Bilingual (Spanish) Language Access Specialist (LTE)

THE ORGANIZATION

Founded at the University of Michigan Medical School, TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) is among the most innovative and rapidly-growing school-based mental health solutions in the country. Today, our growing team is working toward the TRAILS mission of transforming the landscape of youth mental health care delivery by equipping school staff with the training and resources they need to provide evidence-based and culturally responsible programming to their students. 

To date, TRAILS has brought essential skills and resources to more than 14,000 teachers, administrators, and school mental health professionals. Our best-in-class program materials are built specifically for the school setting, and our unique training model is driven by research from the field of implementation science. Our website and library of materials are utilized by educators and clinicians across the United States and in more than 100 countries around the world. While our impact today is greatest in our home state of Michigan, TRAILS is expanding nationally with strong support from education and health sector leaders, public offices, and state policymakers. 

As we work to respond to massive demand for TRAILS programming from schools and districts throughout the United States, our team is guided by a core commitment to equity: The TRAILS growth strategy identifies Title I designated schools as our broadest target population, and we aim specifically to impact students who experience high risk for poor mental health outcomes and disproportionate barriers to quality care. As we grow our team, we seek candidates who share our commitment to equity in health and healthcare access, who practice cultural humility, and who thrive in and contribute to an inclusive working environment.

THE ROLE

We are seeking a passionate and dedicated Bilingual (Spanish) Language Access Specialist for a limited term employment opportunity within the Culturally Responsible Programming (CRP) team at TRAILS. This position will play a pivotal role in building internal capacities to effectively meet current and future needs of our school community partners, with an emphasis on our Spanish-speaking Latine youth and other communities TRAILS serves. This will involve evaluating current Spanish-translated resources, engaging in quality assurance testing of newly-translated evaluation and mental health resources to ensure accuracy, and reviewing and providing suggested feedback on our website to ensure ease of accessibility for our Spanish language partners. Additionally, this position will collaborate with TRAILS’ internal Language Access workgroup and other teams to explore and integrate best practices for translating our tiered mental health curriculum into Spanish. This position will also support efforts that increase the reach of TRAILS across our training, workshops, and other communications with school communities. 

At this time, TRAILS strategic initiatives are defined as projects that are backed by specific time-limited legislative funding. As such, the role is considered to be limited term employment that will not go beyond December 2026. This position is considered a TRAILS team member and will receive full benefits during employment. If a regular, long-term role of interest to the team member becomes available at any point, they will be encouraged to apply. 

 

THE RESPONSIBILITIES

Spanish Material Translation Management (40%)

• Lead the review and revision process for current and newly translated clinical and evaluation materials for use with our Spanish-speaking community partners to ensure linguistic accuracy and cultural relevance.

• Liaise on behalf of TRAILS with school community partners to understand their Spanish language access needs and gather feedback to improve translated resources.

• Enhance the organization’s Spanish materials library to share with translation vendors to improve the accuracy of translation projects.

• Act as key leader  within the Language Access Workgroup to identify and integrate best practices for translating mental health curricula into Spanish.

• Closely collaborate with the Clinical Director of CRP and the Managing Director of Communications and Design to create, implement, and evaluate materials translation strategy and throughout all translation phases. 

Language Access Project Coordination (30%)

• Facilitate Language Access Workgroup Meetings in collaboration with the Clinical Director of CRP. 

• Closely collaborate with the Communications/Design and Technology Innovations teams and other teams as needed, to maintain accurate records of translation projects, quality assurance processes, and community partner feedback.

• Collaborate with the Managing Director of Strategic Initiatives and TRAILS’ strategic project management team to monitor and report on progress and outcomes to the Language Access Workgroup and other relevant partners.

Content Development and Training Delivery (20%)

• Support the culturally responsible design of our existing materials and training. 

• Enhance internal capacities and capabilities to provide various clinical training and workshop offerings in Spanish.

• Support staff and community partners in effectively using and disseminating Spanish-translated mental health resources.

• Maintain an active pulse and knowledge on the latest trends, tools, and best practices in translation and language access, particularly in the context of mental health resources.

Team Responsibilities (10%)

• Support staff across TRAILS teams who collaborate to ensure the development and accessibility of our translated resources.

• As needed, participate in organizational workgroups (e.g. DEI) and participate in all-staff and cross-team collaborative meetings. 

• Share knowledge, best practices, and resources with team members to foster continuous learning and improvement. 

 

THE PERSON 

Our experience suggests that the following types of professional skills and experiences lend themselves to this work:

• 2-5 years of demonstrated experience translating materials into Spanish, particularly in the context of mental health or educational resources. 

• Fluency in both English and Spanish, with the ability to read, write, and speak both languages at a professional level. 

• Demonstrated knowledge of various Spanish dialects and cultural nuances. 

• Strong attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work collaboratively and effectively in a team environment.  

• Strong desire to work on behalf of English Learners and limited English immigrant communities. 

• Experience in quality assurance and capacity building is highly desirable.

• Demonstrated knowledge of and commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles, particularly within the context of culturally responsible programming. 

• Proficiency in multimedia software/tools for resource creation (e.g., Adobe InDesign, Google Docs, Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint) 

 

EDUCATION

Our experience suggests the following certifications and degree(s) lend themselves well to this work: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics, Spanish, Social Work, Psychology, or a related field. A Master’s degree is preferred.

• Applicable experience and competencies may be considered in lieu of formal  education. 

 

COMPENSATION

The salary range for this role is $84,726 to $89,433. 

TRAILS offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental, and vision as well as a 403B with a safe harbor match and short and long term disability. We offer a generous holiday and paid time off package. 

 

APPLICATION NOTES

• We can only consider applicants who are legally authorized to work in the United States.

• Our job descriptions reflect TRAILS’ assignment of essential functions and qualifications of the role. Nothing herein restricts management's right to assign, reassign or eliminate duties and responsibilities to this role at any time. 

• Please note that TRAILS employees may be required to undergo a background check. Findings do not automatically exclude candidates from the hiring process, but will be taken into consideration.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION 

Addressing inequities in access to evidence-based mental health care is intrinsic to the TRAILS mission. The intentionality behind this approach is woven into everything we do at TRAILS, resulting in a staff-wide commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion for all facets of our program. If this commitment is something to which you could positively contribute, we encourage you to apply, particularly if your voice represents a historically excluded perspective. 

TRAILS is an “at-will” and equal opportunity employer. Applicants and employees shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender (including pregnancy and gender expression) identity, color, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance.