Spanish Resources

The influx of Spanish-speaking immigrants into the North Carolina healthcare system has created a demand among health care providers for a better understanding of Latino culture and the development of functional language skills to improve service delivery.

The Duke AHEC Program has responded by creating a variety of trainings geared primarily for mental health and prenatal health providers.

Spanish Language Resources and Trainings available through the Duke AHEC Program include:

• Polyglot 4.0: Multimedia Medical Spanish Translator

  A searchable language reference CD with voice clips of words and phrases designed to help practitioners learn how to gather information and begin assessing Spanish-speaking patients. To order your copy of Polyglot 4.0 on Amazon, click here.
  To order by check or money order, complete this ordering form.
• Latino Cultural Issues in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment The purpose of this presentation is to familiarize the health care provider with the cultural aspects of the Latino population that may impact mental health and substance abuse treatment. This can be a half day or full day presentation.

• Basic Spanish for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment Providers

  The purpose of this 24 hour course is to develop basic Spanish skills with an emphasis on mental health and substance abuse treatment vocabulary. Latino cultural issues that affect care are also presented. The course uses activities, such as, role plays and games, to facilitate learning and language skill development. Homework is assigned to continue the language practice during the week. Participants must attend all sessions.

• Advance Beginner Spanish in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment

  The purpose of this 15-hour course is to increase the participant's Spanish language fluency within the MH/SA treatment setting. The course focuses on developing conversation skills in order to enhance the participant's assessment on MH or SA problems. The course includes activities for verb conjugation practice, vocabulary building and sentence construction.

• Working with Hispanic Families

  For most Hispanics/Latinos, the family is the primary source of support, identity, and authority. Based on this view, mental health intervention is sometimes not welcomed by the Hispanic/Latino family. The purpose of this presentation is to familiarize the participant with the cultural values that arise when working with Hispanic/Latino clients. The day consists of lecture discussion, video examples, and case studies.

• Basic Spanish for Perinatal Providers

  This 24 hour course is designed for perinatal providers working in local health departments and/or community health centers. The course is geared towards developing basic Spanish skills with an emphasis on asking basic prenatal assessment or screening questions. The course instructor uses activities, such as role plays and games, to facilitate learning and language skill development. Homework is assigned to continue the language practice between sessions. A practice CD is provided to each participant to assist with learning to speak the language. Latino culture that impacts prenatal care is discussed throughout the training.

For more information or to schedule a workshop, contact Alicia Gonzalez at gonza001@mc.duke.edu.