How do I take the language assessment?

If you’ve already told us you speak Spanish, you’ll have access to the assessment in HOME. If you don’t already have access to the assessment through HOME, fill out this form and someone from our team will be in touch with directions for how to access the language assessment.

What will the language assessment evaluate? 

The Language Assessment will assess your Spanish vocabulary, language control, and comprehensibility.  

What is the format of the Language Assessment? 

The Language Assessment consists of 4 sections: 3 multiple choice questions; 4 fill-in-the-blank questions; 5 short answer questions; and 2 reading comprehension questions. 

How long does it take to complete the Language Assessment? 

It takes most fluent Spanish speakers about 15 minutes to complete.

How many questions will be on the Language Assessment? 

There are 14 required questions and five optional questions.

Is the Language Assessment in Spanish? 

Yes, instructions and questions are in Spanish.

How many times can I take the Language Assessment? 

For now, applicants are only able to take the assessment once. 

How will the Language Assessment be graded?

The Language Assessment will be pass/fail.

How long will the training take? 

If you haven’t yet taken our English training, you’ll start with our 30-hour training to prepare you to support texters and get familiar with our platform. Then, to become a bilingual volunteer and support texters in Spanish you’ll take one additional training module. We’re still optimizing the Spanish training, but right now, we anticipate it will take most trainees about 5-6 hours. 

What will be covered in the additional Spanish training course?  

The course consists of 8 sections: Intro to Spanish Service; Intro to Cultural Competence and Cultural Humility; Spanish Speakers in the US; Language: Gender, Tone, Dialect; The Five Stages + Good Contact Techniques in Spanish; Texter Safety; Imminent Risk; and Review.

I am an existing volunteer Crisis Counselor. How do I enroll in the additional Spanish training course?

Once you pass the Language Assessment (see above) you will have access to the course via the Training tile on Home.

What happens if do not pass Spanish training course?

You can still support English-speaking texters by completing the English-language training.

 I’m a volunteer but haven’t been active in a while. What’s the first step?

The first step is passing the Language Assessment (see above).

How long do I have to complete the Spanish training course?

Existing volunteers will have one week to complete the Spanish training course. First-time trainees will have three weeks to complete the English and Spanish training. 

What kind of support will bilingual volunteers receive on the Platform?

Bilingual volunteers will receive the same support as English-speaking volunteers but in a bilingual capacity from both Supervisors and Coaches.

What kind of support will a bilingual volunteer receive off the Platform? 

Bilingual volunteers will have access to bilingual Supervisors, Spanish chat, as well as Spanish-language tip sheets. 

Will bilingual volunteers receive both English and Spanish conversations?

Bilingual volunteers will be prioritized to take Spanish conversations. Bilingual volunteers can also choose to take English conversations if there are more bilingual Crisis Counselors than needed at any given time.

Will there be Spanish resources available on the Platform? How do I find them? 

Yes! In the Resources page on the Platform, there will be a toggle for Spanish. This will surface all the Spanish resources for every issue on the Platform plus the abbreviated description we share with texters, also in Spanish. 

Will there be tip sheets in Spanish? 

Yes, all “Issues” tip sheets will be translated. 

Will there be Spanish example messages? How do I access them? 

Yes, you can access them the same way you access your English-language example messages. 

Will I be able to connect with other bilingual volunteers? 

Absolutely! We are adding a Spanish support channel to the Platform. Also, all bilingual volunteers will have a bilingual icon so they will be able to identify each other. We are also adding a group to Our Network for bilingual volunteers.