CCHI acknowledges that technological and logistical changes within the healthcare interpreter profession occur at a relatively slow pace. At the same time, interpreting skills require continuous practice to be maintained at an adequate level. CCHI established specific recertification requirements in order to assure that credentialed interpreters keep abreast of the profession’s development and maintain their skills at the level achieved at certification.

The CCHI Continuing Education and work experience requirements provide a mechanism for certificants to fulfill their responsibility to maintain interpreting skills and competence, and prevent professional obsolescence. All certificants are required to satisfy the CE and work experience requirements as a condition of continued certification. These requirements are intended to enhance the continued competence of certificants.

CCHI has established these requirements or for credential and certificant holders. CCHI’s Commissioners have had and continue to have very in-depth and thorough conversations about eligibility criteria while assuring a balance of needs and desires of all stakeholders involved in the delivery of healthcare interpreter services. These are some of the factors that have been considered:

• the current state of the healthcare interpreting field;
• the existing practices in related fields where certification exists, such as court interpreting, and healthcare disciplines (professions and specialties); 
• the necessity to assure the safety of limited English proficient patients; 
• the necessity to assure that the applicant's goal of attaining the certification is feasible (i.e. the applicant’s experience and training provide a reasonable chance to the individual of passing the examination);
• an equitable opportunity for all applicants regardless of their working languages.

 
The Certified Healthcare Interpreter™ certification and Associate Healthcare Interpreter™ credentials are valid for four years from the date when CCHI granted/issued the credential.

Individuals who are granted a Certified Healthcare Interpreter™ certification or Associate Healthcare Interpreter™ credential must have work experience and complete continuing education within this four year period to maintain their certification/credential. As long as the individual completes these requirements, the individual will not need to retake CCHI’s examinations. All certified/credentialed interpreters will need to submit applications for renewal of their credential, proof of work experience and continuing education, and any applicable fees.

• Requirements for Continuing Education 
   
• Template for Documentation of Continuing Education 
   
• Requirements for Work Experience
   
• Template for Documentation of Work Experience 
   
• Frequently Asked Questions about CCHI's Continuing Education Requirements 
   
• Disciplinary Policy for Candidates and AHI™ and CHI™ Recipients