Hands Accessing Reliable Interpreting Services, LLC€¦ · · 2018-03-19Hands Accessing Reliable Interpreting Services, LLC ... Hands Accessing Reliable Interpreting Services,

Hands Accessing Reliable Interpreting Services, LLC

Administering Contracts 1

Administering Contracts Experience

Current Contracts References

7.1 Describe your company and its history in successfully providing the services requested (in this document) to previous community college clients.

7.2 State the number of years of services and experience of your company.



Administering Contracts Experience Ms. Wilson believes her professional experience outlined on her resume coupled with the 8 years of owning and managing HARIS, LLC is an outstanding 24-year testament as well as is a distinct evidence of the customer care and quality of service that our team at HARIS, LLC strives to provide for daily. Ms. Wilson’s 14 years of contract management and Ms. Stone’s 25 years of project management and staff coordination ensure successful, timely, and thorough administration of all contracts. Ms. Greenberg has 5 years of office coordination and 2 years of Registry Interpreter for the Deaf (RID) Super Site test coordinator and Local Test Administrator.



Current Contracts Colleges and Universities Ottawa University (2004-present) Tina Lord (602) 749-5117 [email protected] Mesa Community College (2000-2006) Phoenix College (2000-2006) Funding was provided by Vocational Rehabilitation and varied by student. Phoenix College (2004-present) Julie Roles 602-285-7709 [email protected] Mesa Community College Foreign Language Dept (2006-present) Janice Mesar 480-461-7031 [email protected] Scottsdale Community College (2003-present) Donna Young 602-738-4454 [email protected] Katherine 480-423-6459 University of Phoenix (2002-present) Jane Hilsendager 4635 E. Elwood Mail Stop CJ A205 Phoenix, AZ 85040 (480) 643-3806 East Valley Institute Technology (2008-present) Funding was provided by Vocational Rehabilitation and varied by student.



Non Collegiate

1. State of Arizona (2001-present): Services are scheduled on an as needed basis for over 200 agencies though out the State of Arizona.

2. Scottsdale Unified School District (2001-present):

The District’s Special Education Coordinator schedules services on an as needed basis to provide substitute for staff interpreters, at over 25 elementary, middle and high schools. On occasion on-going and long-term substitute services have been contracted.

3. Chandler Unified School District (2003-present):

The District’s Special Education Coordinator currently schedules services on an as needed basis to provide substitute for staff interpreters, at 30 elementary, middle, and high schools, On occasion on going and long-term substitute services have been contracted.

4. Dysart Unified School District (2003-present):

The District’s Special Education Coordinator currently schedules services on an as needed basis. HARIS provided on-going services on at least two different occasions. On occasion on-going and long-term substitute services have been contracted.

5. Washington Elementary School District (2006-present):

The District’s Special Education Coordinator currently schedules services on an as needed basis.

Other Contracts All other relationships are on a fee per service basis. At this time, HARIS provides services to over 50 different requestors (i.e. Lawyers, Doctors, Funeral homes, Parcel Service, Social Security Administration, local school districts, phone companies, and hospitals).


HARIS Mission, History, and Performance 5

References Phoenix College Julie Roles 602-285-7709 [email protected] Chandler Unified School District Purchasing Department Sherri Schripsema, Lead Interpreter 1525 W. Frye Road Chandler, AZ 85224 480-203-5035 480-812-7015 Fax Scottsdale Unified School District Purchasing Services 9313 N. 95th Way Scottsdale, AZ 85288 Lois Healy 480-484-5082 480-484-5084 Fax





Experience/Past Performance Mission History

Performance Establishment

Staffing

7.1 Describe your company and its history in successfully providing the services requested (in this document) to previous community college clients. 7.2 State the number of years of services and experience of your company.


Pricing Schedule 8

Mission, History and Performance Vision:

HARIS is committed to providing our consumers with excellent and consistent customer service. We want to gain the trust of each and every one of you, so that you will look to us first.

Mission:

The mission of HARIS is to provide excellent service in a timely manner while utilizing highly qualified professional interpreters that adhere to state and national standards.

Purpose:

The purpose of HARIS is to ensure communication access for all persons in any environment.

History

Holly L. Wilson has been providing interpreting services since 1984. She has interpreted in the State of Arizona, California, and Nevada and she interpreted for a year in Colorado prior to relocating to Phoenix. She currently has national certification from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. (Certificate of Interpreting and Certificate of Transliterating), which she had held since 1992 and Special Certificate: Legal (2007). For mentoring purposes, Ms. Wilson tested with the Educational Interpreter Proficiency Assessment (EIPA): she received 4.8 in secondary/ASL. Locally, Ms. Wilson holds the Legal License awarded by the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, which she has maintained since 2006.

Ms. Wilson graduated from an Interpreter Training Program (ITP) at Front Range Community College with an Associate’s degree of Applied Sciences (AAS), additionally; she received a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from Ottawa University in 2001. She attended California State University, Northridge for an extensive 6-week training program for legal interpreting in 1994. More recently, she attended Legal Training offered by Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing in 2005. She then was successful in taking and passing the national (RID) Legal Certification.


Pricing Schedule 9

Ms. Wilson was in private practice full time from 1992 to 1995 at which time she accepted a position with Valley Center of the Deaf where she was the Interpreter Program Coordinator for over a year. In this position, she was responsible for approximately 8 staff members and 40+ contract interpreters. In addition to supervision, her responsibilities included following up on client complaints, maintaining files, completing reports, and ensuring contract compliance.

Ms. Wilson returned to private practice in 1997 and continued full time until the inception of her business. Her twenty-four years of interpreting has given her the opportunity to experience a vast array of environments. Such as: trainings, workshops, conventions, employment (interviews, evaluations, terminations, etc), educational (K-12, IEP, community college, university), legal (initial arraignments, plea bargains, trails, jury duty, sentencing, etc), mental health (counseling, psychological evaluations, med checks, in-patient clinics, etc), medical (annual physical, x-rays, emergency room, oncology, pre-op and post-op, labor and delivery, etc.), vocational evaluations, and Video Relay Interpreting.

Performance

While in private practice, Ms. Wilson contracted with Freelance Interpreting Services from 1992-2001 plus she was with Valley Center of the Deaf from 1986-1999. While providing interpreting services for either agency, she was required to adhere to agency policies, RID code of ethics and complete all paperwork and billing in a timely manner.

When contracting directly with numerous companies (United Parcel Services, Intel, Superior court, Suburban Mortgage), Ms. Wilson was responsible to coordinate services such as receiving an interpreter requests, scheduling herself or subcontractors to provide the service, track and archive verification forms (in order to verify that provision of service occurred), bill the hiring entity, pay the subcontractor, and document payment.

Ms. Wilson has a commitment to customers and consumers alike, to continued education, and to the interpreting profession. During her career, she has been involved extensively with Arizona Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (AZRID). She taught for several years at Phoenix Community College, has mentored over 21 mentees during the last 12 years, and attended a diagnostic training in order to improve the quality of mentoring and provide options for recent graduates in order to bridge the gap from graduation to certification.

Establishment


Pricing Schedule 10

In the spring of 2001, Ms. Wilson responded to a Request for Proposal put out by the State of Arizona. In doing so, she was awarded a sign language interpreting service contract as a sole proprietor utilizing her name. However, the following year, she came up with a company name in order to delineate things a little more clearly! Hence, the name “Hands Above the Rest Interpreting Services. (HARIS)” but in the summer of 2005, the company incorporated.

In the fall of 2007, Ms. Wilson renamed the company to Hands Accessing Reliable Interpreting Services, LLC, dba HARIS with two business partners, Deborah Stone and Lauren Greenberg.

Staffing

Deborah Stone was hired as an interpreter coordinator in March 2004 and she became the office manager in October 2006. She coordinates and schedules staff interpreters and independent contractors. She develops workshops, assists in mentoring, manages contracts, and managed projects. She became a business partner in the Fall 2007. Lauren Greenberg was hired as a mentee interpreter in Summer 2004. November 2004, she became staff interpreter with a 4.5 EIPA (April 2006). She became nationally certified, (NIC) in July 2006. She became a business partner in the Fall 2007. She later became the Local Test Administrator due to HARIS being chosen as a national testing site for Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID).


Pricing Schedule 11


Pricing Schedule 12

September 14, 2009 Review Committee: Please consider this our response to Request For Proposal number 2933-10, Sign Language Interpreter Services.. The following information in this packet includes the qualifications and experience of all subcontract interpreters and staff employees who provide interpreting services and coordination of services. The packet includes as much information as possible including resumes and certifications of our staff interpreters.. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely, Holly L. Wilson, Owner/Interpreter Lauren Greenberg, Owner/Interpreter/LTA Deb Stone, Owner/Office Manager/Interpreter


Pricing Schedule 13

8. PRICING SCHEDULE


Methods of Approach 14

8. PRICING SCHEDULE

SIGN LANGUAGE AND/OR ORAL INTERPRETER AND/OR REAL TIME CAPTIONING SERVICES (CART)

AND/OR VIDEO-CONFERENCING REMOTE INTERPRETING (VCRI)

The Offeror shall provide firm, fixed hourly and daily rates for interpreter services and/or real time captioning services, and/or video-conferencing remote interpreting services they propose to provide as specified within the Scope of Work.

Requested Requested Requested More Than 4 Days to Less Than 4 Days +24 Hrs 24 Hrs

In Advance In Advance In Advance

8.1. Sign Language Interpreter Hourly Rate (per assigned interpreter) Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Certification (Includes RID, NAD III, IV, V, NIC, CDI) $_58 /Hr $_58 /Hr $ 70 /Hr

8.2. Sign Language Interpreter Hourly Rate (per assigned interpreter) Monday through Friday, 5:00 PM to 7:00 AM, weekend and holidays Certification (Includes RID, NAD III, IV, V, NIC, CDI) $_65_ /Hr $_65_ /Hr $_79_/Hr 8.3. Sign Language Interpreter Daily Rate (per assigned interpreter)

-For assignment exceeding 5 hours in one day A. Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM ***Total cost minus 3%

Certification (Includes RID, NAD III, IV, V, NIC, CDI)

B. Monday through Friday, 5:00 PM to 7:00 AM ***Total cost minus 3% Certification (Includes RID, NAD III, IV, V, NIC, CDI)

8.4. Rates for the provision of oral interpreting services (per assigned interpreter)

A. Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM $__58__ /Hr $_58_ /Hr $70_ /Hr

B. Monday through Friday, 5:00 PM to 7:00 AM $_65__ /Hr $_65_ /Hr $79 /Hr

-weekends and holidays

8.5 Educational Interpreters Rate (per assigned interpreter) A. Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM $_58__/Hr $_58/Hr $_70 /Hr B. Monday through Friday, 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM or -weekends and holidays $_65 /Hr $_65_ /Hr $_79 /Hr C. Monday through Friday, 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM or -weekends and holidays $_75 /Hr $_75_ /Hr $_90_/Hr



Requested Requested Requested More Than 4 Days to Less Than 4 Days +24 Hrs 24 Hrs

In Advance In Advance In Advance 8.6. *Real Time Caption Rate – NVRA Services Not Offered 8.7. *Real Time Caption Rate – NVRA Services Not Offered 8.8. Video-Conferencing Remote Interpreting Rate (Offeror provides equipment) A. Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM $_58 /Hr $_58 /Hr $ 70 /Hr B. Monday through Friday, 5:00 PM to 7:00 AM -weekends and holidays $_65_ /Hr $_65_ /Hr $_79_/Hr 8.9. Deaf/Blind Interpreter Hourly Rate (per assigned interpreter) **non-certified A. Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM $_58 /Hr $_58 /Hr $ 70 /Hr B. Monday through Friday, 5:00 PM to 7:00 AM $_65_ /Hr $_65_ /Hr $_79_/Hr

-weekends and holidays

8.10. Sign Language Interpreter Hourly Rate for Artistic Setting (per assigned interpreter) Certification (Includes RID, NAD III, IV, V, NIC, CDI) A. Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM $_125_ /Hr $_175_ /Hr $250 /Hr B. Monday through Friday, 5:00 PM to 7:00 AM - weekends and holidays $_175_ /Hr $_250_ /Hr $350 /Hr

8.11. Sign Language Interpreter Hourly Rate for Legal Interpreter (per assigned interpreter)

Certification (Includes RID, NAD III, IV, V, NIC, CDI) A. Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM $_65_ /Hr $_65_ /Hr $_79_/Hr B. Monday through Friday, 5:00 PM to 7:00 AM - weekends and holidays $_75_ /Hr $_75_ /Hr $_95 /Hr

8.12. Hourly Rate Applicable to Travel Time $_60___ /Hr



Methods of Approach

Approach System

Equipment

7.7 Describe how your company ensures cultural sensitivity when making assignments. 7.8 Describe your ability to successfully provide and/or comply with all of the items listed in Section 5, Scope of Work. 7.9 Describe any other qualities, qualifications, and/or examples that further demonstrate your abilities to provide the services requested in the RFP.


Other Questionnaire 17

Methods of Approach Approach

HARIS, LLC. has a couple of unique things that separate them from others agencies. For example: 1.) Customer Service: HARIS’ service philosophy may be a little old fashioned in that we believe that the customer is a benefit not an interruption. We make ourselves accessible as best we can. A request can be made via Fax, email, cellular, voice messaging, and Video Phone as long as we have a signed PO or a signed policy on file. ALL requests receive confirmation of receipt, coverage, and any messages left are returned within two business days (99% of the time). Last minute requests are accepted for an additional services fee.

HARIS is visible and accessible by attending various community activities as well as committee participation. This is demonstrated by community service; volunteer interpreting, CEU sponsorship for workshops, sponsoring numerous community events, hosting workshops, and co-sponsoring events and/or workshops.

2) Service approach: HARIS’s team approach to service provision may be viewed as unique. In order to ensure seamless service provision; employees/IC are cross-trained to cover coworkers absences. Moreover, HARIS believes in “the best interpreter” for any given assignment and a consistency for every request, HARIS strives to be proactive when servicing specialized environments. To do so, the HARIS team cross trains a handful of interpreters for consistency of communication thus, avoiding possible crisis due to an illness or burn out. Utilizing this approach with service provision, allow several interpreters to become familiar with a specialized environment, its vocabulary, specialized procedures and all persons involved. Furthermore, this approach allows the consumer to become familiar and more comfortable with several IC thus broadening the consumer’s choices. By having multiple IC, the consumer is comfortable with; the agency is better able to fill consumer’s future requests more successfully. .



System In order to conduct business in a timely and efficient manner the following approach is utilized: 1. Receive Request

• Requests received via e-mail, facsimile, and phone (VP). • Office Manager will confirm receipt. • Requests received will be written in schedule book and filed in organizer.

2. Schedule Interpreter

• Office Manager will schedule the most appropriate and most qualified interpreter (staff or IC) who is available for the duration of the assignment.

• If a request received is for a specific (qualified) independent contractor, every attempt will be made to hire the interpreter requested.

• If none of the HARIS, LLC staff or independent contractors is available for the complete duration of the assignment, the Office Manager will contact the requestor to negotiate further action.

3. Confirm Services

• The Office Manager will contact the requestor to confirm an interpreter is scheduled as well as the interpreter(s) name.

• In situations when necessary, the Requestor will be given the specific schedule of coverage. If coverage is different from the original request or if multiple IC is being used, the coordinator and requestor will modify to meet the need.

• The Office Manager will gather feedback from onsite coordinator or requestor to ensure service in running smoothly.

4. Service Provision

• HARIS staff provides direct services as well as oversee services provided by independent contractors.

• Independent contractors will be utilized when staff interpreters are booked on other assignments, independent contractor are specifically requested and/or when a substitute is needed.

5. Submit Billing

• Receive invoices from independent contractors for all services provided. • Develop and submit accurate billing to requestor(s)/responsible entity in

accordance to time lines in contract.

6. Receive payment • Receive payment. • Document payment received. • Pay independent contractors.



Equipment

As a sign language interpreter and service provider, there are several pieces of equipment utilized in daily service provision. HARIS is always reviewing our system in order for business to be conducted in a timely and efficient manner; the following is an example of devices utilized to ensure effective service.

• Cellular phone • Facsimile • High Speed Internet • Laptop/Desktop • Video Phone • Television



Other Questionnaire



7.3 Explain how your company tests and hires qualified interpreters.

Once the HARIS team received a statement of interest from an Independent Contractor(IC) the Office Manager will verify his/her eligibility to work within the state of Arizona by referring to the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing(ACDHH) “Licensed Interpreter Directory.” IC will then be required to complete paperwork, submit a resume, a copy of RID certification, and a copy of License Interpreter card. No testing is done beyond the national standards of RID and State Licensure.

7.4 Do you perform a skills assessment in addition to national or state certification?

HARIS, LLC only hires nationally certified and stated licensed interpreters so any additional skill assessment is done at the request of the IC for mentoring purposes. However, if a customer complains about an IC, it will be documented and researched in order to resolve any issues

7.5 How do you qualify deaf individuals who perform interpreting services?

Once the HARRIS team received a statement of interest from an Independent Contractor(IC) the Office Manager will verify his/her eligibility to work within the state of Arizona by referring to the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing(ACDHH) “Licensed Interpreter Directory.” IC will then be required to complete paperwork, submit a resume, a copy of RID certification, and a copy of License Interpreter card.

Additionally, require a video of recent work. References will be checked regarding DI work. Finally, DI will be teamed with staff and/or seasoned CDI to get feedback about quality of deaf interpreter work product

7.6 Describe your company’s training/continuing education program for your employees and subcontractors.

HARIS, LLC develops and provides several workshops throughout the year for staff, IC, and the interpreting community. HARIS, LLC, and Arizona Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc have co-sponsored several additional workshops, as well. Furthermore, HARIS, LLC makes it possible for staff to attend regional and national conferences on a yearly basis.













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Hands Accessing Reliable Interpreting Services, LLC€¦ · · 2018-03-19Hands Accessing Reliable Interpreting Services, LLC ... Hands Accessing Reliable Interpreting Services,