Languages used in Metro departments

WPLN attempted to contact all Metro departments and subsequent divisions to find if and when government officials communicated or provided any services in any language other than English.

The most common ways departments used languages other than English were with phones, including different languages offered on telephone menus or by using the “Language Line Services,” a translation hotline used to help non-English speaking Nashville residents communicate with government officials.

*Unable to confirm uses of languages other than English within the department.

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Action Commission – 862-8860

“Nashville has been noted as a large pop of Kurdish residents and our services are based on customers’ population that is increasing.”

“We do have translators on staff for the community. Our Head Start Program has a mandate through the Department of Health and requires we offer either translation or capability to communicate to parent in preferred language.”

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ADA Compliance Commission – 862-8744

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Agriculture Extension Services – 862-5995

“On a limited basis, some of our publications have been translated into Spanish.”

“Most of our work with clientele who don’t speak English is when we go out and deliver an educational program in a Hispanic community with our nutrition programs.”

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Airport Authority – 275-1675

“We have language line assistance if there someone here so we can converse with them that way.”

No audio or printed materials offered in any language other than English.

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Archives – 862-5880

“We don’t have any of our records in another language. We don’t really do handouts, but what we do is in English. Don’t really have a chance to [offer services in another language], it is really up to the library to facilitate other language.”

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Arts Commission – 862-6720

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Assessor of Property – 862-6060

The language barrier hotline is available for people who don’t speak English.

“One employee speaks Spanish very fluent.”

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Beer Permit Board – 862-6750

“Everything is in English.”

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Children and Youth (Mayor’s Office of) – 862-6013

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Circuit Court Clerk – 862-5181

BRANCHES:

Traffic Violations

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Codes Administration – 862-6516

Codes has two brochures that are Xeroxed and distributed. One is about how to get a building permit, the other about property standards for a resident or owner who is violating codes, like working on a car in their yard, open storage or not keeping their lawn cut. Both fliers are available in both English and Spanish.

Codes does not use the Language Line, although it does have one inspector with passing knowledge in Spanish who does use it on the job.

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Community Corrections – 862-8398

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Convention Center – 742-2000

“Primarily, meeting planners that do events take care of translation services, if they have clients that speak different languages.”

“We do have a lot of shows and different nationalities use our facilities and we do furnish anything to our attendees in their preferred language”

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Council Office – 862-6780

“We do as far as requests go. If asked, we will convert a document to something like Spanish, but otherwise we don’t.”

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County Clerk – 862-6050

The Clerk’s Office does 750,000 transactions a year – marriage licenses, car titles, wheel taxes, business taxes – all in English. Several bilingual employees will help those who can’t speak English well in filling out the forms. No official communications is done outside of English. The department does not use the language line.

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Courts – 880-2558

BRANCES:

Chancery Court

Criminal Court

Drug Court

General Sessions

Juvenile Court

Trial Court

Criminal Court Clerk

Drug Testing (Forensic Testing / BAT Unit)

DUI Probation

Traffic Warrant Office

Traffic Violations Bureau

Traffic School (General Session Court)

The court clerk doesn’t do anything official in Spanish – but the office does have bilingual workers.

Criminal courts have a U.S. Constitutional obligation to interpreting services. In civil courts, except for ASL for the hearing impaired, interpreting services are required to be paid for by the litigants rather than by the government. Sign language is provided in both civil and criminal courts as required by Americans with Disabilities Act.

Trial courts have a state certified court interpreter for Spanish. Sometimes needs arise for other languages.

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Criminal Justice Planning – 880-1994

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Davidson County Sheriff’s Office – 862-8170

The Sheriff’s Office has access to a language line and is second largest user. The line is extremely important to communicate with inmates, especially in exchanging life-safety issues including medical information and gang information.

“Because of the large Latino population, the jail has Spanish speaking teachers, case managers and a DUI school with translation services. Treatment programs for drug and alcohol abuse or domestic violence, offered in the jails, are also provided in languages other than English.”

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District Attorney Office – 862-5500

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Economic and Community Development (Mayor’s Office of) – 862-4700

“Our work is with business owners and we haven’t had the need to offer any service in a language other than English.”

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Education – 969-2473

BRANCHES:

Community Education

Public Schools

Schools

“Under Federal Law (mainly Title 1), we are obligated to make sure parents understand a student’s rights in a language that they [the parents] understand. We also send out a home language survey to all students that asks questions like, ‘Does your child speak a language other than English.’ We do translate this survey into other languages.”

There are currently 20 languages the Education Department publishes the survey in. The department also attempts to translate any major announcements into other languages, the main being Spanish.

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Election Commission – 862-8800

BRANCHES:

Voting:

“The forms that we have are state forms, so they are in English. No translators or forms are offered in any other language.”

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Electric Service (NES) – 736-6900

Phone menus are offered in multiple languages.

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Emergency Communication Center – 401-6320

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Farmer’s Market – 880-2001

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General Hospital – 341-4491

The hospital provides several interpreters through their social services department as well as access to the Language Line.

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General Services – 862-5050

No services provided in languages other than English.

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Health – 340-2153

Frequent clients include people speak English, many seeking help with STIs, tuberculosis and immunizations for their children.

The Health Department staffs three full time interpreters and uses the Language Line. The largest secondary language used is Spanish followed by Farsi and Somali.

It is estimated that the department’s use of Language Line Services makes up half of Metro’s total budget for LLS.

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Human Resources – 862-6640

BRANCHES:

Benefits (Employee) Board

Civil Services Commission

“Services offered only in English, but can get an interpreter if necessary.”

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Informational Technology Services – 862-6222

ITD spends $38,000 a year on Language Line Services.

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Parks and Recreation – 862-8400

BRANCHES:

Centennial Sportsplex

Community Pools

Golf Courses

Swimming Pools

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Planning Commission – 862-7150

“We do occasionally translate a document or a news release into Spanish, but we have two Spanish speakers here in the office who do it as part of their normal duties. We’re not aware of any instances where other translations were needed; we have the Metro translation service available, but our front desk says it’s very rarely used – maybe once a year.”

”We did spend $4,222 during 2008 advertising Planning Commission public hearings in Spanish-language publications.”

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Police – 862-7306

Metro Police has two officer liaisons with the Latino community. They appear on Spanish radio, go to community meetings, hand out Spanish-language materials. Generally try to let Latinos know they can trust the police and go to them when needed. The also inform and teach about local laws, especially drunk driving.

The police training academy provides some cursory Spanish to new cops, but new officers are usually taught by a current officer. The police department cannot operate holistically in English exclusively; “it is just impractical and seemingly unlawful.”

During booking, the judicial commissioner may use the language line to translate the process. There is also an ATT language line, in case an officer needs to interview someone who has been arrested but no one speaking the appropriate language.

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Public Works – 880-2439

BRANCHES:

Beautification and Environment Commission

“The only bi-lingual communication effort we initiate is to our trash and recycling customers in the Urban Services District. Each brown and green cart is delivered with an information sticker inside the lid telling the customer their pick up day and how to use the cart. These stickers are printed in English and Spanish.

“Our 311 Call Center utilizes a service called the Language Line to communicate with non-English speaking customers (via a 3-way call with an interpreter). Being able to communicate with these residents is vital to ensuring that citizens know how to access and use our services. In addition, we need the ability to be informed of any problems or issues affecting the entire city that we may need to address (potholes, malfunctioning traffic signals, or damaged/missing stop signs, for example).”

Public Works publishes its instructions on trash and recycle cans in English and Spanish.

The department spent less than $600 on Language Line Services in 2008. Hopkins says this was mostly for people who call in to inform the city of problems with trash pick up, traffic light problems or damaged stop signs.

Public Works also now operates the 311 call center, so some calls do come in for other departments.

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Social Services – 862-6459

BRANCHES:

Planning and Coordination (including Immigrant Services)

Administration Division

Family Support Division

Calls are ferreted out through 211 for translation. Social Services racked up $57.02 in 2008 via Language Line Services. Social workers may be bilingual, however there are no translators on staff.

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Tennessee State Fair – 862-8980

“During the Fair, we have signs for tickets in Spanish (adult, child, etc.). Occasionally, we get people who come in and speak Spanish, but most can speak enough English to get by or they bring a translator with them. We do have a lady who speaks some Spanish on staff.”

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Transit Authority (MTA) – 862-5969

Phone menus are offered in English and Spanish. One translator speaks Spanish.

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Transportation Licensing Committee – 862-6777

The Committee barely deals with any people who need services in second languages. Taxicab drivers have to demonstrate ability to speak English, and they are tested elsewhere.

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Trustee’s Office – 862-6330“We have very few [non English speakers], but I’m sure in the future it will pick up because a lot of those people are not property owners. If we have someone that we are having a problem communicating with, we do have office workers that are bilingual. But up to this point, we haven’t had a problem with it.”

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Water Services – 862-4494 BRANCHES:

Stormwater Division

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Zoning Appeals – 862-6500

“We have some flyers that are translatable in Spanish. We also have had some training and we work with them as best we can. Sometimes they have a translator.”

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For a complete contact list and Web site information on Nashville/Metro departments and branches, please visit http://www.nashville.gov/directory.htm