Title: Language Access for Advocates Slide 1: Language Access for Advocates * Marina Jessop , Chicanos Por La Causa/ De Colores * Aparna Bhattacharyya, Raksha, Inc. * Ana De Carolis, Casa de Esperanza/National Latin@ Network Slide 2: Chicanos Por La Causa/De Colores * IMAGE of Chicanos Por La Causa/De Colores logo * Mission: We Drive Political and Economic Empowerment * Vision: Empowered Lives Slide 3: Raksha, Inc. IMAGE of Rakshas logo Promoting a stronger and healthier South Asian Community through confidential support services, education, and advocacy Serving South Asian community since 1995 Based in Atlanta, GA Slide 4: Casa de Esperanza Our Mission: To mobilize Latin@ communities to end domestic violence. IMAGE of Casa de Esperanzas logo Served through our five core values: Latin@ leadership Entrepreneurship Organizational excellence Living free of violence Community-driven solutions Slide 5: Objectives Share lessons learned and experiences from the field around ensuring meaningful and effective communication with all survivors even with scarce resources. Review the legal and ethical mandates for language access; strategies for language advocacy both within and outside ones organization. Share how meaningful collaboration is essential to language accessibility. Slide 6: Quick Review: IMAGE icon of the profile silhouette of a man talking IMAGE of Universal sign for ASL. The image includes the following text: "We speak ASL" IMAGE Icon for written material: a notebook and a pencil Language Access Terminology Interpretation is Spoken Translation is Written Slide 7: Explore Our Roles as Advocates Poll (chatbox): What is your role at your organization? What is your role in ensuring language access for survivors both in and outside your organization? Side 8: Whiteboard Activity: Why is language access important? Slide 9: Why Language Access Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VI: The law for federal and some state funded programs. The Americans with Disabilities Act. Language access saves lives; accessibility to healing and safety. It helps you understand the survivor you are working with. It helps create better outcomes for survivors and their families. Slide 10: Language Access Makes Communication Possible Individuals with LEP are individuals who do not speak English as their primary language and have a limited ability to read, write, speak or understand English. It is important to assess for level of literacy in their native language. While they may understand and speak their language, it does not mean they can read their own language or read at high levels. Slide 11: Language Access Makes Communication Possible (2) Deaf (uppercase D) refers to an identity with its own culture, language and diverse communities. ASL is predominant. Deaf and hard of hearing often misunderstood as a disability issue, is also a language access issue. Slide 12: Impact of Language Access * 25 million Americans are limited-English proficient (LEP) * 37 million Americans are Deaf or hard of hearing (D/HOH) Translating Justice, Module 1 Slide 13: Whiteboard Activity What are consequences for lack of meaningful language access? Slide 14: Why Provide Meaningful Language Access? * IMAGE of Daisy and daughters Daniela, 2, and Yoselin, 1. * Casa de Esperanza 2018 Slide 15: Intersections: DV/SA and LEP * A National Survey revealed that 36 percent of the Spanish-speaking callers (who had also previously sought services) stated that they had encountered problems due to language access. * The closest shelters dont offer services in Spanish. The police gave me a list of shelters, but they didnt specify which ones might be able to help me in Spanish. * Realidades Latinas: A National Survey on the Impact of Immigration and Language Access on Latina Survivors. Casa de Esperanza: National Latin@ Network and The Hotline, 2013 & 2014. Casa de Esperanza 2018 Slide 16: Immigrant Barriers Lack of knowledge about U.S. systems and services. Fear of police, judicial systems, social services, child welfare agencies, immigration etc. Linguistic and cultural barriers Discrimination Economic challenges Isolation Casa de Esperanza 2018 Slide 17: The Law No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Section 601 of Title VI, Civil Rights Act The U.S. Supreme Court stated that one type of national origin discrimination is discrimination based on a persons inability to speak, read, write or understand English (Lau v. Nichols, 1974) Slide 18: ADA Requirements for Public Accommodation Regardless of funding source, the ADA requires: Organizations that are places of public accommodation ensure that communication with people who are Deaf or hard of hearing is equally effective as communication with people without disabilities. From Translating Justice, Module 1 Slide 19: Legal Obligation: Who is a Recipient of Federal Assistance? Federal financial assistance includes grants and training. Recipients of federal funds range from state and local agencies, to nonprofits and other organizations. Sub-recipients of federal funds are included under the laws and regulations regarding LEP. Includes partners who are part of Federal MOUs and receiving in-kind services such as training. Slide 20: Requirements of Recipients of Federal Assistance: Recipients of federal assistance and federal agencies are required to take reasonable steps to ensure meaningful access to their programs and activities by LEP persons. The starting point is an individualized assessment that balances the following four factors: Slide 21: Individualized Assessment 1. The number or proportion of LEP persons eligible to be served or likely to be encountered by the program or grantee 2. The frequency with which LEP individuals come in contact with the program 3. The nature and importance of the program, activity, or service provided by the program to people's lives 4. The resources available to the grantee/recipient or agency, and costs See LEP Policy Guidance issued by different federal agencies. Slide 22: Group Question Are you required to provide language access outside of the main languages spoken in your community? For culturally specific organizations, are we required to provide language access outside of the languages of our culturally specific community by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964? Slide 23: Reasonable Steps For Meaningful Access IMAGE of footprints walking upward Refers to being committed and prepared to provide critical services that support the well-being and safety of survivors by: Having a proactive plan in place to address the needs of survivors with LEP. Recognizing that the bar of what is considered reasonable increases with time. Slide 24: As an Advocate, What Can I Do? Remind organizations, coworkers and supervisors about our federal obligation to provide language access. Remind our partner programs and other organizations who call us for help. Discuss with leadership the possibility of seeking technical assistance to increase language accessibility at your organization. Slide 25: Cultural Responsiveness And Responsibility IMAGE of Planet Earth with drawings of people from all over the world standing on its surface, representing diversity Slide 26: Cultural Responsibility For Advocates We have a moral and ethical responsibility to meet clients where they are at, provide quality services to all, ensure equal access keeping in mind that there is not a one-size fits all approach to service provision. Slide 27: Cultural Responsiveness Cultural responsivenessis the ability to learn from and relate respectfully with people of your owncultureas well as those from othercultures. Each individual we work with has multiple identities and experiences. We need to work with each person based on how they identify and their realities even if they differ from our own. Slide 28: Language Access and Intersectionality An advocates experience. Did the advocate take reasonable steps to provide language access? Slide 29: Language Access as a Part of Culturally Responsive Services Language Access is not just a contract with language line. Language Access is not just having one bilingual staff . Language Access is more than translating materials. It is a commitment to the community and meeting their needs. It is seeing the survivor as a whole and creating meaningful collaborations to address their needs. Slide 30: What if We Have Limited Resources? Language Access means equal access to safety and healing for all. Turning a survivor away is not an option. Take reasonable steps; what is considered reasonable increases with time. Budget to ensure access and be proactive. Have conversations about access with supervisors and leadership. Language access can be achieved through a multilayered approach. Slide 31: A Multilayered Approach to Language Access Resources Develop a relationship with an interpreting agency. Identify bilingual staff with demonstrated language proficiency in L2 providing culturally relevant services in language. Develop partnerships with culturally-specific organizations. Contract interpreters for hearing or video remote sign language interpreters. Language access is an evolving process. Excerpt from Translating Justice, Module 4 Slide 32: Providing Language Access: Being Proactive We are required to have LEP plans but: Does everyone in your agency have the info by phone and appropriate training? How do we identify languages we might not be familiar with ( i.e. indigenous languages, dialects, and languages from countries our organizations might not serve)? What kind of training is there for language identification and provision? Slide 33: Language Identification Slide 34: How Do You Find Languages That Are Prevalent In Your Community ? Explore census.gov for information about your city/county/state. Review the courts LEP plan for relevant data. Look at public school data for languages spoken. Call a local hospital and see what languages are most often requested Identify 3-5 languages (not English) spoken by clients who in your program. Remember things change, so reevaluate over time. Slide 35: Language Identification Matters Estar embaraada(to be embarrassed) in Portuguese, is different fromestar embarazada(to be pregnant) in Spanish. In fact, to describe being pregnant in Portuguese you use the wordgrvida. Camisinha, in Portuguese means condom and not T-shirt as many Spanish speakers would assume. Slide 36: Preparing Survivors to Access Other Services Community education on language rights. Practice asking for an interpreter. Provide I Speak Cards for clients to carry with them. If needed call with survivor to shelter/service to ensure language access. State that you are not a certified interpreter and cannot play both roles. If bilingual - make sure interpreter is doing a good job. Slide 37: Language Identification: I speak cards or I Speak Booklets Sample I Speak Cards can be found at lep.gov. IMAGE of A language identification card used during the 2004 Census Test, that includes a statement that reads "Mark this box if you read or speak X" in multiple languages. IMAGE of Raksha's I Speak Card Slide 38: What if My Client Does Not Recognize Their Language in the Language ID Card? What are some creative ways that you can meet the needs of the survivor? Where can you ask for help? Slide 39: Sampling of Asian Languages Hindi -India Urdu- Pakistan Japanese- Japan Mandarin- China Korean-Korea Bengali/Bangla India/Bangladesh Slide 40: Sampling of African Languages Swahili Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia Amharic Ethiopia Oromo Ethiopia, Somalia, Egypt Hausa Chad, Nigeria, Niger, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Ghana, Sudan.. Igbo Nigeria Xhosa South Africa IMAGE of Kiswahili, Kikongo, Yorubu, Hausa, Sesotho, Chichewa, Afrikaans, Kinyarwanda, Isizulu and other African languages Slide 41: Sampling of European Languages Romanian Romania Estonian Estonia Slovak Slovenia Albanian Albania Gaelic Ireland, Scotland Serbian Serbia Slide 42: Sampling of Latin American Indigenous Languages Mayan: Yucateco, Mam, Kiche, Kaqchikel Mexico and Guatemala Mazatec Mexico Aymara Bolivia and Peru Nhuatl Mexico Mapudungun Chile Mixteco Mexico Slide 43: Language Provision Slide 44: Assessing Whether Client Who Speaks In English Needs Interpretation English as a second language. Easier to talk about traumatic events in native language. Communication through a qualified interpreter may be more accurate. Qualify if limited ability to read, write, speak, understand. May speak, but not read or write in English. Assess their level of education in native language. Raksha, Inc Slide 45: How Do I Know When I Need an Interpreter? You are unable to effectively communicate with the client. Client cannot communicate to you the facts of the incident. Client cannot understand the terminology, resources, or relief available. Client cannot understand the brochures, forms, pleadings, letters or any other document. Client cannot understand the court procedures and process. Raksha, Inc Slide 46: Factors To Be Aware of When Securing Interpreters If living in small community, be aware of conflict issues and confidentiality. Be sure to get interpreters name before meeting with client. We do not know if they are from same community or if the interpreter knows the batterer/family. This is important for safety, avoiding conflict, and confidentiality. Some words may be difficult to translate because words may not exist in that language, i.e. domestic violence, rape. Raksha, Inc Slide 47: Factors To Be Aware of When Securing/Working With Interpreters Be aware that there are different dialects and regional differences. Client may feel more comfortable with interpreter/advocate speaking same language. Set up boundaries; dont be a afraid to ask what they are talking about. Client may not be used to talking about private issues due to background. Ensure interpreter does not speak at higher level of literacy than that of the client. Professionalism is important; it is equally important to be empathetic. Raksha, Inc Slide 48: Factors To Be Aware of When Securing/Working With Interpreters (2) Ensure that everything is interpreted for court proceedings and meetings. Record conversations between the interpreter and client to ensure accuracy. Interpreters may not work with family violence & sexual assault issues and may not be comfortable talking about rape or sex. Provide a list of commonly used terms. Raksha, Inc Slide 49: Strategies for Language Provision: DOs and DONTs DO USE: In-person, qualified language services. Bilingual staff with language proficiency. Certified interpreters. Telephonic or video-remote interpreting. Translated written materials. Pre-recorded materials. Slide 50: Strategies for Language Provision: DOs and DONTs (2) DONT USE: Informal or unreliable methods of communication such as: Machine translation. Family members, friends, children, bystanders. Staff with limited proficiency in the target language. Lip reading. Exchanging notes. Slide 51: Quality Interpretation and Translation Matter Slide 52: Poll: * Should bilingual staff or volunteers interpret? Slide 53: Bilingual Staff v. Interpreters: Avoiding Role Confusion An interpreter is a conduit for communication, not an advocate or cultural broker. Must transmit exactly what the survivor and other parties say, at all times. It is a skill, someone who is bilingual may not have skills or training to be an interpreter. For bilingual staff, serving as an interpreter undermines their main role as an advocate for the survivor. Casa de Esperanza 2018 Slide 54: Whiteboard Activity (2): * This agency keeps asking me to interpret for them. What should I do? Slide 55: Systems Advocacy Slide 56: Being An Advocate Means Working Towards Greater Access If no meaningful language access is provided: Appeal to agency efforts to be accessible and responsive to the community. Educate the agency that if they receivefederal funding, they are obligated to provide language access services. Identify the process for filing a complaint http://ojp.gov/about/ocr/complaint.htm If aninterpreteris not qualified or is behaving unethically: Check the LEP plan for the organization to identify the process to file complaints. Document to use a different interpreter next time. Slide 57: Systems Advocacy for Meaningful Access for LEP Individuals Ensuring meaningful language access should be part of a coordinated community response: Among DV/SA/CBO service providers Police Prosecutors Courts Social service providers Hospitals/Mental Health Providers/Therapists Slide 58: Resources Casa de Esperanza/National Latin@ Network The Culturally Specific Resource Centers CASA Esperanza , Asian Pacific Institute on Gender Based Violence (APIGBV) , VERA Deaf Hope Consul Generals Slide 59: Resources (2) Statewide Coalitions (Arizona is a great example ) AYUDA Language Bank Asian Womens Shelter Multi Language Access Model (MLAM) Program Cherokee Family Violence Program Statewide Hotline for Spanish Speakers Slide 60: Thank you! IMAGE of a Thank you card and pen. Slide 61: Contact Information * Aparna Bhattacharyya. Executive Director o Raksha, Inc o Email: director@raksha.org o Phone: 404-876-0670 ext 112 * Marina Jessop o Community Based Supervisor o Chicanos Por La Causa/De Colores o Email: marina.Jessop@cplc.org o Phone: (623)247-0464 ext 1845 * Ana De Carolis o Project Coordinator o Casa de Esperanza/National Latin@ Network o Email: adecarolis@casadeesperanza.org o Phone: 651-358-2957 1