Stipend Opportunity for MHIT in Montgomery, Alabama

NC DMH and RHA received a grant to support expansion of crisis mental health services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind people in NC. The grant allows us to send a cohort of interpreters to the Mental Health Interpreter Training, MHIT, happening August 5 – 9, 2024 in Montgomery Alabama. We will cover the cost of registration as well as provide a stipend of $2,500 to cover travel, room and board expenses for the week.

To qualify for this opportunity, interpreters must have at least three years of interpreting work experience post RID certification and a commitment and interest to work in mental health settings after training.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please complete this short application https://forms.office.com/g/71ngYRi1FC. The names of qualified applicants will be sent to a review committee. Interest must be shown prior to 4/1/2024 for inclusion in this sponsored training.

Thank you for your interest in interpreting with Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind individuals in mental health settings.

ASL Interpreter Residency Program - ECU Health

ECU Health is offering a two-year ASL interpreter residency program. This full-time position will provide the opportunity for hands-on learning and supervision in healthcare interpreting situations.

The link to learn more and apply is https://careers.ecuhealth.org/jobs/13527990-asl-american-sign-language-interpreter-resident and for more information about the ASL interpreter residency program, please contact Reid Barnes at Reid.Barnes@ecuhealth.org.

Stacy Wilson Memorial Fund

Stacy Wilson was a beloved member and leader of the North Carolina Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf. The NCRID Foothills regional committee has decided to honor Stacy by kickstarting a donation campaign to help raise funds for the North Carolina Deaf-Blind Associates. Visit this page to learn more and donate to this fund in Stacy’s memory.

Remembering Stacy Wilson

We are sharing some very sad news - a longtime member of the NCRID community, Stacy Wilson, passed away the evening of June 19, 2023.

Known to many in the Morganton community and beyond, if you've been to Conference in the past you've seen her friendly face welcoming you at the registration window.

For information on funeral arrangements, please visit
https://www.sossomanfh.com/obituaries/stacy-wilson/

Call for Regional Reps

NCRID elects Regional Representatives in each odd-numbered year. New or continuing representatives will be elected at the General Membership meeting at the 2023 NCRID Conference.

Are you interested in representing your region on the NCRID Board? Regional Representative positions serve in 2-year terms, and are elected in odd-numbered years. This is a great opportunity to give back to your profession and peers, as well as to help strengthen your professional network in NC!

Learn more and see how to submit your interest at this page.

Publicly-Accessible Membership List

In an effort to help strengthen the network of interpreters in our state, NCRID will make public its list of Members beginning with the 2023-2024 membership year.

We seek to be a resource to help folks know who the interpreters are in their area. This will be esepecially helpful for interpreters new to the state or to their region, as well as to new interpreters entering the field and seeking professional mentors and contacts.

There are also times when the public needs to verify who is a member of NCRID - such as for Awards nominations each year, or when seeking support to run for a Regional Representative positon.

This improvement also brings us in line with RID, which has a publicly-accessible, searchable directory of RID members.

This list will include the Member's name and Membership category, and will optionally include their NCRID region. No contact information or other personal information will be included.

February 2023 President's Corner - NCRID Conference

Hello everyone! As many of you know the NCRID conference is just around the corner (June 15-17, 2023). It has been a long time since we have been in-person for a conference. It is a perfect time to reconnect with each other!

Often, I hear interpreters ask, “What is the point of attending conference?” Others say “I already have all the CEUs I need so why spend money and time going to the conference.” I wanted to take a moment to mention the benefits for attending the NCRID conference.

Of course, when you attend a conference you will expand your knowledge, learn new skills, and take your interpreting to the next level. One thing unique with NCRID’s conference is the presenters. We try to give you presenters that you normally do not see by just attending local workshops. We search for presenters nationwide and try to pick topics that will truly help to improve the interpreting profession. We find presenters who are on the cutting edge and have done extensive research and study. Plus, NCRID always does its best to make the conference financially feasible. We search out sponsors and different ways to keep conference costs low. We work hard to negotiate low rates for hotel stays.

Now take a minute and consider other reasons for attending conference. Networking! Our profession tends to be more of an isolated profession. We do assignments, often alone, sometimes we are lucky and have a team. If we have been working long enough, we have a handful of people we can go to for advice. Depending on where we live, there might not be many interpreters.

When you attend a conference, you are no longer alone! Think about the people from different geographical areas, people who have different skill sets, and people with diverse cultural experiences. What better place to share valuable feedback, experiences, and resources. You are with a community who values you and your ideas. A community that truly understands what you go through daily.

Then of course attending conference is fun! You get to have meals and conversations with people from across the state, and possible other states. There are door prizes you can win. There are information booths where you can get freebies and learn about programs. Also, this year NCRID is partnering with Black ASL Expo. They will be having Juneteenth festivities including food, fun, vendors, cultural enrichment, and entertainment.

This is only a portion of what you gain from going to the NCRID conference. NCRID has many exciting options for workshops. Please keep an eye on the NCRID website and Facebook posts for conference information (northcarolinarid.org). I truly hope you consider attending this year!

-Tanya Miller

This was included in the February 2023 Newsletter

2023 Conference Message

We wanted to send out an update to folks about the 2023 NCRID Conference. Please read this message, as there is important information you need to know!

Save the date! The 2023 NCRID Conference will be in-person again! Mark your calendars for June 15-17, 2023. We will be at the Hilton Charlotte University Place, the same location we have used in recent years.

As we have done for the last two years with our virtual conference, when you register you will be able to review the agenda and pre-select the workshops you wish to attend. This will be our first time implementing virtual logistics in a physical space, but are confident it will streamline things for us and you. No more worrying that the workshop you want will fill up before you can get to the room; you'll be able to guarantee that you have a seat!

There is also an enhanced membership perk that is new this year. Early Bird Registration will only be accessible to those with a valid membership as of September 30, 2022. We appreciate your involvement throughout the membership year, and offering a valuable discount to the NCRID Conference is our way of saying thanks! Once the Early Bird Registration window ends, general registration will be open to the public, including a slightly smaller discount to members. If you haven't yet renewed your membership for the 2022-2023 year, make sure you do so soon!

We cannot wait to welcome you again to in-person conference, and are working hard to plan an exciting, engaging agenda of speakers and events. We are taking all that we've missed about in-person conference for the last 3 years, and combining it with all we've learned from virtual conferences to make sure 2023 is the best year yet! Mark your calendars, and stay tuned for more!

NCRID ByLaws Revisions Adopted

Over 2021 and 2022, the NCRID Board has worked hard to update our organizational ByLaws to match current practices, be in line with RID’s ByLaws, and to clarify some terminology and phrasing.

Starting with the work of a ByLaws committee, then continued with the full NCRID board, this work was competed in early 2022. The proposed revisions were put to a vote of the general voting membership of NCRID, and as of June 24, 2022 these revisions passed (with greater than ⅔ of voting members voting in support).

The updated revised ByLaws can be found on this page.

2020 Southeastern Regional Symposium - Dec 12

This year’s Southeastern Regional Symposium will take place entirely online.

This conference, hosted by UNCG, provides a low-stakes, low-cost environment for scholars who train teachers of the deaf, or educational ASL interpreters to present their research, or effective andragogical practices to other like scholars or stakeholders in the local community.

See the linked flyer below, and visit their website to learn more and register.

2020 NCRID Special Recognition Certificate - Glenda Torres!

Please join us in celebrating Glenda Torres, recipient of the NCRID Special Recognition Certificate in honor of her many years of service instructing the teachers and interpreters of today!

Congratulations, Glenda!

Picture forthcoming