Gabriel Estrada of Conversa interprets for Maria Guadalupe Dulroz Tello, 74,  as eligibility technician Kevin Rabb processes her application for food stamps and Medicaid.

Speaking fluent Spanish, eligibility technician Debbie Arostegui asked a 38-year-old Mexican immigrant a series of questions on a recent morning.

At one point, Arostegui tilted her computer screen toward the woman to confirm the birth places of her four children: Connecticut, Connecticut, Indiana, North Carolina. The woman nodded and smiled. 

As the interview continued, parts of the woman’s life story unfolded. She wasn’t receiving child support, had no bank accounts, and was living with a cousin who worked. She couldn’t work due to an arm injury, but received no unemployment compensation... 

Then, an animated conversation ensued. Spanish filled the air as Arostegui and her client bantered. 

“There are so many bad rumors in the Hispanic community,” said Arostegui, who belongs to a team in Family & Adult Assistance (FAA) 1 that serves non-English speaking customers. “She was told to only apply for Medicaid because she’d have to repay food stamps when the children turn 18. And that they would have to go into the military.” 

Arostegui solely handles cases involving Spanish-speaking clients in the team supervised by Teri Jones-Morris. Kevin Rabb mainly serves refugees who speak languages other than Spanish and backs up Arostegui with Hispanic clients. C.J. Stephens, a new hire, will work with refugees. Two others were to join the team in September.

The unit helps the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The law mandates equal access for all who apply for public assistance. 

Arostegui majored in Spanish in college. She joined the unit in February, a year after coming to the agency. She had been a police dispatcher. 

Rabb, who gained some familiarity with the language while working in Arizona, has been taking classes through Su Casa and ICRC. Jones-Morris is learning to speak Spanish at Cincinnati State.

“Their needs are different,” Arostegui said. “They have culture shock.” 

Many Hispanic clients live together in apartment complexes, furthering their isolation. They come to Ohio after living for months or years in border states. 

Most Spanish-speaking people hear about the agency’s services from family or friends. Some learn about Medicaid while giving birth at a hospital. They discover food stamps and other services while applying for health coverage. Most refugees, however, are referred from social service agencies, having arrived in the country only days earlier.  

Arostegui’s clients often face big obstacles created by a lack of proper documentation. Only their children qualify for services, although they can get emergency Medicaid for life-threatening situations and births. Their cases require citizenship verification and can present complexities because families share apartments. 

“We have to help them understand how the system works,” Rabb said. “They lack literacy in either language.”  

Gabriel Estrada, an on-site interpreter from Conversa, has assisted the unit daily since April. He helps Arostegui with some dialects and works closely with other team members. He also assists Children’s Services and Child Support workers. 

At the same time Arostegui served her client on the first floor at the 222 E. Central Parkway office, Rabb and Estrada helped Maria Guadalupe Dulroz Tello, 74, who moved to Ohio this summer. The silver-haired woman was applying for food stamps and Medicaid.  

“I wanted to be here with my family,” said Tello, through Estrada’s interpretation. Tello, a widow, lives with a grandchild. 

The agency carries about 1,200 “Limited English Proficiency” cases, almost 750 Spanish-speaking. About half of those involve cash assistance, food stamps and Medicaid; the other half, Healthy Start/Healthy Families Medicaid.  

After Spanish, most speak Russian, French, Arabic and Vietnamese. The caseload includes more than 35 languages.

"These people come with all sorts of barriers,” Arostegui said. “They are faced with cultural ignorance, stereotypes and discrimination and I take pride in going the extra step to help them. I have always had an interest in the diverse culture, ethnicity and dialects that come from the Latino communities. My Hispanic clients mean a lot to me. They are always friendly, appreciative and polite.  Indeed, it is a very special caseload and I am honored to be a part of it." 

Coming soon: An up-close look at the agency’s service to refugees. 

 
The team includes (from left, front) Teri Jones-Morris, C.J. Stephens (back) Kevin Rabb, Debbie Arostegui and Conversa interpretor Gabriel Estrada