{"id":9037,"date":"2021-09-13T17:15:54","date_gmt":"2021-09-13T17:15:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/?post_type=cde-knowledge-base&#038;p=9037"},"modified":"2025-08-27T09:19:45","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T14:19:45","slug":"bilingual-staff","status":"publish","type":"cde-knowledge-base","link":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/knowledge-base\/language-access\/bilingual-staff\/","title":{"rendered":"Bilingual staff"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"9037\" class=\"elementor elementor-9037 elementor-10545\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4e4a2f4c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default tf-sticky-section tf-sticky-no\" data-id=\"4e4a2f4c\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;tf_sticky&quot;:&quot;no&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-343fa795\" data-id=\"343fa795\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-10691ccf elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"10691ccf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><strong>Bicultural and bilingual staff<\/strong><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A staff that reflects the languages and cultures in your community is best positioned to provide all survivors with meaningful access to your advocacy services. Bilingual advocates can speak directly and unambiguously to survivors, determine if they are safe, inform them of services available, and assess whether survivors are getting the supports they need.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many programs have only one or two bilingual staff members responding to a large percentage of the survivors with LEP utilizing their services. Some programs compound this inadequate staffing decision by asking bilingual staff to also act as interpreters for survivors with LEP working with other advocates, or others outside their programs, such as law enforcement or social services agencies. However, the costs in services, morale, and turnover can be high. Bilingual advocates in these types of situations often report feeling isolated and burnt out since they bear a disproportionate burden of the language access and outreach responsibilities.<\/span><\/p><h4><b>Tips for putting this strategy into practice<\/b><\/h4><p>It is important to keep in mind that bilingual staff members are not necessarily interpreters or translators:<\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interpreters must state exactly what the survivor and other parties say. Advocates who are not trained interpreters usually end up summarizing, paraphrasing, or explaining, which is problematic and inevitably leads to miscommunication between the survivor and the third party.<\/span><\/span><\/span><p>\u00a0<\/p><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Serving as an interpreter, particularly for outside agencies, undermines their main role as an advocate for the survivor. For example, an interpreter cannot interact directly with or provide supports to the survivor, not even to explain a question the survivor may not understand.<\/span><\/span><\/span><p>\u00a0<\/p><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, serving as an informal interpreter undermines survivor confidentiality. For example, the third party expects to know all that is being communicated, even if it is a side conversation between the advocate and the survivor.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bilingual advocates are also frequently asked by other programs, services, or systems to interpret for survivors with LEP. There are many critical issues to consider, including, in addition to those referenced above, survivor safety and setting precedents. When absolutely necessary for an advocate to provide emergency interpretation, these limitations and pitfalls should be clearly explained to the participant before interpretation is begun.<\/span><\/p><p>Note that even if some of your advocates are bicultural and bilingual, you must still develop an access plan for the languages they speak:<\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unless you have a number of bilingual staff on each shift and all written materials and services are language accessible, there will be times when language is a barrier to survivors with LEP meaningfully accessing your services.<\/span><\/span><\/span><p>\u00a0<\/p><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your organization may need to develop policies and practices about when and how advocates should (and should not) provide interpretation for others.<\/span><\/span><\/span><p>\u00a0<\/p><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As your organization builds better practices for its use of bilingual advocates, you may find you need additional bilingual staff and\/or to support them through the use of translators and interpreters for meetings, proceedings, etc. outside program services.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">See also a guide developed by Esperanza United and PCAR (Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape)<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pcar.org\/sites\/default\/files\/resource-pdfs\/tab_2019_strategies_for_supporting_bicultural_and_bilingual_staff_508.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cStrategies for Supporting Bicultural and Bilingual Staff.\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5c8864d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default tf-sticky-section tf-sticky-no\" data-id=\"5c8864d\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;tf_sticky&quot;:&quot;no&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-27199f7\" data-id=\"27199f7\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-3a76ef5 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default tf-sticky-section tf-sticky-no\" data-id=\"3a76ef5\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;tf_sticky&quot;:&quot;no&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-6293d7a\" data-id=\"6293d7a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9bc9741 elementor-align-left view-more-post elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"9bc9741\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/knowledge-base\/language-access\/resource-building\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-chevron-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-e35de3d\" data-id=\"e35de3d\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-54de738 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"54de738\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/knowledge-base\/language-access\/resource-building\/\"><b>See \u201cResource Building Plan\u201d <\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for discussion on developing and supporting a staff with the language skills that reflects your community.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-aa78e41 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default tf-sticky-section tf-sticky-no\" data-id=\"aa78e41\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;tf_sticky&quot;:&quot;no&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-eeef106\" data-id=\"eeef106\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-3a8bca9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default tf-sticky-section tf-sticky-no\" data-id=\"3a8bca9\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;tf_sticky&quot;:&quot;no&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-a2c2b38\" data-id=\"a2c2b38\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1e96bc2 elementor-align-left view-more-post elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"1e96bc2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/knowledge-base\/language-access\/trainings-glossaries-and-curricula\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-chevron-right\"><\/i>\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-2582f24\" data-id=\"2582f24\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-703aaad elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"703aaad\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recruiting, hiring, and retaining bilingual staff takes time, planning and funding. Esperanza United provides <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/?post_type=cde-knowledge-base&amp;p=9054\"><b>technical assistance<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on assessing and improving your team.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-cb15c40 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default tf-sticky-section tf-sticky-no\" data-id=\"cb15c40\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;tf_sticky&quot;:&quot;no&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f03859c\" data-id=\"f03859c\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-22eac95 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"22eac95\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>\u00a0<\/div><div style=\"text-align: right;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 200;\">Last updated 2021<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bicultural and bilingual staff A staff that reflects the languages and cultures in your community is best positioned to provide all survivors with meaningful access to your advocacy services. Bilingual advocates can speak directly and unambiguously to survivors, determine if they are safe, inform them of services available, and assess whether [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17871,"template":"","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]"},"media_category":[228,235],"media_tags":[266,291],"class_list":["post-9037","cde-knowledge-base","type-cde-knowledge-base","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","media_category-toolkits","media_category-language-access","media_tags-free","media_tags-training-and-technical-assistance"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cde-knowledge-base\/9037","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cde-knowledge-base"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cde-knowledge-base"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cde-knowledge-base\/9037\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36823,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cde-knowledge-base\/9037\/revisions\/36823"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"media_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_category?post=9037"},{"taxonomy":"media_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/esperanzaunited.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_tags?post=9037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}