Kicking it off with confidentiality

1.0 CONFIDENTIALITY

Tenet: Interpreters adhere to standards of confidential communication.

Guiding Principle: Interpreters hold a position of trust in their role as linguistic and cultural facilitators of communication. Confidentiality is highly valued by consumers and is essential to protecting all involved.

Each interpreting situation (e.g. elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education, legal, medical, and mental health) has a standard of confidentiality. Under the reasonable interpreter standard, interpreters are expected to know the general requirements and applicability of various levels of confidentiality. Exceptions to confidentiality include, for example, federal and state laws requiring mandatory reporting of abuse or threats of suicide, or responding to subpoenas.

Illustrative Behaviors
1.1 Share assignments information only on a confidential and "as-needed" basis (e.g. supervisors, interpreter team members, members of the educational team, hiring entities).

1.2 Manage data, invoices, records, or consumer-specific information in a manner consistent with maintaining consumer confidentiality (e.g. shredding, locked files).

1.3 Inform consumers when federal or state mandates require disclosure of confidential information.


I think it is significant that Confidentiality is the first tenet of the CPC. To me that illustrates the responsibility we all carry to protect consumers' information. I like that the CPC does mention that different settings have different standards of confidentiality. Sometimes we get used to working in one specific setting and get too rigid in the rules that apply to that setting.

I'm at work and am having trouble attaching my visual items, so I will email you the CPC flashcards that I made that have clipart pics in them.