Court Interpreter Communication Archive Detail
Court Interpreter Program Announcements
Posted: Tuesday, February 4, 2020
This message is being sent to all court interpreters on the state roster, those who work regularly for the district courts and interpreter agencies, or those who are active on the existing Minnesota Judicial Branch interpreter database.
Greetings! Please take a few minutes to review the important messages below.
New IRMA Texting Feature
Have you used the IRMA texting feature for signing in and out of assignments? Now you can also view your daily assignments by texting “IRMA” (not case sensitive) to the IRMA contact number: 651-204-1906.
Text and Data charges may apply. Please remember, the mobile number you are texting from must be the number listed in your IRMA profile. For more details on the current texting features please see the
Quick Reference Guide on our website.
Whether you use the texting feature or you go to the IRMA webpage please use IRMA to sign in and out of assignments. If you are having trouble accessing IRMA using your smartphone or other device when at a courthouse, be sure you have connected to the Courts available public WI-FI network. And Google Chrome is the preferred internet browser to use with IRMA.
All IRMA training materials and additional Quick Reference Guides are available
on our website.
Other IRMA News
- Calendar upgrades have been made in IRMA. Your calendar view should upload faster – you will see only the current week as the default view.
- Interpreters who have been assigned to confidential cases are now able to see case-related details such as the case number, case type and the party name(s).
- More case information is now viewable in the work request details view for add-on assignments including party name(s), courtroom location, hearing type and hearing start time.
Notice
Any questions about
tax forms should be directed to the Minnesota Management and Budget Office (MMB). You can call MMB can call at 651-201-8201 but they have a new
Online Form for vendors to submit questions and get help. It is the fastest way to get a response from MMB during this busy tax time. It is helpful if you include your vendor code when contacting MMB. You can find your vendor code on your profile page in IRMA.
Training Opportunity
A new resource is now available for improving language access for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. The national Center for State Courts (NCSC), with support from the Office on Violence Against Women, has released the third and final module of
Interpreting for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Cases, an interactive online course for court and legal interpreters and other justice system professionals. The course consists of self-paced interactive modules guided by a virtual coach. Participants are immersed in a first-person encounter and interactive learning.
Modules 1 and 2 address the unique dynamics of domestic violence and sexual assault; the impact that language differences, culture, immigration status, and trauma may have on LEP survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault; an LEP survivor’s journey through the civil and criminal justice systems; and the challenges and language barriers LEP survivors may encounter in the court process.
In Module 3, participants will learn to:
- Understand a set of guiding principles of ethical interpretation in domestic violence and sexual assault cases
- Recognize risks to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault when ethical principles are breached
- Conduct a self-assessment of interpreter readiness for interpreting assignments
Estimated Time to Complete Course
Module 1: An introduction to Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault: 30 minutes
Module 2: Navigating the Civil and Criminal Justices Systems: 45 minutes
Module 3: Guiding Principles for Ethical Interpretation in Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Cases: 60 minutes
Registration
The course is free but you must register to take it:
https://courses.ncsc.org/course/lep. You also will have to create an account if you don’t have one. Having an account allows you to complete the course over a few sessions rather than all at once. The course is available at any time, so you can begin it when it’s convenient for you. The NCSC does not offer certification or continuing education units (CEUs) for taking the course, but your state may offer CEUs for it. You will be able to show proof of completing the course by correctly answering a short quiz at the end of each module.
If you have questions about this online course or the NCSC project on expanding language access in the courts, please contact Susan Keilitz at
skeilitz@ncsc.org or Alice Allred at
aallred@ncsc.org.
Please feel free to contact me or Julie Grengs if you any questions or concerns. And thank you for service to the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
Sincerely,
Polly
Polly Ryan
Program Coordinator
Court Interpreter Program, Language Access Services
Court Services Division
State Court Administrator's Office
Minnesota Judicial Center
25 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155