Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS) protocols were used with at-risk Hispanic female and male adolescents were examined to determine their sensitivity to this population. The SDS was completed by 89 at-risk Hispanic students (49 females and 33 males) in grade 9 at a nontraditional school for students who have been deemed at risk for gang and domestic violence, substance abuse, and early sexual activity and potentially able to benefit from the school's special programs. The students' summary scores were compared with those of two normative samples in the SDS manual the Hispanic population and the high school population. The SDS protocol scores of the males and the females in the study population differed significantly from those of the students in both normative groups, thus directly supporting previous studies suggesting that Holland's model may not be valid for use with special populations. The study population indicated less preference for most of Holland's themes than did the students in the norm samples. The study population members' order of preference for Holland's themes also differed from that of the students in the norm samples. It was concluded that Holland's model might not be sensitive enough to address the unique hurdles faced by the youth in the study population because of their at-risk status. (Contains 12 references) (MN)