Press Release - CSD of Minnesota Awarded Department of Human Services Contract

From: CSD - Jul 12, 2006

PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT
For Immediate Release: July 12, 2006
Contact: Derric Miller
CSD Communications Office

CSD of Minnesota Awarded Department of Human Services Contract

Sioux Falls, S.D. — The Minnesota Department of Human Services, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, has awarded CSD of Minnesota a two-year contract to provide statewide interpreting referral services in Greater Minnesota, outside the seven-county metro area. These services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

CSD won the prior contract in 2000. During the term of the first contract, CSD maintained an average 95 percent fill rate for all Greater Minnesota requests. This commitment to quality is one of the reasons why CSD was awarded the new contract.

Another aspect to this contract is that CSD will be identifying a minimum of two agencies in all three regions to provide Interpreting Online (IO). This type of interpreting uses videoconferencing technology to provide interpreting services while the interpreter remains at a remote location. IO is a vital service since interpreters are not always readily available in the more rural areas of Minnesota.

CSD will employ at least three staff interpreter/outreach specialists in each region. Bonnie Reckinger will direct the North Region and Beth Schultz the Central Region. Currently, CSD is working to fill the Southern Region position. These employees will contribute interpreting and outreach services to their prospective regions.

After hours referral specialists are also available to dispatch interpreters for any assignment, regardless of the time of day.

“Winning this statewide contract is a testament to the extraordinary talent of our Minnesota interpreting and outreach staff,” said Ben Soukup, CSD chief executive officer. “We cannot say enough about their dedication to quality and ‘above and beyond’ approach to everything they do. We also thank the State of Minnesota in recognizing CSD of Minnesota for exactly the same things.”

The contract allows CSD to offer these services to Minnesota until July 1, 2008, when the contract expires.

For more information about CSD of Minnesota’s statewide interpreting services, please contact Jan Florand, CSD director of interpreting, at (651) 487-8879.

CSD, also known as Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc., is a private, nonprofit human services agency headquartered in Sioux Falls, S.D. and is also one of the world’s oldest and largest telecommunications relay service providers. Through a wide variety of contracts and partnerships, CSD serves an estimated 18 million users in 30 states across the nation. Since its inception in 1975, CSD has been dedicated to providing quality services; ensuring public accessibility; and increasing public awareness of issues affecting deaf, hard of hearing and individuals with speech disabilities. For more information, see the company Web site at www.c-s-d.org.

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