Many agencies have developed unique and innovative monitoring tools and assessment practices that can be used to improve existing services and guide agencies that provide services to Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals. Please join us on Friday, July 24, 2009 at 3 PM EDT as we discuss some of these tools and practices during an interactive language access webinar launching our report, Is This Working? Assessment and Evaluation Methods Used to Build and Assess Language Access Services in Social Services Agencies.

Our language access webinar will feature three speakers: Laureen Laglagaron, Policy Analyst at the Migration Policy Institute; and from the New York City Mayor's Office of Operations Customer Service Group (CSG), Senior Policy Advisor Jeanette Moy and Policy Analyst Kate Pielemeier.

Ms. Laglagaron, one of the report's authors, will discuss the tools and practices identified in her research. These assessment and evaluation tools are generally designed to meet three core program needs: (1) to develop an effective and comprehensive delivery plan; (2) to certify and train translators and interpreters; and (3) to monitor and evaluate programs.

Ms. Moy and Ms. Pielemeier will discuss the New York City's Customers Observing and Research Experiences (CORE) initiative, a program featured in the MPI report. CORE used "secret shoppers" to evaluate the quality of service in more than 40 city agencies across five city boroughs. Ms. Moy and Ms. Pielemeier will describe the language access component of the project and will share CORE results.

Who Should Participate In Our Webinar?

State and local government officials and agency administrators interested in the development of language access services are encouraged to register for this free interactive webinar, which is the fourth in MPI's series of language access Webinars. Information from the three earlier Webinars can be found at http://www.migrationinformation.org/integration/language_portal/webinars.cfm.

The Webinar series highlights practitioners from coast to coast, focusing largely on challenges and practices in social services, elementary and secondary education, law enforcement, disaster/emergency, and health care service delivery fields. A question-and-answer period follows each presentation.

To register for this call, please click here.