The Code of Professional Conduct is a holistic guide for interpreting professionals in their actions, ethical decisions and behaviors related to their work as interpreters. The CPC outlines the baseline of professional standards expected of professional interpreters. The Ethical Practice System is the policy and procedures complementary to the CPC. The EPS clearly defines specific behaviors prohibited under said policies and outlines the procedure for grievances against those violating that policy. The EPS is a grievance system by which stakeholders can report unethical or unprofessional behaviors. Filing a complaint against an interpreter will prompt RID to investigate said behaviors. The EPS is a mechanism by which RID holds bad actors accountable for violating the NAD-RID CPC and EPS policies.

Yes. The CPC is foundational to the interpreting profession. All RID members are expected to read, understand and comply with the CPC.

As with any profession, best practices dictate that an organization intermittently revisits its policies and procedures to keep up with industry standards, consider the needs of our consumers, and review the trends within the profession. RID has a legal and ethical obligation to ensure that our EPS protects the integrity of RID certification, foster accountability and integrity among professional practitioners and ultimately protect our consumers. RID worked with a legal consultant who is a leader in the field of grievance systems and with a group of Subject Matter Experts and leading thinkers, practitioners, and educators within our field to review and make recommendations to revisit the scope of and enhance the efficiency of our EPS in accordance to the needs of our consumers and members. The organization is obligated to protect our members and consumers, and the changes made to the EPS will achieve this goal. Additionally, these changes were made to align with RID’s goal of applying for accreditation by the National Commission of Certifying Agencies.

The RID EPS department and Ethics Committee conducted no fewer than four town halls and two conference presentations to solicit feedback from RID members and members of the Deaf community on their experiences with the EPS and to solicit recommendations for improvement. The Ethics Committee and RID’s EPS department collected surveys, conducted interviews, met regularly with members of the Ethics Committee and conducted research and sought out various approaches for consideration in our EPS, including a Restorative Justice approach. Additionally, RID consulted with one of the leading legal experts to assist us in writing a robust and clear grievance policy that will protect our certification and our consumers. We also worked with a diverse group of experts in the field of interpreting. Perspectives from the information we collected from members and consumers from the town halls, along with our consultant, the EPS workgroup, and RID Headquarters Staff who manage our EPS department, were all considered during the development of the new EPS. Therefore multiple perspectives and members’ and grievance-filers’ experiences were carefully considered and incorporated during the reform process.

The EPS Reform Workgroup comprises Subject Matter Experts in the interpreting profession, community members and consumers of interpreting services. We brought together a diverse group of people from varying geographic locations, areas of practice, backgrounds and experiences in working with interpreters and consumers. This workgroup is not responsible for overseeing the EPS, only for developing the policies and procedures in accordance with the best interest of our members and community and with industry best practices. The work group was recruited based on specific knowledge, abilities, and experience they were able to contribute to this process. The EPS Reform Workgroup has a defined scope of work reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors.

RID worked with a legal consultant specializing in developing policies and procedures for trust professions (i.e., nursing, social work). While our legal consultant provided the framework for our grievance system, our work group and SMES tailored it to the specific needs of our profession. The new EPS is modeled after codes of professional accountability and integrity and on grievance procedures found in the policies and standards of many other trust professions.

Accountability and integrity are critical and relevant to any service provider in any trust profession. The same shared practices and standards expected of trust professions also apply to the field. RID’s workgroup and legal counsel carefully looked at these to ensure the appropriateness of incorporating such standards.

No. Changes to any policies and procedures by which RID operates are under the purview of the Board of Directors, who RID members elected. This process helps ensure a smooth governance process and adherence to industry and legal standards, including preventing conflict of interest issues. 

The Board of Directors have legal obligations and fiduciary responsibilities to RID to ensure their policies are in the organization’s best interest. There are no such restrictions on those who are not on the organization’s Board of Directors.

These changes will be in effect, via attestation of receipt, at each RID membership renewal juncture and be effective immediately. Also, it is effective immediately for individuals who apply for certification through RID or apply or take CASLI examinations.

The EPS will not review old complaints that were adjudicated, resolved through mediation agreement or if the EPS determined the complaint did not have merit. However, if you previously submitted a complaint that did not meet the old system’s criteria and believe it may meet those under the revised policy, please contact the EPS staff. If you are the respondent in a current complaint, the EPS will reach out to you regarding your case.

Please see the English version here: https://rid.org/eps-complaint-form/

The ASL version will be released soon, along with an ASL version of the new EPS policy. 

RID will accept and retain complaints against non-members in case the individual applies for membership then RID will make their determination when applicable. RID will be working to develop reciprocal agreements with states who have licensure laws to inform these states about complaints against both members and non-members. 

As mentioned in the policy, the EPS defines harm as: “Any action during interpreting encounters or professional-related activities that negatively impacts the consumer and/or interpreting professionals and/or damages the integrity of the profession; any action rooted in audism, ableism, racism, anti-blackness, classism, sexism, xenophobia, and the like. These actions can be intentional or unintentional, perceived or real.”

As a trust profession, all of us must consider the impact of our actions, act with integrity and hold ourselves accountable. One may mean well, but the impact of their actions may be adverse. With that said, those overseeing the EPS are trained to thoroughly screen and investigate complaints so that the results will be fair and neutral.

Aside from studying the CPC and participating in continuing education on ethics, it’s important to recognize that accountability and integrity are foundational to the CPC and EPS. Below are three definitions from the revised EPS policy that may help answer your question.

Integrity is defined as “Behaviors that demonstrate trustworthiness, honesty, respect, authentic self-reflection taking into account the intent and impact of the practitioner’s actions, willingness to be held accountable by consumers and colleagues, and uphold professional standards before, during, and after interpreting encounters and professional-related activities.”   

Accountability is defined as: “An interpreting professional’s disposition and behaviors that demonstrate a willingness to be responsible for their actions, be answerable to consumers, their colleagues and RID and to report, explain or give response to any action that is called into question as causing or perpetuating harm to the consumer or the interpreting profession.”

Continuous compliance is defined as: “Conduct demonstrated while actively interpreting, representing oneself as an interpreter in professionally constructed spaces both in person and in digital spaces, as well as promoting the appearance of oneself as an agent of the profession.” 

Additionally, please see this section in the EPS policy that lists prohibited actions. Note: the listed prohibited activities are not exhaustive. 

The EPS policy defines online professional space as a space where interpreting-related business is conducted (e.g., solicitation of interpreting services), interpreting-related content is shared, or where the majority of participants are interpreting professionals engaging in interpreting-related discussions. This space includes spaces where interpreting professionals and/or their work products and/or actions taken during their interpreting duties are posted, shared, or discussed and may be face-to-face or virtual.

As professionals in a trust profession, what we say and do within any interpreter-related activity or discussion could have a tremendous and far-reaching impact on our consumers, especially those who are members of marginalized and oppressed communities. Our consumers deserve professionalism, accountability and integrity in all aspects from sign language interpreters.

The EPS holds interpreters accountable for unprofessional or unethical actions and behaviors. As members of a trust profession, our actions and speech have a tremendous and far-reaching impact on our associates, consumers and colleagues who are members of marginalized and oppressed communities. To allow unethical or unprofessional behaviors to continue without holding our members accountable impinge on the provision of equal, effective communication that our consumers deserve and are an enormous disservice to our colleagues, students, and associates within the profession.

Yes. Per the revised EPS policy, all RID members, certificate holders and CASLI candidates are subject to professional standards under this policy. This policy ensures compliance with the CPC, EPS, objectivity, and fundamental fairness to all persons who may be parties in a complaint of professional misconduct.

As outlined in the revised EPS policy, these consequences may include, but are not limited to:

• the assignment of remedial education, 
• non-public or public reprimand and warning, 
• suspension and/or revocation of RID membership or eligibility for RID membership,
• suspension and/or revocation of certification or eligibility for RID certification or other disciplinary action as determined at the discretion of RID.  

Additionally, disciplinary actions may be reported to any state licensing authority, the federal government, the certificant’s employer, and other interested parties, including individuals seeking information about the certificant’s credentials, in accordance with procedures outlined in the EPS policy.

The EPS policy represents some, though not necessarily all, of the behaviors that may trigger review under RID’s EPS. RID retains the right to take disciplinary action under this policy even if the certificant’s membership expires or the certificant retires from practice, provided that the violation triggering the disciplinary proceeding occurred when the candidate or certificant was certified, seeking certification, or applying for or holding any other RID credentials.

Yes. That is one of RID’s changes to the EPS, so third parties who witness potential CPC or EPS violations, can file complaints. This change helps to ensure the accountability and integrity of the profession.

It depends on the complexity of the case. The primary focus is to do a thorough investigation so the results can be fair and neutral. So RID is not able to give a firm timeline for the EPS process.

Anyone directly involved or a witness to the potential CPC violation or EPS Policy infraction may file a complaint with RID’s EPS.

You can still file a complaint with RID’s EPS, and we will inform you if it does or does not.

Yes, the EPS still publishes a list of individuals who have violated the CPC. The list can be found here: https://rid.org/programs/ethics/eps-violations/

RID recognizes that the United States judicial system has severe problems with racism. The organization will carefully examine each self-disclosure and determine whether the conviction indicates a risk for vulnerable populations who may interact with the interpreter with criminal convictions.

No. The majority of criminal convictions are a matter of public record. That said, the self-disclosure information is securely retained in our CRM, which is only available to EPS staff. 

In the spirit of accountability and integrity, it is better for the member to self-disclose. If the member does not self-disclose, they do not demonstrate self-accountability or integrity. RID will investigate reports of interpreters with criminal convictions who may present a risk to vulnerable populations.

Yes, you may report them to RID’s EPS, and RID will investigate.