Interpreter Services – Greater Houston and Gulf Coast Region
Hello to all of you who use the services of the many professional
interpreters who work here in the Greater Houston and Gulf Coast
Region.
I am sending this message to all of you, for all of us, in hopes that
we can work together, more cooperatively to raise quality and
availability of services….
Sign Shares is more busy than we have ever been in our 20+ years in
business providing sign language and oral interpreter services
throughout the Greater Houston Gulf Coast Region. We know our
competition is also swamped with work. We are working together
cooperatively but we need your help. There are Call Centers utilizing
many interpreters to work Video Relay calls, many students in K-12
using interpreters at school, many attending colleges and
Universities and many employers are also providing interpreters for
employees job interviews, on the job trainings, seminars and for
regularly scheduled and emergency employee meetings. Major hospitals
schedule medical procedures and surgeries regularly.
More than ever before, we are “juggling” assignments, scheduling and
rescheduling to make sure each and every available and qualified
individual interpreter is working, where they are most needed and as
often as we can get them to work. We schedule those who know
technical information, those who know medical procedure, those who
can drive distances from one location to another, those who may only
work a few hours a month and those who work continuously, those
qualified for Court and serious incidents with the Law, yes many
interpreters work various hours, day and night, 24 hours a day. We
want them to remain healthy and we are constantly seeking additional
personnel and training through mentoring and teamwork.
How can you help?
When you need services, make your request known as soon as you know
you need services. If it is months in advance, great! If it is a few
days or even a few hours, fine. As long as it is as soon as you know.
Do not procrastinate. Life happens., important things that happen
without warning, we understand that.. As long as you make a request
AS SOON AS YOU KNOW, tell the employer, tell the physician, tell the
social worker, tell whomever you will be meeting (as soon as the
appointment is made) to “Call for interpreter services now!”
…..we can not ask more than that.
Secondly, if you can not make an appointment….. please let someone
know! I can not tell you how many times I drive through traffic, even
an hour or more to work only to sit and wait for a patient who does
not show up and never called the hospital to tell them they are not
coming. I could have been somewhere else where services were greatly
needed even if it was only 10 minutes notice, I could have been back
on the road, going to another assignment or emergency.
Please know, more than 300 qualified interpreters work in and around
your community every day. We all want to do our best to be there when
you need us! Success takes commitment, cooperation and most certainly
community concerned coordination!
Thank you!
Deborah Gunter, CSC, BEI V, OC:B, Court, Master
President/CEO
Sign Shares
99 Detering, Suite 160
Houston, Texas 77007
713 869 4373 Voice, TTY or Video
http://www.signshares.com