouri certified at an equal or higher level than the mentee. (A) All forms must be submitted per paragraph 5 CSR 100-200.130(1)(C)4. (B) MICS will automatically accept mentoring hours from relationships that have already been approved by— 1. RID; or 2. Missouri State Committee of Interpreters. AUTHORITY: sections 209.292 and 209.295, RSMo 2016.* Original rule filed June 20, 1996, effective Jan. 30, 1997. Amended: Filed April 17, 1998, effective Nov. 30, 1998. Rescinded and readopted: Filed July 26, 2001, effective March 30, 2002. Amended: Filed Nov. 14, 2003, effective June 30, 2004. Amended: Filed Jan. 28, 2014, effective Sept. 30, 2014. Amended: Filed Feb. 26, 2015, effective Oct. 30, 2015. Amended: Filed April 29, 2016, effective Nov. 30, 2016. Amended: Filed June 26, 2019, effective Dec. 30, 2019. *Original authority: 209.292, RSMo 1994, amended 2002 and 209.295, RSMo 1994.