Membership

Spring Semester Spanish Recruitment

Our website is in the process of being updated. Please see this section for information on spring semester Spanish Department recruitment; all other information below is for the fall semester.

Our application is due via email by Sunday Jan 29th at 11:59pm by email. Applicants will then be notified and selected for interviews.

Please click here for the application

Please click here for more information about Spanish recruitment

———-(end of Spanish recruitment information)———

VHIO seeks student volunteers fluent in Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Spanish, and other languages and dialects. Oral fluency is required, and written is preferred. We look for volunteers who are passionate about helping the under-served and committed to community outreach. Volunteer recruitment takes place annually at the beginning of fall semester of each academic school year. We have annual information sessions in August/September.

Due to the language requirements for our volunteer events, prospective volunteers must fill out an application (available online, link below) and go through an in-language screening during interview to demonstrate basic conversational fluency. Training in related medical terminologies and interpreting skills will be provided to selected volunteers via a DeCal class.

Volunteer Requirements

The points below describe what is necessary to be considered an active VHIO volunteer. For the semesters which you have fulfilled the following requirements, you may state your title as a VHIO volunteer on your resume, applications, interviews, etc. Occasionally, graduate schools contact us to double check membership.

1. Demonstrate second-language fluency (must be a native speaker or have lived in a country where your language was spoken)
2. Submit proof of TB skin test every 6 months, chest X-ray, or note from doctor (required for Mt. Zion and CPHC clinics- Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean)
3. Submit immunization proof for MMR, Varicella, Hep B, Tdap, Swine Flu, Seasonal Flu (Note: The flu shots are free at UCSF for volunteers. You may decline the flu shots, but you must submit a form and wear a mask at clinics.) (required for Mt. Zion and CPHC clinics- Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean)
4. Commit one full year: minimum of 4 volunteer events per semester (Note: You are responsible for your commitments! We require a 48-hour notice if you cannot make it to an event you signed up for. You must call the event coordinator if you are ill. Failure to show up will result in a cancellation of one completed volunteering event.) Document translations and socials count as half of a volunteering event requirement.
5. Enroll in the mandatory DeCal (TuTh 6-8:30 beginning Tuesday, September 13th) for training. Spring semester recruits are required to attend our training sessions (Wednesdays 6-8:30)

 

Attention returning volunteers: You are required to attend the orientation on Saturday, September 17th and at least 2 DeCal classesthroughout the semeseter for review. Please sign in.

 

Process for becoming a VHIO volunteer

1. Complete Volunteer Application Fall 2011(click to download). See the application for directions.
2. Submit to cal.vhio@gmail.com by Monday, September 5th 11:59pm. You will receive a confirmation email once your application has been received, and another email to schedule an interview.
3. Complete in-language group interview if invited, between Thursday September 8th and Sunday September 11th.
4. Final notifications will be emailed no later than Monday, September 12th.
5. Enroll in our fall semester DeCal class, which begins on Tuesday, Septebmer 13th.

 

• Attend our orientation on September, 17th.
• Submit proof of TB skin test/proof of chest X-rays/doctor’s note by first clinic (required for Mt. Zion and CPHC clinics- Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean)

 

Non-UC Berkeley Student Volunteers

We welcome everyone to contribute your diverse experiences to VHIO.  If you are a non-UC Berkeley student, please email the following information to cal.vhio@gmail.com to apply:

1. Subject title: Volunteer Application, [Name], [Language]
2. Attach a current resume
3. In short answer format, please explain why you want to volunteer with VHIO
4. Briefly explain your oral and written language abilities, including your background (i.e. how you learned it, any schooling, etc.) and fluency
5. Complete an in-language interview
6. Receive training, the extent of which is dependent upon your fluency in your language and your skills in interpretation.
7. Submit proof of TB skin test/proof of chest X-rays/doctor’s note by first clinic (required for Mt. Zion and CPHC clnics)

Volunteers Speaking Other Languages

We have gotten a lot of questions from people who are interested in healthcare interpretation, but who do not speak one of the languages we currently are actively recruiting for. VHIO currently does not have the infrastructure for languages besides the 5 that we have listed. What that really means is that a lot of work has been done and is ongoing in each of the five languages to outreach and set up opportunities for volunteers in those 5 languages, but we don’t have something equivalent for other languages.

Each of the 5 languages we have now have have been at point zero in the past, and previous volunteers have taken the time to set up each community partnership. VHIO is interested in expanding to more languages, but we will not be able to lead the initiative this semester, as our main focus will be with our new Spanish group. If you are interested in healthcare interpreting in your language, here are two ways you can get involved with VHIO:

1. Start your own project in your language. For this, send in a VHIO application so that we can get to know you and discuss what you plan to do with us. If the application process goes well, we will welcome you into VHIO to start your own project. This would entail first researching the demographics in this area and compiling lists of community organizations that you could reach out into. From here, if it looks promising, there is potential to move onto further recruitment. From our standpoint, we can help you get started by sharing our past experiences, our interpretation resources, and guide you through the semester, but the main initiative for setting up the project will come from you.
2. If you aren’t interested in starting a new language branch, you can also email us with your information. Sometimes community organizations ask for interpretation in languages that we do not currently have, so we can forward those requests to you directly.

If you have any questions about joining, please email cal.vhio@gmail.com.