FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions about PEHI Training
Although both the cohort and self-directed training use the same curriculum materials, cohort members:
- Are limited to 15 participants
- Receive weekly coaching sessions from Gallaudet graduate students during the skills training phase in concert with the online exercises
- Have a GoReact account assigned to them free of charge
- Receive feedback on specific assignments from Certified Deaf Interpreters
- Participate in live practice sessions with advice nurses, Deaf simulated patients, CDIs, coaches, etc.
- Participate in a 20-hour induction with an experienced healthcare interpreter, with face-to-face interaction being our first choice
- Receive more CEUs than the self-directed track
- Must commit to completing the program in a timely manner. If the participant falls too far behind, they will be allowed to transfer to the current module from the self-directed track to complete their CEUs there
- Selected eligible participants will be reimbursed for medical interpreting credentialing exam fees, with a travel stipend available for those who must travel a significant distance to a testing site.
Here are the topics covered. Only members of Cohort 3 will participate in the induction experience.
Yes, in rare and specific circumstances.
If a participant from the cohort training is unable to complete the training, a self-directed participant that has completed all of the modules up to that point may be selected to participate in the remainder of the cohort training.
Nothing, thanks to the US Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration. They want to make sure that Deaf/DeafBlind/Hard of Hearing people have equitable access to healthcare which will, in turn, improve their employment opportunities.
YES! We are especially interested in training Deaf interpreters in healthcare interpreting, and have designed our curriculum to embrace and foster the unique skills Deaf interpreters bring to healthcare interactions.
Our last cohort (Cohort 3) will start on May 19, 2025. Our first (pilot) cohort started in September of 2022. Our grant was funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration for five years starting October, 2021.
Interpreters must have at least three years of experience and a bachelor's degree or the equivalent. To see what is counted as equivalent to a bachelor's degree, please see our chart.
We anticipate partnering with six states that will nominate interpreters for the training. Currently, we have formal agreements with Arizona, Kansas, and Virginia and are finalizing the agreements with three more. Please see the Partnering State Agencies page for more information.
There are two parts of the program: the online component and the local mentoring component. The online component close December 31, 2025, although there will be breaks for holidays. You will meet with a coach once a week during this time.
You must commit to 5-6 hours/week during the online training portion.
The local mentoring component includes at least 20 hours of observation, supervised interpreting, and/or skill-building activities conducted during a two-month period. If necessary, the mentoring component will be offered over-video. The hours must be completed by March 31, 2026.
Some participants from Cohort 3 will be selected to to be reimbursed for testing fees associated with a medical interpreting certification examination. A travel stipend may available for those who must travel a significant distance to a testing site. All selected participants must meet the testing entities' requirements to sit for the examination (i.e. other certifications held, another test you have to take before taking the medical interpreting test, etc.).
We do not offer a single certification stating that someone has taken all of the modules in the training, except for cohort participants. This allows maximum flexibility for those who take self-directed modules, as they will receive a certificate for each module successfully completed.
Yes, we offer RID and, if there is a need, BEI CEUs for all activities at no charge to cohort or online participants. Participants who complete all components of the cohort training will earn 10.25 CEUs.
Participants who complete the self-directed online training will also earn .5 CEUs per module, for a total of up to 7.5 modules if all are completed.
Note: If you completed modules in the most recent offerings of the self-directed track, please check with the entity that authorizes your CEUs to determine if you can or cannot take the same modules for CEU credit again.
If it is not possible for you to complete the cohort training, you may switch to the self-directed track. If that is not possible, you will still receive CEUs for the portion of the cohort training you completed. We will do everything possible to help you either way, as we understand that life sometimes brings things to us that are out of our control.
Participants selected must meet one criteria from List 1 or one criteria from List 2 and List 3
List 1
Equivalents that establish interpreting skill and knowledge
4+ years (valid or expired) credential held AND completion of 8 CEUs since January 2017
| Credentialing or licensing entity | Credential/license(s) accepted |
|---|---|
| Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ACDHH) | Deaf interpreters holding an ACDHH legal or general license |
| BEI | Court Interpreter; Intermediary V/VI/III; Master; Advanced; Level V/IV/III |
| CASLI/RID | CDI; CI/CT; CLIP-R; CSC; NIC Master or Advanced; NIC; RSC |
| EIPA | Score of 4.0 or aboe |
| NAD | V (Master); IV (Advanced) |
| NC Interpreter Classification System (NCICS) | A/B |
| Michigan BEI | III; II; DI |
| Utah Interpreter Program | Court Approved; Professional; Certified Deaf Interpreter |
| Virginia Quality Assurance Screening (VQAS) | Interpreting IV/III; Transliterating IV/III |
List 2 |
List 3 |
|---|---|
| Interpreting Skill Equivalents | Knowledge Equivalents |
| 2+ years holding any of the credentials in List 1 | Passing score on any RID, CASLI, BEI, EIPA or UIP written examination |
| BEI III | |
| BEI Intermediary II/I | |
| CI | AA/AS degree (any subject) |
| CT | |
| EIPA 3.0-3.9 | Deaf, BIPOC, or heritage signer who has completed 40 hours of training in interpreting (coursework or workshops) since January of 2019 |
| Michigan BEI I | |
| NAD III | |
| NCICS Level C | Completion of 60 hours of training in interpreting (oursework or workshops) since January of 2019 |
| QDI | |
| Qualified for license or registry in any state as Deaf interpreter | |
| UIP: Novice | |
| Verification of 500 hours of interpreting services (in addition to the required years of experience) | |
| VQAS Interpreting or Transliterating II/I |
The contents of this website were developed under a grant (H160D210007) from the Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e-3 and 3474).