INTERPRETATION, TRANSLATION and VISUAL COMMUNICATION SERVICES
(MDH Staff Only)
The State of Maryland Statewide Foreign Language Interpretation and Translation Services (FLITS) contract offers telephonic interpretation services, onsite interpretation services, and written documentation translation. The FLITS contract is available for use by all Maryland County, municipal, and other non-State of Maryland governments or government agencies and nonprofit entities within the State of Maryland.
MDH Office of Equal Opportunity Programs (OEOP) Equal Access Compliance Unit (EACU) is the FLITS point of contact for MDH programs, offices, boards, commissions, local health departments, and facilities. MDH staff may contact MDH EACU staff for assistance with FLITS vendor account numbers and related concerns via telephone at 410-767-6597 or email at mdh.oeop@maryland.gov.
The FLITS contract is administered by the Maryland Department of General Services (DGS). Andrea Simmons is the DGS FLITS Contract Administrator and may be able to assist you with determining if your organization is eligible for obtaining interpreter services through the statewide contract. Ms. Simmons may be reached via telephone at 410-260-7374 and email at Andrea.Simmons@maryland.gov.
MDH EACU does not provide interpretation or translation services. If your organization is not eligible for the State's FLITS contract, it is advised that your organization secures interpretation vendors and/or hires staff that are able to provide interpretation services to avoid a delay in providing meaningful language access to its limited English proficient (LEP) clients. Contact your agency's LEP Coordinator, EEO Officer, or Fair Practices Officer for assistance concerning your organization's LEP plan and vendors.
State of Maryland FLITS Vendor Information
TELEPHONIC SERVICES
Description: Over-the-phone (oral) transmittal of a message from one language into another language.
Contractor: LanguageLine Solutions, Inc., 1 Lower Ragsdale Drive, Building 2, Monterey, California 93940
REGISTERED CUSTOMERS:
LanguageLine - Brochure of All Languages Available
LanguageLine - Quick Reference Sheet for Interpretation Services
LanguageLine - Payment Website Instructions
LanguageLine - Point To Your Language Poster
LanguageLine - Tips for working with Interpreters
ON-SITE INTERPRETATION SERVICES
Description: In-person, oral communication between speakers in different languages to and from spoken English and the native foreign language.
Contractor: Ad Astra, Inc., 8701 Georgia Avenue, Suite 800 | Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
REGISTERED CUSTOMERS:
- Interpreter Request Line: 1-800-308-4807 (Press 2; have your 4-digit account number ready)
- Interpreter Request by Email: interpreting@ad-astrainc.com
- Interpreter Request by Fax: Complete the request form and fax to 301-408-4448
- Website & Online Scheduling: www.scheduleinterpreter.com/ad-astra (First-time users must contact Ad-Astra to obtain log-in credentials)
- Billing Inquiries: 301-408-4242 (ext. 113 or 115)
- Billing Inquiries: billing@ad-astrainc.com
Ad Astra Inc - Interpreter Request FORM
Ad Astra Inc - Language Identification Card
WRITTEN DOCUMENT TRANSLATION
Description: Translation of written (text) documents from English into any language or any language into English.
Contractor: Ad Astra, Inc., 8701 Georgia Avenue, Suite 800 | Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
All MDH entities must first submit a new client form to receive Ad Astra translation account numbers to arrange translation services. You may request and submit the form via email to translation@ad-astrainc.com.
REGISTERED CUSTOMERS (Have your Account # ready):
VISUAL COMMUNICATION SERVICES (VCS) - EXPIRED
Description: Sign Language, Computer Assisted Real-Time Translation (CART), and Video Remote Interpretation (VRI) either in-person, by computer, or by video.
Effective December 31, 2019, there is no State of Maryland contract for VCS. Currently, each MDH entity (programs, offices, boards, commissions, local health departments, and facilities) must use the State of Maryland procurement process to secure a VCS vendor or contractor.
Important Note: The Maryland Department of Health (MDH) Office of Equal Opportunity Programs (OEOP) does not endorse any specific vendor and is sharing the following resources for information purposes only. You are not limited to the resources provided below and are encouraged to vet each vendor or contractor to ensure they are best suited for your entity's needs.
