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Partners Interpreting is a private company owned and operated by two nationally certified interpreters, both of whom are CODAs. The interpreters are employees of PI not just contractors. As a full-service company, we take care of scheduling, coordinating, billing, invoicing and payments to the interpreters. This reduces administrative work for customers and also simplifies the process for interpreters. We are a Massachusetts-based company but we serve ALL of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Eastern Tennessee.
For decades in New England, the state provided services through direct contracts. In 2009 Partners Interpreting introduced a private company model to this area. Many are unfamiliar with the differences and benefits of working with PI. Here is some information about how we operate and the benefits for interpreters, customers, and YOU!
Locally we have some of the best interpreters in the United States! Some interpreters work for both state commissions for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and PI. However, some interpreters prefer to work exclusively with PI on either a staff or freelance basis. Since most interpreters work with private companies, that is what they are accustomed to; so often when they relocating to the region, PI is who they contact first. We interview and screen new interpreters quickly so they can be available to the community as soon as possible. PI hires both hearing and Deaf interpreters.
The state system is a referral service only, they are not involved in any contracts, policies, rates, interpreter human resource management, billing, payments, or customer support. When a request is made, the staff broadcasts the request to the state’s list of interpreters. The state ONLY takes a request and tries to confirm an interpreter, after that they are no longer involved. This leaves everything to the freelance interpreter and the company, business, or organization to manage. For non-state assignments, freelancers set their own rates and terms as they wish.
Service Comparison | MCDHH/RICDHH | Partners Interpreting |
|---|---|---|
| Available to coordinate services on evenings, weekends, and holidays | No | Yes |
| Provides an interpreter with less than 2 weeks’ notice | No | Yes |
| Provides interpreters in every setting, including private colleges/universities, theatres, K-12 classrooms, and medical settings | No | Yes |
| Is available for emergency medical, recurring requests, and spoken language requests | No | Yes |
| Provides a range of services, beyond ASL interpreters and captioning | No | Yes |
| Provides services in multiple states | No | Yes |
| Provides a video platform for interpreting | No | Yes |
| Offers a single point of contact for coordinating services | No | Yes |
| Provides customer and technical support | No | Yes |
| Offers custom interpreting services packages | No | Yes |
| Establishes consistent policies for all clients | No | Yes |
| Offers timely contract and screening processes | No | Yes |
| Requires (and tracks) interpreter compliance | No | Yes |
| Supervises interpreters | No | Yes |
| Provides training | No | Yes |
| Conducts interpreter background checks in multiple states | No | Yes |
| Provides professional insurance for interpreters | No | Yes |
| Collects consumer feedback and uses it to improve services | No | Yes |
| Provides reports on quality metrics, usage, volume, budget, and more | No | Yes |
The state and PI are two utterly different service and cost models. An example would be cooking a meal for yourself versus ordering takeout. Consider a home improvement project where you coordinate and supervise the carpenter, plumber, and electrician, secure permits, or hire a general contractor to manage the project.
If you rely on state services, the only out-of-pocket cost you will incur is the hourly rate of the interpreter. However, your business or organization also incurs the cost of administrative time to coordinate and manage requests. These additional expenses include time invested in phone calls and emails for coordination and the accounting or payment processing area to review, approve, and process payments.
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