PURPOSE: This rule outlines how an interpreter may participate in an area above the skill level currently held by the mentee as prescribed in 5 CSR 100-200.170 Skill Level Standards on the basis of a mentor relationship.

1. (1) For the purpose of this rule, a mentorship is a supervised professional experience in which a mentor interpreter provides instruction, guidance, and oversight to a mentee interpreter while engaged in a series of instructional activities designed with the purpose of attaining clearly defined, specific professional development goals.

   1. (A) Applications for mentorship shall be submitted to the committee on forms prescribed by the committee and furnished to the applicant prior to the start of the mentorship. The application shall contain statements demonstrating the education, professional experience, and certification by either the National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, National Association of the Deaf, or Missouri Interpreters Certification System and such other information as the committee may require. The application shall also contain a description of the professional development goals for the mentorship, the instructional activities that will be used to accomplish those goals, and the methods of assessment that will be used to evaluate those goals.
   2. (B) Each application shall be accompanied by the required application fee. The application fee must be submitted in a manner as required by the committee and shall not be refundable. A mentorship shall be valid for a period of time not to exceed six (6) consecutive months.
2. (2) A mentor interpreter shall be an interpreter who has a current license, and a current Missouri Interpreters Certification System (MICS) Intermediate, Advanced or Comprehensive certification or a current National Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (NRID) or National Association of the Deaf

3. (NAD) certification as prescribed in section 209.322, RSMo.

   1. (A) The mentor shall be limited to a maximum of three (3) mentoring relationships during any six (6) consecutive month period.

4. (3) A mentee shall be an interpreter who has a current license, and a current Missouri Interpreters Certification System (MICS) Novice, Apprentice or Intermediate certification or a current National Association of the Deaf (NAD) level 3 certification as prescribed in section 209.322, RSMo.

   1. (A) The mentee shall be limited to a maximum of three (3) mentoring relationships during any six (6) consecutive month period.

5. (4) While engaged in a mentorship approved by the committee and while under the direct supervision of a mentor interpreter, a mentee interpreter may interpret in an interpreting assignment that is one (1) skill level above the mentee’s current certification level as prescribed in the Skill Level Standards, 5 CSR 100-200.170.

   1. (A) The mentee shall revert the duties of the assignment to the mentor at the mentor’s request.
   2. (B) A mentor shall function as a guide and provide oversight to the mentee in the interpreting assignment. The mentor must have the appropriate training, skills, education, and certification for the assignment as required by the Skill Level Standards (5 CSR 100-200.170).
   3. (C) The mentor must be present and is responsible for the accuracy of the interpretation within the interpreting assignment.
   4. (D) Prior to the interpreting assignment, all participants in the assignment must be informed of the license and certification level held by the mentor interpreter and mentee interpreter as required in 20 CSR 2232-3.020 and of the responsibilities of the mentor interpreter and mentee interpreter as defined in 20 CSR 2232-3.030(4).
   5. (E) Prior to the interpreting assignment, all participants in the assignment must give approval for the mentee interpreter to interpret, while under the direct supervision of the mentor interpreter.
   6. (F) The mentor is not responsible for the actions and conduct of the mentee outside of the interpreting assignment.
   7. (G) The interpreting assignment shall be no more than two (2) hours in length.
   8. (H) Interpreting assignments utilized for mentorship will not include medical, mental health or legal assignments, which require Advanced or Comprehensive certification as prescribed by the Skill Level Standards, 5 CSR 100-200.170.

AUTHORITY: section 209.328.1, RSMo 2000.* This rule originally filed as 4 CSR 232-3.030. Original rule filed March 18, 2005, effective Sept. 30, 2005. Moved to 20 CSR 2232-3.030, effective Aug. 28, 2006. Amended: Filed Dec. 14, 2007, effective June 30, 2008. *Original authority: 209.328, RSMo 1994.