Chapter SPS 203

SPS 203.03 SPS 203.03 Provision of services in a mental health treatment setting. This section only applies to applications for licensure received on or after September 1, 2023.

SPS 203.03(1) (1) Individuals who hold an active qualified equivalency from the Alabama Department of Deaf Services may provide sign language interpretation services in a mental health treatment setting.

SPS 203.03(2) (2) Individuals who do not hold the qualified equivalency must meet the following alternative pathway criteria to provide sign language interpretation services in a mental health treatment setting:

SPS 203.03(2)(a) (a) Hold either a sign language interpreter – advanced hearing license under s. 440.032 (3) (d), Stats., or a sign language interpreter – advanced deaf license under s. 440.032 (3) (f), Stats., and

SPS 203.03(2)(b) (b) Submit documentation, satisfactory to the department that they have completed a minimum of 40 clock hours of training within the previous 2-year license cycle including the following topics:

SPS 203.03(2)(b)1. 1. ‘Mentoring and supervision skills.’

SPS 203.03(2)(b)1.a. a. Interpreting methods and appropriate use of simultaneous, consecutive, and narrative interpreting.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)1.b. b. Knowledge of the difference between interpreting and communication assistance or language intervention.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)1.c. c. Identifying care providers, identifying mental health disciplines, and familiarity with milieus and settings.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)1.d. d. The role of an interpreter as a professional consultant.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)1.e. e. Professional boundaries.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)1.f. f. Confidentiality and privilege, including abuse reporting, the duty to warn, and protections specific to Wisconsin statutes.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)2. 2. ‘Mental health knowledge.’

SPS 203.03(2)(b)2.a. a. Mental health issues and treatment options in Wisconsin.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)2.b. b. Specialized vocabulary used in psychiatric settings in both the source and the target languages.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)2.c. c. Psychopathologies, including knowledge of the names of the major mental illnesses treated in both the target and source languages.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)2.d. d. Symptomology of major mental illnesses experienced by the patients as presented within the psycholinguistic context of the target language group.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)2.e. e. Assessment methods and understanding of the impact of interpretation when doing an assessment.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)2.f. f. Etiology and its impact on mental health, hearing loss, and language.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)3. 3. ‘Cultural competency.’

SPS 203.03(2)(b)3.a. a. Treatment approaches.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)3.b. b. Impact of cultural influences on assessment and treatment.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)3.c. c. Inpatient settings and the various staff that will be working in those settings and how interpreting and cultural differences can influence therapeutic relationships in those settings.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)3.d. d. Outpatient settings, self-help and support groups and the specialized vocabulary used in those groups.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)3.e. e. Influence of interpreting and cultural differences on therapeutic relationships in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)3.f. f. Cultural views of mental illness, mental health, behavioral health, and substance abuse specific to the populations the interpreter works with.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)3.g. g. Constructs of deafness and hearing loss relative to majority/minority cultures and pathological models.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)3.h. h. Sociological impact of cross-cultural mental health service provision and the impact of an interpreter on the therapeutic dyad.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)3.i. i. The impact of stereotypes on mental health service delivery.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)4. 4. ‘Substance use disorders.’

SPS 203.03(2)(b)4.a. a. Specialized vocabulary used in substance use disorder treatment in both the source and the target languages.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)4.b. b. Substance use disorder theory and issues involving substance use disorder.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)4.c. c. Assessment methods and treatment approaches.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)5. 5. ‘Disability knowledge.’ Issues involving developmental disability and any additional disabilities and the role culture and language plays in providing services to people with developmental disabilities or additional disabilities.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)6. 6. ‘Practice competencies.’

SPS 203.03(2)(b)6.a. a. Personal safety issues, including an understanding of at-risk conduct and personal boundaries as it applies to mental health interpreting work and an awareness of de-escalation techniques and universal precautions.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)6.b. b. Assessing communication effectiveness.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)6.c. c. Matching the interpreting method with the client and the setting.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)6.d. d. The impact of emotionally charged language.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)6.e. e. Unusual or changed word or sign selection.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)6.f. f. Linguistic dysfluency or marked changes in linguistic fluency within a psycholinguistic context.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)6.g. g. Conveying information without alteration, emotional language without escalation, and ambiguous or emotionless language.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)6.h. h. Isolating peculiar features of eccentric or dysfluent language use.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)6.i. i. Reading client case documentation and recording appropriate documentation of linguistic significance.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)6.j. j. Personal mental health issues and maintaining the personal mental health of the interpreter.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)6.k. k. The impact of personal issues on the interpreting process.

SPS 203.03(2)(b)6.L. L. Awareness of countertransference in the interpreter and familiarity with transference to the clinician or to the interpreter.

SPS 203.03(2)(c) (c) Submit documentation to the department indicating that they have completed a 40-clock-hour supervised practicum within one year meeting all the following requirements:

SPS 203.03(2)(c)1. 1. The practicum site must be primarily clinical in nature.

SPS 203.03(2)(c)2. 2. The site is approved by the practicum supervisor.

SPS 203.03(2)(c)3. 3. The work must be direct interpreting and may not be social in nature.

SPS 203.03(2)(c)4. 4. The practicum must involve both in-patient and out-patient practice.

SPS 203.03(2)(d) (d) Submit documentation to the department indicating that they have passed an examination approved by the department on the topics covered in par. (b).

SPS 203.03 History History: CR 22-001: cr. Register July 2023 No. 811, eff. 8-1-23; correction in (2) (a), (b) (intro.), 1. f., (c) (intro.), (d) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register July 2023 No. 811.

SPS 203.04 SPS 203.04 Provision of services via video relay services or video remote interpreting.

SPS 203.04(1) (1) A Wisconsin interpreter licensee is required to provide interpreting services via video remote interpreting under all circumstances where the licensee or the client resides in the state.

SPS 203.04(2) (2) Video relay services are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission. Wisconsin licensed interpreters should follow federal regulations under all circumstances where video relay services are used.

SPS 203.04 Note Note: Federal Communications Commission regulations on video relay services can be found under 47 CFR 64 at http://www.ecfr.gov.

SPS 203.04 History History: CR 22-001: cr. Register July 2023 No. 811, eff. 8-1-23.

SPS 203.05 SPS 203.05 Maintenance of qualified mental health interpreter status. This section only applies to renewal applications for licensure received on or after September 1, 2023. An individual recognized as an interpreter qualified to provide services within a mental health treatment setting by the department under s. SPS 203.03 must submit documentation indicating completion of one of the following requirements to the department as part of the application for renewal of the individual’s sign language interpreter – advanced deaf license issued under s. 440.032 (3) (f), Stats., or sign language interpreter – advanced hearing license under s. 440.032 (3) (d), Stats.:

SPS 203.05(1) (1) At least 40 clock hours of actual interpretation work in a mental health or substance abuse setting annually. This requirement includes 20 clock hours of actual interpreting and 20 clock hours of health-related training.

SPS 203.05(2) (2) Attending 40 clock hours of mental health related training annually.

SPS 203.05(3) (3) Any combination of the above equaling 80 hours during the two-year license cycle.

SPS 203.05 History History: CR 22-001: cr. Register July 2023 No. 811, eff. 8-1-23; correction in (intro.) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register July 2023 No. 811.