The disparity in mental health services to Spanish-speaking clients is well documented. This study examines the service delivery experiences of Spanish-speaking mental health providers by exploring their perceptions and concerns regarding their competence and training to provide services in Spanish. It also identifies practitioner priorities for improving training experiences specific to bilingual mental health service delivery. Implications for graduate psychology programs are discussed in an effort to promote and enhance necessary competencies regarding bilingual training endeavors.

The increasing number of Spanish and English bilingual and Spanish-dominant clients requesting psychological services creates challenges for practitioners and agencies. Literature regarding the importance of the Spanish language in providing service to Hispanic clients is reviewed. It is argued that services to Spanish-speaking clients are frequently inadequate because of the lack of training in the use of Spanish in professional settings. A model for training psychologists to provide psychological services in Spanish is presented along with recommendations for practitioners who are struggling with the dilemma of providing services in a language other than that of their professional training. JOAN L. BIEVER received her PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Notre Dame in 1981 and is dean of graduate studies and professor of psychology at Our Lady of the Lake University. Her research interests include training needs of bilingual psychologists and process and outcomes of postmodern therapies. M. TERESA CASTAN ˜O received her MS in psychology from Our Lady of the Lake University, where she is currently a doctoral candidate in counseling psychology. CYNTHIA DE LAS FUENTES received her PhD in counseling psychology in 1994 from the University of Texas at Austin. She is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Our Lady of the Lake University. Her research interests include multicultural and gender issues and ethics. CYNTHIA GONZA ´LEZ received her PhD in school psychology in 1989 from Texas A & M University. She is an associate professor and the director of school psychology in the Department of Psychology at Our Lady of the Lake University. Her research interests include bilingual psychological services, Hispanics and higher education, and behavioral and emotional disorders in childhood. SELIA SERVI ´N-LO ´PEZ received her MS in psychology from Our Lady of the Lake University, where she is currently a doctoral candidate in counseling psychology. CHRISTIE SPROWLS received her MS in psychology from Our Lady of the Lake University, where she is currently a doctoral candidate in counseling psychology. CHARLOTTE G. TRIPP received her MS in psychology from Our Lady of the Lake University, where she is currently a doctoral candidate. THE ORDER OF AUTHORS, except for the first, was determined by alphabetical order. WE WISH TO ACKNOWLEDGE the contributions of Monte Bobele, Glen Gardner, Tony Neugebauer, and Sylvia London to the development of the programs described. We wish to thank Raelynn Alvarez and Alicia Vera for their work on earlier versions of the article and Peter G. Kirby for his editorial assistance.

The competent delivery of mental health services to Spanish-speaking clients requires knowledge of Latino cultures, racial and ethnic identity development, variables that impact service delivery, and the Spanish language. We present the Psychological Services for Spanish Speaking Populations (PSSSP) program as a model for training mental health professionals to deliver services to Spanish-speaking clients. The goals for the program were to improve participants' oral and written Spanish language proficiency in work-related contexts and to improve multicultural competence in service delivery to Latino clients. Recommendations for those who wish to offer similar programs include (a) grouping trainees according to Spanish language proficiency, (b) using Spanish language instructors with expertise in teaching heritage language learners, and (c) developing criterion references or measures to assess program outcomes.

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