May 3 - 24, 2021
Monday - Friday
9:00am - 1:00pm PT

*please be sure to check your local time zone*

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Bridging the Gap is a 64-hour professional development program that prepares bilingual individuals to work as medical interpreters. It is used to train novice and experienced medical interpreters, and it is accepted by both accredited national certifying bodies, the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) and the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI). No interpreting experience is required to take the class.

*Due to the long delays, uncertainties and high costs of shipping our textbooks internationally at this time, we are unfortunately unable to offer the online BTG training program to students outside the United States until further notice.

This course covers:

• Basic interpreting skills . Roles, ethics, conduit and clarifier interpreting, managing the flow of the session.
• Codes of ethics . Codes of ethics and decision-making for interpreters in health care.
• Integrated medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology . Introduction to common terms, procedures, and specialties relating to human physiology and health.
• Interpreting in mental health . Specialized strategies and skills that apply to the unique demands of mental health settings.
• Information on health care systems . Introduction to the health care systems and types of health care providers. 
• Culture in interpreting . Self-awareness, basic characteristics of specific cultures, traditional health care in specific communities, culture brokering.
• Communication skills for advocacy . Listening skills, communication styles, how doctors think, appropriate advocacy.
• Professional development . Effective communication, professional conduct, self-care, resources for professional growth.

About the Class

Total tuition:    $875.00

Includes non-refundable $150 registration fee, course textbook, bilingual medical glossary if available in your target language (if not available participants will receive an English-English glossary), mental health glossary, the Guide to Common Medications, and a signed Certificate of Successful Completion, if applicable. For this class, please have reliable internet and a computer with a working camera/webcam and microphone. Having headphones and a workspace with minimal distractions is also encouraged. 

Training dates & times (PT):

May 3 - 24, 2021
Monday – Friday
9:00 am – 1:00 pm Pacific Time
Final Test: May 24th
Online Zoom Course        

Participants must attend all hours of the training. CCHCP reserves the right to cancel a class that does not have minimum enrollment. If CCHCP cancels a class, the $150 registration fee will be refundable.

Admission Requirements

Minimum age and education

Participants must be 18 or older and have a high school degree or the equivalent. Proof of high school graduation or GED, etc. is required.

Proof of language proficiency

Participants must be bilingual in English and at least one other language, and proof of proficiency in both languages is required to enroll in the class. Proof of proficiency can be copies of any one of the following documents:

• High school diploma or equivalent, or university/college degree from a school using the assessed language(s)
• 5 or more years of verified professional experience working in the language(s) being assessed
• State or federal court interpreter certification
• Oral language exam results with scores equivalent to ACTFL Advanced Mid-level or ILR Level 2

If applicants do not have any prior proof of language proficiency, the registration process will include a speaking and listening assessment conducted over the phone. These are scheduled through ALTA Language Services on a weekday at a time that is convenient for the applicant. Once a language assessment is scheduled, the applicant will receive a phone number to call and instructions to begin the assessment, which is approximately 20-40 minutes long. The maximum possible score is 12; a 9 or higher is required for admission.

Bridging the Gap Registration & Enrollment Procedure:     

1. Please submit the following via email:

• Completed registration form
• Copy of high school diploma, GED certificate, or university/college degree
• Proof of language proficiency (if available)

Applications can be submitted via:

Email:   bridgingthegap@xculture.org

Mail:     1200 12th ave. S., Suite 1001, Seattle, WA 98144

2. Payment of $150 non-refundable deposit via credit card, check, money order, or cash. Checks and money orders should be made out to The Cross Cultural Health Care Program, or CCHCP. Credit card payments can be made over the phone. Any necessary language assessments will be scheduled and conducted upon receipt of the deposit.
 

3. Once we have received proof of language proficiency or proficiency assessment results, you will receive an email message to complete the enrollment process. You will also receive an email message if you did not pass the language proficiency assessment.
 

4. Confirm your attendance and pay the remaining tuition balance.

Deadlines

Application materials and payment must be received by the following dates.

Monday, March 29:       Early Bird Deadline

• Deadline to receive $50 Early Bird discount. All materials must be submitted and nonrefundable deposit must be paid.

Wednesday, April 7:     All materials must be submitted

• Application form
• Non-refundable deposit
• Proof of high school graduation
• Proof of language proficiency (if available)

Wednesday, April 14: Payment deadline

• Remaining tuition fees

Refund Policy

Unless a class is canceled by CCHCP, the $150 registration fee is non-refundable. However, if a course applicant becomes unable to attend a course they had registered for, the registration fee can be held for one calendar year from the start date of the original course registered for.

For the remaining costs, the refund policy is as follows:

Up to 1 week before class starts: 100%
1 - 6 days before class starts:      75%
After class starts:                         25%

Note: Instead of refund, applicants can choose to leave their balance paid to CCHCP to use for another class within one (1) calendar year from the start date of the class originally applied for. 

CCHCP reserves the right to remove any participant who interferes with or causes disruption in the learning environment. Refunds will not be issued to participants who are removed.

Certificates of Successful Completion

A Pre-Test and a Final Test will be given to measure participants’ improvement before and after the training. Certificates of successful completion will be awarded to participants who score 70% or better on the Final Test. Participants will be notified via email about their test results within one week of completing the course. Certificates will be mailed within two weeks after the training.

Participants who do not pass the Final Test are permitted one retake within a 3-month period. If a participant does not pass the Final Test after the permitted re-take, CCHCP will not issue a certificate of successful completion.

Students must attend all hours of the training and pass the Final Test to earn a certificate of successful completion. This certificate can be used as proof of training for national certification and other bodies that require proof of training.

Receiving a BTG certificate of completion is proof that a participant is a trained medical interpreter. In order to become a nationally certified medical interpreter, participants who successfully complete the course should take and pass national certification exams through the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (www.certifiedmedicalinterpreters.org) or the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (www.cchicertification.org). Some states may have their own state certification exams to be a state-certified medical interpreter.

Additional Information

All our communication will be primarily by email. Please make sure your email address is working and check it regularly. If you have not heard from us in a reasonable amount of time, please call us at 206-860-0329.

Please retain pages 1-4 for your records. Do not mail these with your completed registration form.

Thank you, and we look forward to hearing from you!

Deadlines: Application form, deposit, proof of high school graduation, and proof of proficiency (if applicable): Wednesday, April 7th, 2021

Remaining Tuition Fees:    Wednesday, April 14th, 2021

Payment may be made by check, money order, cash or credit card. Checks are payable to: The Cross Cultural Health Care Program (or CCHCP). For credit card payment please email bridgingthegap@xculture.org to schedule an over-the-phone payment arrangements.

Proof of Language Proficiency

Proof of proficiency can be copies of any of the following documents:

• High school diploma or equivalent, or university/college degree from a school using the assessed language(s)
• 5 or more years of verified professional experience working in the language(s) being assessed
• State or federal court interpreter certification
• Oral language exam results with scores equivalent to ACTFL Advanced Mid-level or ILR Level 2

Please note: Language assessments are required for applicants without other proof of proficiency. We will notify applicants of their language assessment schedule upon receipt of application form and non-refundable deposit of $150.

If Applicable: If someone else or another organization is payinig for your course fees, please fill out the following section.