Spring 2003 Scholar-in-Residence

	Dr. Santos Torres, Jr. Professor, Division of Social Work The Serna Center Bilingual Service Availability Project of Sacramento, California
Read Dr. Torres' Report

Description of Project

The research project employed survey methods as its primary research approach. “Survey research is probably the best method … in collecting original data for describing a population too large to observe directly. “… and carefully constructed standardized questionnaires provide data in the same form from all respondents.” (p. 234). Prior to mass distribution of a 14 item survey instrument (see Appendix A) the questionnaire was evaluated for critical elements of reliability and validity, language clarity and overall readability through the use of at two independent readers and test-run administration in two Sacramento area human service agencies. The survey questionnaire was used to gather data in four key areas:

1. respondent identification information,
2. key characteristics of client/customer population served by surveyed human service agencies,
3. the staffing patterns of the surveyed human service agencies, and;
4. the perceived need for bilingual staff/workers.

Since the research was exploratory in nature, the study sought by design to obtain as broad and comprehensive a canvassing as possible of the Sacramento area human service organizations on the matter of bilingual service availability. To this end, the sampling procedure of the study was purposive and employed a contact/mailing list of agency respondents derived from the data bases used in constructing Sacramento area human services directories. A combination of three strategies were employed to maximize the overall response rate and included simultaneously utilizing mailed surveys, an online web-based version of the survey and telephone contact to maximize the participation of potential respondents. The sampling frame for the present study totaled 428 human service organizations identified as serving the greater Sacramento area community. A total of 167 organizations responded in one form or another thus bringing the overall response rate to 39%. The final number of survey's yielding data usable for purposes of analysis totaled 91. Finally, 77 organizations, all human service organizations indicating the availability of bilingual staff, were selected for inclusion in The Directory component of this report.