Certificate in Healthcare Interpreting (Non-Credit)

During the Certificate in Healthcare Interpreting Program, students will:

• Build a strong healthcare foundation: Develop working knowledge of clinical systems, settings, personnel, regulatory requirements, and the realities of interpreting practice within them.
• Master clinical language in both English and ASL: Acquire the medical and psychiatric vocabulary, anatomical knowledge, and communication strategies essential to accurate and effective healthcare interpreting.
• Construct a principled professional practice: Examine interpreter roles and responsibilities, Deaf-hearing team dynamics, the advocacy for and inclusion of Deaf interpreters, and the specialized practice of Designated Interpreters working with Deaf healthcare professionals.
• Cultivate ethical and reflective practice: Apply the Demand-Control Schema to navigate complex ethical decisions, engaging in case conferencing and peer supervision, and building the habits that sustain well-being.
• Embody equity and cultural responsiveness: Understand how power, privilege, language deprivation, and Fund of Information shape Deaf patients' access to healthcare and integrating that understanding into every dimension of practice.

By the end of this certificate, participants will be able to:

• Navigate complex healthcare environments with knowledge of clinical workflows, institutional structures, and the regulations that govern interpreted care.
• Interpret accurately and fluently across medical and psychiatric settings, drawing on a strong command of clinical language in both English and ASL.
• Make informed, ethical decisions in high-stakes interpreting situations using the Demand-Control Schema and reflective practice tools.
• Advocate effectively for Deaf patients' communication access, including recognizing when Deaf interpreters are essential to equitable care.
• Practice with cultural humility and equity consciousness, with a grounded understanding of fund of Information deficits as they relate to Deaf patients' healthcare experiences.
• Sustain a healthy, reflective, and professionally engaged interpreting practice.

The program includes approximately 165 hours of instruction using an online blended format. Students meet in Zoom on Thursday evenings, from 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (Eastern). Upon completion of the program, interpreters may receive up to 16.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.

Class assignments include readings, use of video materials, group discussions, reflections, and hands-on activities. Students should plan on scheduling an average of five hours per week for successful engagement in this program.

The 9-month program runs from September through May.

CHI is organized as an integrated learning experience built around four concurrent areas of focus that scaffold and reinforce one another throughout the program:

• Medical Terminology Prerequisite – Before CHI begins, accepted participants complete a comprehensive medical terminology course of no less than 30 hours. Upon acceptance, you will receive instructions for enrolling directly in our recommended Language of Medicine course through Caduceus International. This foundation ensures all participants enter the program with shared baseline vocabulary. If you prefer an alternative course, it must be pre-approved by the CHI coordinator and proof of completion must be submitted to NTID's Department of American Sign Language and Interpreting Education before CHI begins.
• Topical Lessons – Participants engage with lessons organized around CHI's core goals: healthcare systems and clinical settings, professional interpreting practice, ethical decision-making, and equity and cultural responsiveness in healthcare. Content is introduced progressively, allowing participants to deepen their understanding as their clinical knowledge expands.
• Clinical Language Development in English & ASL – Participants develop their command of medical and anatomical language in both English and ASL through independent study and collaborative application. This includes structured practice with ASL classifiers and interpreting within clinical contexts, paired with guided self-analysis to support ongoing skill development.
• Case Conferencing – Participants engage in monthly case conferencing sessions facilitated by Credentialed Supervision Leaders from the Interpreting Institute for Reflection-in-Action and Supervision (IIRAS). Grounded in the Demand-Control Schema, these sessions provide a structured space to analyze complex interpreting scenarios, apply ethical reasoning, and build the reflective practice habits that sustain a long healthcare interpreting career.

The following criteria will be used to select applicants to participate in this program:

• Passing score on the RID Knowledge exam. Interpreters with national certification or state licensure preferred.
• Experience working as an interpreter in healthcare settings.
• Agreement to complete a prerequisite online medical terminology course of no less than 30 hours prior to the start of CHI. Upon acceptance, participants will receive information about enrolling in our recommended course. Pre-approved alternatives are permitted.
• Agreement to complete the entire program. (No refunds will be given).

   

The full cost for the Certificate Program is $1,600.

The prerequisite medical terminology course is purchased directly through the course provider at the time of enrollment. The current cost of the recommended course is approximately $109.95, payable directly to Caduceus International. This fee is not collected by NTID or the CHI program. Please refer to your acceptance letter for current pricing and enrollment details.

If accepted into the program, you may pay your tuition online by credit card.

You may pay in full ($1600) or pay in two installments of $800.

More information will be provided to accepted applicants.

You may use the online application form to apply for the NTID Certificate in Healthcare Interpreting. The online application deadline is June 1, 2026. Applicants will receive an email by June 30 with a decision on their application status.

CHI Application Form

Jeni Rodrigues, Ph.D., NIC-Adv. CI/CT, NAD IV
jeni.rodrigues@rit.edu

Jeni Rodrigues, Ph.D., NIC-Adv. CI/CT, NAD IV is an Assistant Professor in the Department of ASL and Interpreting Education at Rochester Institute of Technology and serves as program coordinator and instructor for the Certificate in Healthcare Interpreting program. She has worked as a nationally certified signed language interpreter for over twenty-five years, specializing in healthcare interpreting training for the past decade. Dr. Rodrigues earned her master’s degree in Interpreting Pedagogy from Northeastern University in 2011 and completed her PhD in Interpreting from Gallaudet University in 2022. Her research explores access barriers deaf patients encounter in healthcare settings and best practices in ASL-English healthcare interpreting education.

Please direct questions to chi@rit.edu.