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CMP

The integrity of RID Certification requires a commitment to life-long learning.

The CMP is the vehicle used to monitor the continued skill development of certified interpreters. Certification maintenance is a way of ensuring that practitioners maintain their skill levels and keep up with developments in the interpreting field, thereby assuring consumers that a Certified interpreter provides quality interpreting services.

The CMP requires participants earn a minimum of 8.0 CEUs (80 contact hours) during each four-year certification maintenance cycle.  Participation in the Certification Maintenance Program (CMP) is required of all Certified members of RID, and retention of one’s certificate(s) is dependent upon successful completion of each CMP cycle.

CMP’s Mission aims:

• to ensure the quality and effectiveness of educational opportunities provided for certified members
• to establish standards for professional development
• to provide a framework for certification maintenance, which will guarantee full and fair participation for all certified members.

The Role of the CMP Approved Sponsor

The CMP began operation on July 1, 1994, and relies on RID Approved Sponsors to provide appropriate educational activities for participants. These activities can be group activities, such as workshops, lectures or conferences, or independent study activities, such as mentoring and self-study.

Organizations, agencies, affiliate chapters and individuals seeking to be Approved Sponsors must complete an application. This was developed by the RID Professional Development Committee (PDC). In addition, the PDC reviews and makes determinations on all applications.

Sponsors are monitored regularly to ensure that their activities are of high quality and meet the needs of the program and the participants. If you would like to make a comment or ask a question regarding a sponsor, send an e-mail to the Director of Education at the national office.

Content Areas

Professional Studies - A minimum of 6.0 CEUs (60 contact hours) must be related to:

• Linguistic and cultural studies which include the study of any language or linguistic system, and the study of any specific culture.
• Theoretical and experiential studies which include the process of interpreting and transliterating theory and skill building activities.
• Specialization studies which include specialized aspects of interpreting used in settings such as the legal, medical, mental health, and substance abuse recovery fields.

General Studies – There is no general studies (GS) requirement, however only 2.0 CEUs (20 contact hours) can count toward certification maintenance. This content area includes:

• Human service and leadership studies which include topics such as leadership skills, public relations, public speaking and community resources.
• General knowledge studies which include areas less obviously related to the field of interpreting and transliteration but are educationally beneficial to the participant.

CMP Cycle Timeline

Each cycle is four (4) years in length. However, your first cycle is longer based on when you receive your certification in the fiscal year. RID's fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. For clarification and determination of when your cycle will end if this is your first certification from RID, please refer to the following:

However, all subsequent cycles will be exactly four (4) years and will begin January 1 and end December 31.

You can view your cycle timeline by logging in to your member profile and clicking on "View Transcript." If you have questions regarding your cycle timeline, please contact the Education Department at cmp@rid.org or 703-838-0030 ext 212.