Cafe y Charla Series: Language Access & The First Generation Experience with Arlys Tineo, LMSW

In this episode , Erica joins Arlys Tineo, LMSW to discuss barriers to language access and the effects this has on clients, families, and clinicians. Blending personal experiences and professional practice, we will explore how micro-aggressions, emotional triggers, and professional burnout all play a role in a lack of translation and interpretation services. We will then explore strategies for language access in social work, providing actionable ways to advocate for a more equitable practice.

Guest Bio:

Arlys Tineo is a first-generation Dominican American social worker, language access advocate, and community leader from Rockland County, New York. She earned her BSW from CUNY Medgar Evers College and her MSW from New York University Silver School of Social Work. As a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), Arlys has worked across clinical and community settings supporting immigrants, unhoused individuals, college students, and unaccompanied youth. She is deeply passionate about cultural humility, mental health advocacy, and uplifting first-generation Latino communities through education, mentorship, and storytelling.

Arlys also has a shop for t-shirts Here