Public Health Medical Interpreter - Spanish

Position Summary

The clinical services interpreter provides interpreter and translation services for individuals seeking assistance from Mecklenburg County’s Health Department. As a cultural broker, this position facilitates healthcare encounters that are accurate and culturally appropriate and coordinates related services as requested or needed.

Essential Functions

• Interprets and translates initial requests, both on the phone and in person, for assistance, and provides Spanish language communication for staff and the public.
• Schedules appointments, answers questions, and coordinates additional services or requests.
• Translates written materials and forms such as brochures, educational information, and directions and assists with forms completion when requested.
• Accompanies staff on field/virtual visits which may include staff representing county departments in planning, administration, child protective services, medical providers, or workforce initiatives.
• Gathers materials for clients which will assist them in meeting their objectives or in obtaining assistance.
• Maintains information, data, or other materials on clients as necessary.
• Captures and performs a variety of administrative duties to support the department and staff.
• May be required to support enrollment and eligibility activities performed in the NC FAST system.
• May be required to staff shelters in the event of a disaster.
• Responds in cases of urgent and/or emergent events that require public health interventions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience: Minimum of two years of related experience and fluency in English and interpreting skills in Spanish.
• Education: Associate's degree in a related field. Combination of relevant education and relevant experience accepted?
• Licenses and Certifications: Must be able to pass County’s certification exam. If assignment is in the Health department, must be able to successfully complete testing for medical interpreting in both Spanish and English.
• Requires a valid North Carolina or South Carolina Driver's License. Requires County Driving Privileges. Annual Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) check.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Prefer two years of professional experience and oral proficiency in English and Spanish.
• Able to successfully complete their (CCHI or NBCM) interpreter medical certification credentials.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Knowledge of Professional appearance, speech, and presentation skills.
• Knowledge of structure and content of the English and Spanish languages, including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services.
• Knowledge of client/patient privacy and confidentiality practices.
• Building Trust: Interacting with others in a way that instills confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization.
• Customer Focus: Ensuring that the customer perspective is a driving force behind business decisions and activities; crafting and implementing service practices that meet customers’ and own organization’s needs.
• Customer Service: Effectively meeting customer needs; building productive customer relationships; taking responsibility for customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Technical/Professional Knowledge and Skills: Having achieved a satisfactory level of technical and professional skill or knowledge in position-related areas; keeping up with current developments and trends in areas of expertise.
• Time Management and follow through: Effectively managing one’s time and resources to ensure that work is completed efficiently.
• Reasonable Accommodations Statement: To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.