Empower Yolo
Our Fall 2025 Peer Counselor Training (PCT) will be a 5-week hybrid training with virtual and in-person presentation, as well as weekly asynchronous assignments.
The training will be virtual on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30PM-10:00 PM, and in-person on Saturdays from 8:30 AM-4:30 PM at our Woodland office.
October 4th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 14th, 16th, 18th, 21st, 23rd, 25th, 28th, 30th
November 1st, 4th, 6th, 8th
All training dates are subject to change. Application Process: Submit your completed application and resume to the Volunteer Coordinator at jess@empoweryolo.org. Applications submitted without a resume will be considered incomplete. If your application is accepted, you will be invited to attend a group interview and orientation. Invitation to the training program will only be issued after a successful interview. Please note that space is limited, and spots are not guaranteed. Applications are due Friday, September 26th Minimum Volunteer Expectations: At least a one-year commitment
Maintain 12 hours of continuing education a year
Volunteer on a consistent weekly basis (~4hrs/week) or (208 hrs/yr)
Attend monthly volunteer meetings (~2hrs/month)
Mandatory completion of monthly volunteer timesheets
Must be able to pass a criminal background check
All changes in shift schedules must be discussed and reported to the Volunteer Coordinator
Training Fee: There is a $300 professional development fee for those who take the course but do not plan to volunteer with Empower Yolo. For volunteers, there is a $50 fee to cover the cost of materials. Arrangements can be made if this poses a financial hardship. All volunteers are required to give a $250 deposit. This deposit will only be cashed if the volunteer fails to complete training or does not follow through on their 208 hr/yr commitment. Agency Description: Mission statement: To promote safe, healthy, and resilient communities. Empower Yolo's purpose is to provide: a) 24-hour crisis intervention, emergency shelter, confidential counseling, training, legal assistance, and other services for individuals and families affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, and child abuse. b) Resource centers for community services to improve the health, social, educational and economic outcomes of Yolo County residents. c) Community outreach and educational programs about available resources to promote health, reproductive equity, stability, and self-sufficiency for individuals and families. All services are to be provided in a manner that appreciates, enhances, and utilizes the strengths of Empower Yolo's clients and honors their cultural practices and traditions. Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Counselor Training Qualifications - Because of the nature and intensity of the training program, applicants must meet the following minimum qualification. Applicants must be able to check ALL the following: Applicants must be 18 years of age.
Applicants must be able to attend all training sessions.
Applicants must complete a FBI/DOJ criminal background check.
Volunteer applicants must be able to attend mandatory monthly volunteer meetings and maintain their yearly on-going education hours.
Volunteer applicants must commit to 12 months of volunteer service, unless training is taken for professional development. We can work with student schedules.
Applicants must have an interest in assisting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking or other violent crimes and their significant others.
Sexual assault and domestic violence counselors must be emotionally ready to assist survivors.
Past or present perpetrators of sexual or physical abuse and/or any violent crime are not eligible to participate in the Peer Counselor Training.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES & JOB DESCRIPTIONS: Volunteers serve the agency in a wide variety of ways as Peer Counselors, including: Telephone Hotline - Provide peer counseling, crisis intervention, shelter screening, and information/referrals to clients accessing the crisis line. Bilingual (in any language) encouraged.
Youth Education/Prevention - Assist our prevention education team with presentations to K-12 graders.
Children’s Program Volunteer - Facilitate playgroups and recreational activities, positive interaction and creative play for children residing in the confidential battered women’s shelter. This program may include assistance with sorting children’s items at the shelter, crisis intervention and follow ups, soliciting material donations for children-clients, and painting murals in public areas used by children-clients.
Client Navigator- Assistant with food distributions, organizing clothing closet, and maintaining the overall function of resource center(s). May include client intakes, resource and referrals, data entry, phone intake, and general assistance.
Safehouse Advocate- Assist with intakes and support to individuals and families residing in our confidential safe house(s). Other duties may include preparing rooms for incoming survivors, answering the crisis line, peer counseling, and crisis intervention/management.
Community Outreach -Staff information tables at community health fairs, farmer’s markets, special college events, and other events throughout Yolo County. Provide peer counseling as needed to local participants.
Community Outreach Advocate - Provide presentations, outreach activities and/or peer-counseling to bilingual and non-English speaking clients. This may include Latino, Russian, and AAPI communities.
Legal Advocacy/Accompaniment - Assist clients in filing for a domestic violence restraining order, accompany a survivor to court, work closely with judges in Yolo County. Volunteers must have at least 3- 6 months of experience on the crisis line prior to working in the Legal Department.
Marriage and Family Therapist Intern/Associate Social Worker - Provide therapeutic interventions and case management, Masters level or postgraduate students only. Clinical supervision is available.
*Admin Assistant - Assist filing client information, organizing volunteer and employee files, data entry, donation follow-up and letter writing, and other duties as assigned.
*Special Events Volunteer - Plan and participate in events such as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month events.
*Food Distribution Assistance - Support weekly food distribution in Knights Landing, Davis, or Yolo. Must be reliable, able to lift 50+ pounds, able to bend up and down and prepare food bags for community members.
*These positions do not require the Peer Counselor Certification. Volunteers have no limit to the number of internships they can participate in within our agency. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Must obtain a Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Crisis Counselor Certificate by attending a minimum of 72.75 hours of comprehensive training on all aspects of rape, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, effects on children, crisis intervention, resource and referral counseling, hotline response, hospital, law enforcement and court procedures in accordance with California Penal Code 13835.10. This training meets the standards set forth in the Welfare and Institutions Code Section 18294 and Penal Code 13837 through curriculum approved by the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) offered by Empower Yolo. SUPERVISION: Work under supervision, by the Associate Director, following established agency policies and procedures. Participate in a cooperative evaluation process. QUALIFICATIONS: Ability to communicate with compassion and empathy. Volunteers must be patient, nonjudgmental and able to demonstrate cultural humility to our client base. Must maintain client confidentiality at all times. Please see Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Counselor Training Qualifications for a complete list of qualifications.
November 1st, 4th, 6th, 8th
All training dates are subject to change. Application Process: Submit your completed application and resume to the Volunteer Coordinator at jess@empoweryolo.org. Applications submitted without a resume will be considered incomplete. If your application is accepted, you will be invited to attend a group interview and orientation. Invitation to the training program will only be issued after a successful interview. Please note that space is limited, and spots are not guaranteed. Applications are due Friday, September 26th Minimum Volunteer Expectations: At least a one-year commitment
Maintain 12 hours of continuing education a year
Volunteer on a consistent weekly basis (~4hrs/week) or (208 hrs/yr)
Attend monthly volunteer meetings (~2hrs/month)
Mandatory completion of monthly volunteer timesheets
Must be able to pass a criminal background check
All changes in shift schedules must be discussed and reported to the Volunteer Coordinator
Training Fee: There is a $300 professional development fee for those who take the course but do not plan to volunteer with Empower Yolo. For volunteers, there is a $50 fee to cover the cost of materials. Arrangements can be made if this poses a financial hardship. All volunteers are required to give a $250 deposit. This deposit will only be cashed if the volunteer fails to complete training or does not follow through on their 208 hr/yr commitment. Agency Description: Mission statement: To promote safe, healthy, and resilient communities. Empower Yolo's purpose is to provide: a) 24-hour crisis intervention, emergency shelter, confidential counseling, training, legal assistance, and other services for individuals and families affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, and child abuse. b) Resource centers for community services to improve the health, social, educational and economic outcomes of Yolo County residents. c) Community outreach and educational programs about available resources to promote health, reproductive equity, stability, and self-sufficiency for individuals and families. All services are to be provided in a manner that appreciates, enhances, and utilizes the strengths of Empower Yolo's clients and honors their cultural practices and traditions. Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Counselor Training Qualifications - Because of the nature and intensity of the training program, applicants must meet the following minimum qualification. Applicants must be able to check ALL the following: Applicants must be 18 years of age.
Applicants must be able to attend all training sessions.
Applicants must complete a FBI/DOJ criminal background check.
Volunteer applicants must be able to attend mandatory monthly volunteer meetings and maintain their yearly on-going education hours.
Volunteer applicants must commit to 12 months of volunteer service, unless training is taken for professional development. We can work with student schedules.
Applicants must have an interest in assisting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking or other violent crimes and their significant others.
Sexual assault and domestic violence counselors must be emotionally ready to assist survivors.
Past or present perpetrators of sexual or physical abuse and/or any violent crime are not eligible to participate in the Peer Counselor Training.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES & JOB DESCRIPTIONS: Volunteers serve the agency in a wide variety of ways as Peer Counselors, including: Telephone Hotline - Provide peer counseling, crisis intervention, shelter screening, and information/referrals to clients accessing the crisis line. Bilingual (in any language) encouraged.
Youth Education/Prevention - Assist our prevention education team with presentations to K-12 graders.
Children’s Program Volunteer - Facilitate playgroups and recreational activities, positive interaction and creative play for children residing in the confidential battered women’s shelter. This program may include assistance with sorting children’s items at the shelter, crisis intervention and follow ups, soliciting material donations for children-clients, and painting murals in public areas used by children-clients.
Client Navigator- Assistant with food distributions, organizing clothing closet, and maintaining the overall function of resource center(s). May include client intakes, resource and referrals, data entry, phone intake, and general assistance.
Safehouse Advocate- Assist with intakes and support to individuals and families residing in our confidential safe house(s). Other duties may include preparing rooms for incoming survivors, answering the crisis line, peer counseling, and crisis intervention/management.
Community Outreach -Staff information tables at community health fairs, farmer’s markets, special college events, and other events throughout Yolo County. Provide peer counseling as needed to local participants.
Community Outreach Advocate - Provide presentations, outreach activities and/or peer-counseling to bilingual and non-English speaking clients. This may include Latino, Russian, and AAPI communities.
Legal Advocacy/Accompaniment - Assist clients in filing for a domestic violence restraining order, accompany a survivor to court, work closely with judges in Yolo County. Volunteers must have at least 3- 6 months of experience on the crisis line prior to working in the Legal Department.
Marriage and Family Therapist Intern/Associate Social Worker - Provide therapeutic interventions and case management, Masters level or postgraduate students only. Clinical supervision is available.
*Admin Assistant - Assist filing client information, organizing volunteer and employee files, data entry, donation follow-up and letter writing, and other duties as assigned.
*Special Events Volunteer - Plan and participate in events such as Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month events.
*Food Distribution Assistance - Support weekly food distribution in Knights Landing, Davis, or Yolo. Must be reliable, able to lift 50+ pounds, able to bend up and down and prepare food bags for community members.
*These positions do not require the Peer Counselor Certification. Volunteers have no limit to the number of internships they can participate in within our agency. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Must obtain a Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Crisis Counselor Certificate by attending a minimum of 72.75 hours of comprehensive training on all aspects of rape, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, effects on children, crisis intervention, resource and referral counseling, hotline response, hospital, law enforcement and court procedures in accordance with California Penal Code 13835.10. This training meets the standards set forth in the Welfare and Institutions Code Section 18294 and Penal Code 13837 through curriculum approved by the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) offered by Empower Yolo. SUPERVISION: Work under supervision, by the Associate Director, following established agency policies and procedures. Participate in a cooperative evaluation process. QUALIFICATIONS: Ability to communicate with compassion and empathy. Volunteers must be patient, nonjudgmental and able to demonstrate cultural humility to our client base. Must maintain client confidentiality at all times. Please see Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Counselor Training Qualifications for a complete list of qualifications.