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About the Training • Eligibility • Registration • FAQ

Eligibility for Participation in the Training

All potential students for our training must meet the following four criteria:

• Be aged 18 or older

• At least two years have passed between the last date of receiving any services from Walnut Avenue and the start of training

• Have some prior experience in navigating online learning content

• Have access to a device that enables online browsing, utilizing video/audio content, and participating on Zoom

If a student wishes to volunteer with us upon completing the training, they must also:

• Be willing to conduct a criminal background check

• Be a resident of California for at least 50% of the year (citizenship status is irrelevant)

Training Registration

To register, you must attend a volunteer orientation prior to the start of the training you wish to participate in. You will be provided with the link to register yourself for the training after completing an orientation. You cannot register during the training itself. Registration for each training closes two weeks prior to the first date of training.

FAQ about Becoming an Advocate

“I don’t have prior experience in any kind of counseling or emotional support roles.”

That’s okay! No prior experience is necessary. We spend a lot of time during the 40+ hours of training practicing peer support skills like active listening, the difference between emotional validation and unhelpful platitudes, and setting healthy, appropriate boundaries as needed. Peer counseling is non-clinical support, and our focus as advocates is always on practical safety concerns rather than therapeutic service.

We have advocates from all walks of life, including STEM fields, and advocates of all kinds of personalities, neurodivergences, and other ways of existing in the world.

“What if I’m not a ‘people person’?”

That depends on what you mean. Advocates are expected to act with compassion as well as professionalism, and we practice what that looks like during the training. What makes an advocate effective is less about innate personality and much more about the application of appropriate skills, knowledge, and attitude when interacting with someone who’s experienced harm.

“I’m a survivor of domestic violence. Can I still be an advocate?”

Absolutely! Many of our own staff and past/current volunteers get into this work because they have a personal investment, in one way or another, in seeing things change for the better around domestic violence.

However, it’s important to know that being a survivor comes with its own benefits and also risks. Survivors often understand the perspective of other survivors in a way that comes from a shared experience, but it also comes with a higher risk of “vicarious trauma” - that is, being re-traumatized from witnessing another person’s pain.

If you’re a survivor, we strongly recommend that you wait until at least a few years have passed since your own experience of domestic violence and that you have some personal support, such as a counselor or loved ones you trust, in place before trying to support other survivors.

“I’m not a cis woman. Can I still be an advocate?”

Yes! Domestic violence impacts people of all genders.

“I’m not planning to be a therapist or social worker. How is this training still relevant to me?”

The CDC estimates that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men in the general US population experience physical abuse, rape, or stalking from an intimate partner - and that’s not even including verbal, financial, spiritual, privileged, and other forms of abuse. Statistically speaking, every person knows multiple survivors of domestic violence in their personal life, whether or not those survivors have chosen to share about their experience.

Domestic violence can come up in any workplace, classroom, social gathering, or personal space. Even if you aren’t planning to go into clinical or social work, this training can still prepare you to be a better, safer support person for your loved ones…and also help you recognize red flags in your own relationships.

This is why Walnut Avenue is doing its best to lower as many barriers as possible, such as eliminating materials fees and even some of the volunteering requirements which are normally attached to this kind of intensive training. As part of our multi-faceted prevention strategy, we want as many people as possible to be able to access evidence-based information about interpersonal violence.

“I’m interested in the training, but I’m worried about the emotional impact of the work.”

It’s not uncommon for people to develop a better understanding of how domestic violence advocacy will personally impact them during the course of the training. Some feel more confident about it once they get more details, while others decide that direct service isn’t the best fit - and that’s okay! Even though we hope that people will complete the training and volunteer with us afterwards, we never want to put anyone, including our volunteers, in a position where they feel that they can’t make the best decisions for their own well-being. There are no consequences for not completing the training, and students may exit at any time.

“I’m interested in the training, but I don’t live in California.”

You don’t need to live in California, or even the United States more generally, to attend our virtual trainings in spring. You can also still receive certification under California state law (although we can’t guarantee whether or not that certification will be considered valid in your region). At this time, all of our trainings are facilitated in English.

However, you will not be able to volunteer with us unless you live at least half your time in California.

“Can I receive any continuing education (CE) credit for this?”

Not at this time. We can provide a letter confirming your attendance and you will receive certification if you complete the training.

“What does this actually certify me for?”

This certification training is authorized under the requirements of California Evidence Code 1037 and the guidelines set forth by the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), one of Walnut Avenue’s primary funders. This certification is legally valid under California state law. While California has some of the highest standards for this certification in the United States, Walnut Avenue cannot guarantee that this certification will be accepted across state or national lines. There is no U.S. federal certification for domestic violence counseling or advocacy at this time.

Completion of this training as a “domestic violence counselor” (i.e. advocate) certifies you to provide crisis intervention services and peer counseling to survivors of domestic violence while under the auspices of a qualifying domestic violence program or agency (such as Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center). This comes with some legal privileges, as explained during the course of the training.

“If I get certified, how long does that certification last?”

Certification does not have a legally mandated expiration date after completing the training. However, many organizations will have their own standards. For example, some organizations may require a partial or full re-certification if more than three years have passed since the last date of domestic violence service or training, but this is stipulated by individual organizations and not by law.