Building the Spanish-Speaking Workforce: A Bilingual Training Model

Background: Training opportunities for Spanish-speaking mental health clinicians are insufficient, and often non-existent in many healthcare settings, despite the increasing Latinx population and high levels of mental health needs. Objective: Given the many complexities involved in providing mental health services in Spanish, it is critical to develop ample training opportunities for bilingual trainees before they practice independently. Method: To address this need, we developed a comprehensive bilingual training program for pre-doctoral and post-doctoral psychology trainees working in a pediatric hospital setting. The program utilizes a three-pronged approach to training, which includes placement in at least one clinical rotation with a high volume of Latinx, Spanish-speaking families, individual bilingual supervision with a licensed psychologist, and a group-based, biweekly bilingual seminar facilitated in Spanish. Results: Since its inception in 2016, the bilingual training program has had several positive outcomes. Bilingual trainees reported high satisfaction with supervision and bilingual seminar and increased confidence providing culturally responsive services in Spanish following the training year. The intentional recruitment and retention of bilingual trainees and staff psychologists has also increased substantially since the start of this program, with the number of staff psychologists increasing from zero in 2016 to six in 2023. Five of the six psychologists completed their internship and fellowship at this institution. Conclusions: Incorporating bilingual training into our program has enhanced the training experience and improved recruitment and retention of bilingual clinicians in our organization. Future directions include assessment of long-term outcomes for bilingual trainees, as well as patient satisfaction when they have access to culturally responsive, Spanish-speaking mental health clinicians.