Victim Services Division
Volunteer Program
Challenge yourself to make a positive impact on your community- support victims of crime!
The Victim Services Division is seeking ambitious, resourceful, and hardworking individuals to participate in our volunteer program. The goal of the VSD Volunteer Program is to identify advocates in our community and empower them to meaningfully support victims of crime.
About the Victim Services Division
The San Mateo County Victim Services Division (VSD) has been providing support to victims of crime and their families since 1975. Our advocates support crime victims and their families in navigating the physical, emotional, and financial impacts of crime. We provide comprehensive assistance through support services, detailed information, referrals to community resources, and advocacy for the education and enforcement of victims' rights. The VSD serves more than 8,000 victims of crime annually from our offices in Redwood City, San Mateo, and South San Francisco.
VSD Volunteer Program
The program is designed to provide foundational knowledge and on-the-job experience. This is accomplished by a blend of online, in-person, and observational training. Each volunteer will meet with a Supervising Victim Advocate biweekly for ongoing training, assess skills, and to monitor progress. Highly motivated and engaged individuals will work their way up to direct client contact and their own caseloads.
Level 1 volunteers will focus on foundational training, mastering office support functions and learn how to navigate our case management database.
Level 2 volunteers will focus on understanding the California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB), perform additional database functions and follow-up on new case referrals. Interns and volunteers who have advanced to this level may have limited client contact with supervision.
Level 3 volunteers will focus on understanding and communicating about the adult criminal justice system and victims’ rights. Volunteers who have advanced to this level may have direct client contact and provide court support with limited supervision.
Level 4 volunteers will focus on learning how to conduct needs assessments, identify resources, and determine case plans. Volunteers who have advanced to this level may direct client contact with limited supervision and may have a caseload.
To be considered for the VSD Volunteer Program, we require a minimum commitment of six months and eight hours per week. All volunteers must complete a background check and fingerprint clearance before they will be accepted into the program.
For more information about the VSD Volunteer Program please contact:
Liz Gonzalez
Supervising Victim Advocate
Victim Services Division
District Attorney’s Office
500 County Center, 3rd Floor
Redwood City, CA 94063
egonzalez@smcgov.org
To apply: Please send resume and cover letter to: egonzalez@smcgov.org
Applications are OPEN.
Support Staff Division
Volunteer Program
The District Attorney’s Office offers volunteer internship positions to support our offices in Redwood City and South San Francisco. This opportunity aims to provide legal office experience to individuals interested in the field of criminal law.
Duties may include, but are not limited to:
- Preparing discovery (Scan, copy, redact, Bates Stamp documents)
- Preparing exhibits
- Maintaining, organizing, and closing files
- Transcribing media/notes
- Drafting letters of restitution
- And other assigned administrative duties
To be considered for the Support Staff Internship/Volunteer Program, we require a minimum commitment of six to nine months and a minimum of eight hours per week.
To apply for an intern/volunteer position, please submit a cover letter and resume to Victoria Yoon, Office Services Manager, at vyoon@smcgov.org. Please indicate which location you want to work at. The office locations are:
Northern Branch
1050 Mission Road
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Southern Branch
500 County Center, 3rd Floor
Redwood City, CA 94063
All qualified applicants must complete a background check and fingerprint clearance before they will be accepted into the program.
We are currently not accepting applications. Please check back for future opportunities.