1. Communicating and Working with Limited English Speakers
AIRS Conference 2010
Rochester, New York
Presented by Patti Walls
Language Line Services
© 2010 Language Line Services

2. Overview Introduction Challenges for I & R Agencies Case Studies
New York City
Toronto
Monterey County
Conclusions
© 2009 Language Line Services

3. Language Line Services Overview
Introduction
Language Line Services Overview
Reliable Business Partner to I&R Providers
Serving the industry for over 25 years
More than 170 languages
24x7x365 coverage
2 fully redundant operations centers
Industry leading technology solutions
Interpreter Quality
Employee-based staffing model
1 in 12 applicants are hired
On-going training, testing and monitoring
Over 40 hours of annual training per interpreter
Operational Efficiency
Proven industry leading service metrics
24 hour operation with customers in 30 countries
© 2009 Language Line Services

4. Over 25 years of innovation, in a changing world…
Introduction
Over 25 years of innovation, in a changing world…
Malcolm
Baldrige
Award
9-1-1 Training
Program
LLS Court & Medical
Certification
TeleInterpreters joins the organization
1982
1989
1993
1994
1998
2000
2007
2008
Founded by SJ
Police Officer
Strategic Business Unit of AT&T
1 Million
Interpretations
10,000th
Customer
2nd Redundant
Site
Rapid Connect Platform
Influx of Hispanic
and Asian Population
LA Riots
Northridge
Earthquake
9/11 &
Aftermath
Hurricanes Rita & Katrina
Atlanta Olympic Games
2004 Florida
Hurricane Season

5. Challenges for I &R Agencies
Budget
How can you maximize limited resources?
Staffing
Can you recruit, train and hold great staff?
Public Image
Could it be improved?
Response Time
Are call handling times fast enough?
Training
Is it ever over?
What keeps YOU up at night?
© 2009 Language Line Services 5

6. Challenges for I &R Agencies
Issues with providing service for LEP clients
Cost
Local language mix/needs
Availability of resources
Appropriateness of resources
Confidentiality
Liability Issues
© 2009 Language Line Services

7. Case Studies
Three agencies demonstrate a range of best practices reaching out to limited English speaking communities to overcome very different challenges.
New York City combats domestic violence
City of Toronto raises profile of services
Monterey County Launch
© 2009 Language Line Services 7

8. New York City Agency Challenges Key Stakeholders Outreach Efforts
NYC identified domestic violence among immigrants as "intractable criminal justice problem”
Victim established language barrier as #1 problem in reporting crimes
Problems go unreported/unresolved
Key Stakeholders
Mayor's Office to Combat Domestic Violence
NYPD and services
Community based organizations
Federal grant
Language Line Services
Outreach Efforts
Targeted most culturally and linguistically diverse neighborhoods (foreign language spoken in 84% of homes), later went citywide.
Press conference launch
Community forums
Radio and television PSA's, plus posters & brochures.
Background:
In 2003:
NYPD responded to an average of 600 domestic violence incidents a day.
NYC Domestic Violence Hotline answered over 147,000 calls.
16% of hotline calls were from Queens.
There were 64 family related homicides.
28% were from Queens.
Domestic Violence goes unreported
In 2003, 70% of family-related homicide cases had no known prior contact with police.
Friends, family, clergy often knew something was wrong
Immigrant victims, in particular, are less likely to report domestic violence.
Lack of knowledge about U.S. laws, pressure, fear, language barriers
© 2009 Language Line Services 8

9. New York City Police Resource Guides
Created to help officers identify languages spoken.
On reverse side, domestic violence resource contact information is provided, allowing fast and efficient referrals for victims.
© 2009 Language Line Services

10. New York City Public Service Announcements for Radio and TV
Created in four languages English, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish.
VIDEO
© 2009 Language Line Services 10

11. New York City Informational Brochures
Created in five languages Bengali, English, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish.
© 2009 Language Line Services 11

12. New York City Informational Posters
Created in 14 languages (Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Polish, Punjabi, Russian, Tagalog and Urdu). These were distributed throughout the community.
© 2009 Language Line Services 12

13. New York City Press Releases
Created in three languages Korean Mandarin and Spanish, and were distributed to ethnic media outlets throughout the city.
© 2009 Language Line Services 13

14. New York City ● Interpreter Connect Time (average): 18.1 seconds
Results:
“In 2005, the Language Line Program, which was started in Queens, became a citywide initiative that equips police officers with special telephones that allow direct access to interpreters in more than 150 languages.  Through these efforts, major domestic violence felony crime has decreased 20% citywide and family-related homicides have decreased 7% over the last five years.”
New York City Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence, October 25, 2007
2006 INTERPRETER ACCESS
● Languages served: 46
● Interpreter Connect Time (average): seconds
● Calls served: >2,500

15. City of Toronto Agency Challenges Key Stakeholders Outreach Efforts
Over 40% of Toronto’s population speaks a language other than English or French.
The accidental drowning of a 9-year old in 2004 highlighted the fact that LEP persons either are not aware of or do not think their language is spoken.
Key Stakeholders
City Councillor Olivia Chow
City of Toronto Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Police and Fire agencies.
Community based organizations
Language Line Services
Outreach Efforts
City Councillor spearheaded campaign targeting neighborhoods with new immigrants, (with focus on caregivers) Message: services are available in 150 languages.
Posters and pamphlets translated in 11 languages were distributed to schools, libraries, community centers, and bus shelters.
Radio and television PSA's, plus posters & brochures.
Background:
In 2003:
NYPD responded to an average of 600 domestic violence incidents a day.
NYC Domestic Violence Hotline answered over 147,000 calls.
16% of hotline calls were from Queens.
There were 64 family related homicides.
28% were from Queens.
Domestic Violence goes unreported
In 2003, 70% of family-related homicide cases had no known prior contact with police.
Friends, family, clergy often knew something was wrong
Immigrant victims, in particular, are less likely to report domestic violence.
Lack of knowledge about U.S. laws, pressure, fear, language barriers
VIDEO
© 2009 Language Line Services 15

16. City of Toronto Press Conference
City Councillor Chow and leaders of the combined public safety agencies stage media event highlighting transit shelter posters.
© 2009 Language Line Services 16

17. City of Toronto Brochures and Decals
Promoted campaign through translations in 10 languages distributed to targeted areas of the city, and decals located on recycling bins.
Images courtesy of Toronto EMS.
© 2009 Language Line Services 17

18. City of Toronto Results:
Toronto achieves excellence in emergency medical dispatch, due in part, to its language coverage.
Overall language access gained a higher profile citywide, leading to improvement of access to other vital services.
Public relations gain for Toronto, seen as very forward thinking and proactive in outreach efforts.
© 2009 Language Line Services 18

19. Monterey County 2-1-1 Launch
Agency Challenges
United Way Monterey County tasked with launching new service countywide.
Over 47% of people speak a language other than English at home (~40% is Spanish)
Far-flung parts of the county hold large pockets of Spanish speakers.
Key Stakeholders
United Way Monterey County
County and municipal government agencies
Corporate and community partners
Language Line Services
Outreach Efforts
Promotional material included posters, fliers, bookmarks and bus-wraps, with cost effective Spanish-language translations.
Transit agency-sponsored launch-day media bus tour of far flung corners of county. Spanish language radio and television PSA’s
© 2009 Language Line Services 19

20. Monterey County 2-1-1 Launch
Promotional Information
Spanish language translations of posters, cards and bookmarks were distributed with the launch.
© 2009 Language Line Services 20

21. Monterey County 2-1-1 Launch
Launch Day
Local transit agency sponsored media bus tour to promote services in outlying communities.
Public Service Announcements
Spanish language public service announcements also launched on local Spanish-language radio and television
VIDEO
© 2009 Language Line Services 21

22. Monterey County 2-1-1 Launch
Results:
Year One Results:
Projected call volume: 10,000 calls
Actual call volume: 13,000 calls
35% of calls from LEP callers (primarily Spanish)
Spanish language calls to include healthy volume from remote cities visited during launch day media tour.
Overall, proved to be an efficient way to increase awareness among callers of other programs for which they were eligible.
© 2009 Language Line Services

23. Case Studies: Common Success Factors
Community collaboration
Know your target audience
Appropriate media for each of your LEP touch points
Simple messaging translates best
Quantify-- Measure, measure, measure (before and after)

24. Measuring Your ROI: Language Support
Meeting the language support need
Language resource mix
Language resource volume
Language resource timing
Deploying variable cost support for variable language needs
Overflow
Off hours
None core languages
Animate these points
© 2009 Language Line Services

25. Service Portfolio Document Translation Web Localization Voice Talent
Multilingual Marketing Support
Bilingual Staff Training
© 2009 Language Line Services

26. Informational Resources

27. Strategic Sales Executive
Questions?
PATRICIA WALLS
Strategic Sales Executive
Phone:
© 2009 Language Line Services 27