About Me
Hi! My name is Erica Fernandez, and I am currently a senior at the University of South Florida majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a minor in Applied Behavior Analysis. My goal is to become a speech-Language pathologists so that I can help minority populations find their voice by advocating for them and educating providers and families to help bridge the communication gap in speech services. I also hope to help speech-language pathologist become certified to provide bilingual services. As a Hispanic individual born and raised in the Tampa Bay area, I have seen firsthand the limited access non-English speakers, especially those in the Hispanic community, have to language services. I believe everyone, regardless of ethnicity or language background, deserves access to high-quality care. The Tampa Bay area has a growing and diverse Hispanic population, yet there is still a shortage of bilingual SLPs available to meet their needs. This shortage within the field of CSD often prevents individuals from receiving effective, culturally responsive care. By bringing attention to this issue and advocating for more bilingual representation in the field, I hope to help close the cultural and linguistic gap and ensure that all individuals receive the care they deserve.
Solutions to Increase Bilingual SLP Representation in the Tampa Bay Area:
Advocate for Policy Change:
Why: By advocating for policy changes within the healthcare and school system, we can help attract more bilingual SLPs and motivate others to take on the challenge of becoming bilingual providers themselves. Updating these policies can support bilingual SLPs with higher pay, bonuses, and other incentives. By doing so, this will strengthen the schools, hospitals, clinics, and other settings by making them more prepared to serve all clients, no matter their preferred language. Although challenges or pushbacks may occur due to bilingual SLPs receiving higher compensations, they deserve it because of the addition expertise they bring to the field, helping close the language gap in speech services.
Culturally Responsive Resources & Training Programs:
Why: By providing culturally responsive resources and training programs for SLPs, they can learn more strategies and tools to help them become more knowledgeable about diverse cultures. This will make them more competent in providing therapy to a range of individuals and allow SLPs to feel more confident working with the Hispanic population because of the new resources and strategies they gain through these programs. These resources also strengthen their skills so they can work ethically and effectively with bilingual clients. Some challenges that may occur from this solution include over-relying on translated materials rather then increasing the number of bilingual SLPs in the field. However, by making SLPs more knowledgeable, it may encourage them to improve their language skills to a level of proficiency.
Advocating for Awareness:
Why: The need for more bilingual SLPs in the Tampa Bay area isn't a topic that is talked about much. By advocating for the need and making current and future SLPs more aware of this dilemma, we can strengthen the community by coming together and working to mend the language gap. We can use are voices to spread awareness and show why it's important for the SLP community to have more bilingual clinicians. A downside of this solution is that word of mouth can only do so much, but it's an affordable and accessible way to reach individuals. Even if it motivates just one person, that's one more individual joining the bilingual SLP community.