








































Graduate Student Journal of Psychology                                                                             Copyright 2005 by the Department of Counseling & Clinical Psychology 


Graduate Student Journal of Psychology                                                                             Copyright 2006 by the Department of Counseling & Clinical Psychology  
2006, Vol. 8                                                                                                                          Teachers College, Columbia University                          ISSN 1088-4661 
 
 
 

Needs Assessment of Spanish Language Training for Psychologists  
and Other Professionals in a University Community 

Jamie E. Brass 
Indiana University of Pennsylvania 

 
Populations of native Spanish-speakers and Latinos in the United States are growing and moving 
into parts of the country that are not prepared to provide services to them.  Little information is 
available for psychologists who are interested in increasing competence in working with linguistic 
minorities.  Faculty members and graduate students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania were 
surveyed to determine if training in the areas of Spanish language and working with Latino popu-
lations would benefit the university community.  Responses indicated that many people were in-
terested in obtaining training and that psychologists in particular seemed to see the importance 
and utility of such training.  Those developing training programs must consider that respondents 
were not willing to spend much time or money to obtain training. 

 
 

The Latino population in the United States is growing 
rapidly and is projected to constitute 20% of the overall 
population of this country by the year 2010 (Dingfelder, 
2005). In the United States, Spanish is spoken by about 
12% of the population, is the second most common lan-
guage in 43 states, and some areas of the United States are 
populated by a majority of Spanish speakers (Wikipedia, 
downloaded 2005). Given this information, it appears that 
there may be an increasing need for individuals in service 
industries, such as the field of psychology, to have cultural 
competency in working with Latino populations. In addi-
tion, proficiency in Spanish may be necessary to work ef-
fectively with the growing population of native Spanish 
speakers.   

A literature search on therapy or other mental health 
work with bilingual (Spanish and English) individuals in 
their native language yielded few results. The available 
literature suggests that therapists and mental health profes-
sionals should consider factors such as the ability of a client 
to speak in English if it is not his or her native language, 
keeping in mind that the emotional content of speech may 
be lost or confused in translation from Spanish to English 
(Santiago-Rivera, 2001). The current literature does not 
give much attention to how language might be used by 
therapists during therapeutic interventions, even though it is 
clear that language can be important when considering ob-
stacles to successful therapy. Other researchers have noted 
that therapy may be more meaningful for bilingual indiv- 

 
Ms. Brass is a graduate student in the Department of Psychology, 
Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The author would like to 
thank Dr. Husenits of the Department of Psychology for her sup-
port and encouragement on this needs assessment and other stud-
ies of this nature.   

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed 
to Jamie E. Brass at 201 Uhler Hall, Indiana University of Penn-
sylvania, Indiana, PA 15705. 

iduals if it is conducted in their primary language, or if the 
individual is permitted to switch between dominant and 
non-dominant languages to clarify his or her expressions 
(Guttfreund, 1990). Several researchers interviewed for 
recent articles on therapy with Latino clients indicated that 
Latinos drop out of therapy more often than European 
Americans and that the rate of drop-out may be due to cli-
ents not feeling understood, either from a cultural or lin-
guistic perspective (Dingfelder, 2005; Dittman, 2004).   

Given the shortage of research in this area, it would not 
be surprising to find that many therapists are unsure of how 
to proceed with Latino clients. As Latinos continue to move 
into areas that are not currently populated by linguistic and 
cultural minorities, there is an increased need for Spanish 
language and cultural competence training for professionals 
in a variety of fields (Bender & Harlan, 2005). Part of this 
training includes learning how to take into account appro-
priately the importance of language and cultural meaning 
with those for whom Spanish is their first language 
(Zuniga, 1992). This is particularly necessary when dealing 
with the emotional content of speech and the affect ob-
served when individuals speak their native language 
(Guttfreund, 1990). Another aspect involves preparing pro-
fessionals to speak Spanish fluently within their profes-
sional realms (Bender & Harlan, 2005).  

Because the literature on working with bilingual indi-
viduals is so scarce, and because there are many different 
factors involved in such work, a needs assessment was 
conducted to determine what type of training is desired by 
professionals and graduate students in a variety of fields, 
and in psychology in particular. This pilot study was con-
ducted at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), in 
Indiana, Pennsylvania. 

 
Method 

 
Participants 

 10



BRASS 
 

11 

 
This survey was sent to all IUP faculty and graduate 

students with valid email addresses. Requests for participa-
tion were sent to 2,895 individuals and 13.1% of those indi-
viduals responded. 

 
Measure 

 
Participants were asked to complete a web-based survey 

that requested information on demographics, work habits, 
and interest in trainings/workshops on both working with 
Latino populations and learning Spanish. Respondents were 
asked to complete a demographic questionnaire to provide a 
more complete picture of those individuals participating in 
the study. Information gathered included ethnicity, native 
language, experience with other languages, and the depart-
mental affiliation of the respondent. Additional information 
was sought to establish whether respondents worked with 
minorities on a regular basis, had encountered individuals 
who spoke little or no English, and had worked directly with 
Latinos. Information was also obtained to assess interest and 
willingness to participate in a workshop designed to teach 
Spanish and skills for working with Latino populations. 

 
Design 
 

Participants were contacted via email and asked to fol-
low a link to a web-based survey. One week after initial 
contact a reminder email, which included a second request 
for participation, was sent to individuals who had not re-
sponded. All emails and data collection were handled by a 
third party, StudentVoice, so that anonymity could be as-
sured.   

Data gathered from respondents were analyzed globally 
to assess the composition of the university community and 
its need for training. Information from respondents in psy-
chology departments on campus was analyzed in greater 
depth because a training program specific to psychologists 
was the ultimate goal of this needs assessment. 

 
Results 

 
University-wide Analysis 
 

Data collected from the needs assessment survey were 
analyzed in terms of percentages of people endorsing a 
certain item. Three hundred eighty people from 65 depart-
ments on campus responded to the survey.  They represent 
13.1% of the population of faculty and graduate students at 
IUP. The majority of respondents identified themselves as 
European-American (80.5%). Asian-Americans (9.2%), 
African-Americans (2.9%), and Latino/Hispanic individuals 
(1.8%) were the largest minority groups represented. Several 
individuals (3.2%) surveyed declined to answer the question 
regarding ethnicity.   

Respondents identified 20 native languages, with Eng-
lish listed as the majority language (86.3%). Chinese (3.2%) 
and Arabic (2.1%) were identified as the second and third 
most frequently spoken native languages. Over 79% of 
participants indicated some level of experience, ranging from 
beginner status to fluent, with one of 18 second languages 
spoken by respondents. Of those who spoke a second lan-
guage, 40.2% spoke Spanish, 17.5% spoke French, 9.9% 
spoke German, and 2.6% spoke Italian. Only 10.7% of the 
respondents who indicated that they spoke Spanish were 
fluent. 

Two hundred fifteen respondents (56.6%) indicated that 
they worked with minority individuals on a regular basis. A 
group of respondents (46.8%) indicated that they had inter-
actions with people who spoke little or no English. Spanish 
was the primary language of 34% of the non-English speak-
ers encountered. A majority of people (59.7%) indicated that 
it would be beneficial for them to speak Spanish, and 66.1% 
of respondents indicated that they would like to begin or 
continue learning to speak Spanish. Additionally, 57.6% of 
respondents indicated that they would benefit from training 
on working effectively with Latino populations.   

Respondents were surveyed as to their interest in a hy-
pothetical conference that would include training in both 
Spanish-language and working with Latino populations. 
Almost half (47.9%) of the respondents were willing to pay 
for a conference, and over a third were interested in a train-
ing that lasted one day or less. Approximately 18 % of 
respondents said they would be interested in attending a 
weekend-long training, and a longer, one week training 
interested 10.5% of respondents.  

 
Analysis of Psychology Departments 
 

Respondents from psychology departments or programs 
comprised 22.4% of the total sample, or 85 individuals. Of 
that group, 78.8% of individuals were female and 22.4% of 
individuals were male. The majority of respondents in this 
group indicated that they were European-American (90.6%) 
and were native English speakers (97.6%).  

A majority (71.8%) of respondents indicated that they 
had some experience with one of seven other languages. The 
language most represented was Spanish and 40% of respon-
dents endorsed some level of experience with the language. 
Most psychology department respondents who indicated that 
they spoke Spanish considered themselves beginners 
(44.1%). No one indicated fluency in Spanish.   

Less than half of the respondents in the psychology 
group indicated that they worked with minorities (30.6%), 
had encountered non-English speakers (28.2%), or inter-
acted with Latinos (23.5%) on a regular basis. Of those who 
worked with minorities, only 7.7% indicated that they 
worked with Latinos.  However, of those who had encoun-
tered non-English speakers, 62.5% indicated that they en-
countered people who spoke Spanish.   



NEEDS ASSESSMENT OF SPANISH LANGUAGE TRAINING 
 

12 

Despite the low numbers of psychology department re-
spondents who worked regularly with minorities, most 
people indicated that they would like to have training in 
working with Latino populations (78.8%) and/or in Spanish 
language (77.6%). Roughly 46% of respondents indicated 
that they were willing to spend up to $100 on training and 
29.4% of were willing to devote one day to such training. 
An additional 27.1% of respondents were willing to spend 
one weekend on training. Ability to earn continuing educa-
tion units would make 61.2% of people more willing to 
participate in training in Spanish or in working with Span-
ish-speaking/Latino populations. 

 
Discussion 

 
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is comprised of 

people from a variety of ethnic groups and who speak a 
number of different primary languages. Although IUP is a 
small, rural school, the faculty and graduate students seemed 
motivated to gain the knowledge necessary to work with 
minority groups, and with Spanish-speaking and other La-
tino populations in particular. Many individuals indicated 
that they had some experience speaking Spanish, had 
worked with Latinos in some professional capacity, and 
were interested in additional training in Spanish and in 
working with Spanish-speaking and Latino minority groups. 
Over 50% of individuals surveyed said that they thought it 
was beneficial to speak Spanish and that they would like to 
learn to do so.   

When the responses of individuals who identified them-
selves as members of a psychology department were ana-
lyzed, similar findings were encountered. The subsample of 
psychology department respondents indicated that they were 
more homogeneously European-American and English-
speaking than the total sample. A greater proportion of re-
spondents in this category indicated some experience speak-
ing Spanish, although no respondent was fluent. As was 
found with those from other departments, psychology de-
partment respondents indicated some amount of regular 
work with Latinos and some encounters with individuals 
who speak only Spanish. However, a much larger percent-
age of psychology department respondents indicated an in-
terest in training in Spanish, an interest in working with mi-
nority cultures, a greater belief that speaking Spanish could 
be beneficial to their careers, and a greater desire to learn to 
speak Spanish.  

Given the support for trainings in Spanish language and 
in interacting with Latinos in a professional capacity, it was 
interesting to note that less than 30% of respondents were 
willing to spend more than $100 and less than 35% of re-
spondents were willing to devote more than one weekend to 
such training. The ability to earn continuing education cred-
its seemed to be an influential factor contributing to whether 
an individual would be willing to participate in a training 
session. When compared to information gathered at the uni-
versity level, psychology department members were not 

willing to spend as much money to receive training as other 
respondents. However, respondents from the psychology 
department showed a greater interest in trainings in Spanish 
language and in working with Latinos than did respondents 
from the university as a whole.  

Based on the information gathered, particularly from 
the psychology subset of respondents, it appears that there is 
an interest in training in Spanish language and in working 
with Latino populations. Unfortunately, many of the indi-
viduals surveyed did not feel that they could devote much 
time or money to training in this area. Future research might 
explore what would make people more willing to attend 
language training and how an effective Spanish language 
and cultural skills training program could be developed at a 
minimum cost. Additionally, it may be worth exploring in-
tensive immersion workshops for Spanish language training 
as so few individuals seemed to have the time for or the 
willingness to devote the time to longer, more traditional 
training programs. 
 
Limitations 
 

This study had a number of limitations that should be 
addressed in future research. First, potential participants 
were contacted by email, which would preclude participa-
tion by those individuals who do not regularly access their 
university-issued email accounts. Also, it is possible that 
those individuals who chose to participate did so because 
they already had an interest in this area and so were more 
willing to take the time to respond. Thus, response bias was 
a concern with this study and limited its generalizability. 
There was also no way to differentiate between respondents 
who were graduate students and respondents who were fac-
ulty. It is likely that individuals in training programs might 
have a different pattern of responses than those individuals 
working in the field and teaching at the university. Addi-
tionally, IUP is located in a small-town area surrounded by 
rural communities. A different pattern of results might have 
been found at a larger university or at a university in a more 
urban or coastal location. It might be interesting to compare 
results from this study with results from another university.  
Finally, members of many other departments on a university 
campus might be unlikely to encounter individuals on a 
regular basis whose primary language is Spanish. Last, lim-
iting the survey to individuals in service, medical, or mental 
health areas might also yield both different overall results 
and results more relevant to the needs of mental health ser-
vice providers and their clients. 
 

Conclusion and Future Directions 
 

This study highlighted the interest in increasing cultural 
competency that exists even among members of a rural uni-
versity community. It may provide a starting point for 



BRASS 
 

13 

future research into the training needs of mental health pro-
fessionals and how best to meet those needs. The fact that a 
number of individuals at a small university expressed interest 
in this study indicates that there might be more support for 
training in Spanish language and cultural competency among 
professionals and students in urban areas and at large schools.   

Information gathered from this study will be used to de-
velop a pilot workshop designed to teach mental health 
professionals basic Spanish language skills and cultural 
competency for use in working with Latino populations.  
With that in mind, the response bias encountered in this 
study may not be as problematic as it could have been be-
cause those individuals with an interest in this type of work-
shop are probably the individuals most likely to participate in 
the survey. Despite the limitations of this study, valuable 
information was obtained and can be used in the develop-
ment of future studies and programs.  

As the population of Spanish-speaking individuals 
throughout United States grows, there will be a greater need 
for training people who provide services to the community. 
This is especially true in rural areas where fewer profession-
als may have had exposure to foreign languages or contact 
with diverse cultures. Development of bilingual or multilin-
gual training programs for mental health practitioners and 
other service providers in the community should be a prior-
ity. 

References 
 

Bender, D. E. & Harlan, C. (2005). Increasing Latino Ac-
cess to Quality Health Care: Spanish Language Train-
ing for Health Professionals. Journal of Public Health 
Management Practice, 11(1), 46-49. 

Dingfelder, S. F. (2005). Closing the gap for Latino pa-
tients. Monitor on Psychology, 36(1), 58-61. 

Dittman, M. (2005). Homing in on Mexican Americans’ 
mental health success. Monitor on Psychology 
36(1),70-71. 

Dittman, M. (2004). More minority providers means fewer 
service gaps. Monitor on Psychology, 35(10), 46-47. 

Guttfreund, D. G. (1990). Effects of language usage on the 
emotional experience of Spanish-English and English-
Spanish bilinguals. Journal of Consulting and Clinical 
Psychology, 58(5), 604-607. 

Santiago-Rivera, A. L. (2001). Developing a culturally sen-
sitive treatment modality for bilingual Spanish-
speaking clients: Incorporating language and culture in 
counseling. Journal of Counseling & Development, 74, 
12-17. 

Spanish in the United States.  Retrieved October 25, 2005 
from wikipedia.com. 

Zuniga, M. E. (1992). Using metaphors in therapy: Dichos 
and Latino clients. Social Work, 37(1), 55-60. 

 


