Frequently Asked Questions

+ Do I need a certain license or experience to volunteer at the Berkeley Free Clinic?

No. Volunteering at the clinic is open to anyone in the community. We welcome applicants with diverse interests and experiences. If you have a license and would like to volunteer under your professional purview please see our page on Volunteering as a Healthcare Professional.

+ How old do I have to be to volunteer at the Berkeley Free Clinic?

Generally, all sections require volunteers to be at least 18+. However, some sections may consider accepting volunteers under the age of 18 in exceptional circumstances.

+ Is the Berkeley Free Clinic an institution of UC Berkeley?

No. We are located close to the UC Berkeley Campus but we are not affiliated with the University of California.

+ Can I volunteer as an undergraduate student?

Yes, but it is important to reflect on the ways your status as a student might impact our organization, clients, and community.

We receive many applications from students seeking clinical experience and a letter of recommendation for medical school. Accepting large numbers of pre-medical students has historically led to higher volunteer turnover and lower representation of the communities we serve.

Please consider your ability to commit. It is very important for the consistency of our services that you are available to volunteer throughout the year, which usually includes summer break and exam weeks.

Because we make a major investment in training our volunteers, we prioritize applicants who are planning to stay in the Bay Area for the next few years and who represent the communities we serve. Many students fall into these categories!

While we welcome all applicants regardless of their status as a student, your words and actions must demonstrate a serious commitment to addressing structural oppression in healthcare.

+ What do you look for in an applicant?

Each section may prioritize different qualities.

In general, the qualities that help applicants stand out include:

• Alignment with our values (including Harm Reduction, Racial Justice, Disability Justice, Anti-Capitalism, Intersectional Feminism, etc.)
• East Bay local or active in this community for many years
• Native speaker of Spanish or other non-English languages
• Relevant lived experience or life experience, such as:
  • Homelessness
  • Drug use, addiction, and/or recovery
  • HIV-positive status
  • Poverty
  • Racial discrimination
  • Immigration
  • Sex work
  • Customer service/retail work
  • Healthcare/non-profit administration work
  • Experience with worker's cooperatives or other collective decision-making groups

You don't have to meet all of these criteria or disclose information you are not comfortable sharing in order to for us to accept your application. However, hopefully this list gives you an idea of our values and the kind of community we hope to cultivate at the Berkeley Free Clinic.

+ Can I apply to (or be a part of) more than one section?

If you are not currently a volunteer with the Berkeley Free Clinic, you are welcome to apply to multiple sections at once. However, as our trainings are time-intensive, you can only go through training for one section at a time. Thus, if you are accepted to multiple sections, you have to choose one to join first.

Once a volunteer has been voted in as a member, they are allowed (even encouraged!) to apply to other sections. Many of our members volunteer in multiple sections at once, while others have decided to transition to a different section after completing the minimum time commitment for their original section (typically 1 - 1.5 years after being voted in as a member).

+ What is the difference between a “volunteer,” “trainee,” and “member”?

Volunteer: Anyone who volunteers at the BFC, including both trainees and members

Trainee: A volunteer who is undergoing the training process.

Member: A volunteer who has completed all trainings and requirements for their section and has been “voted-in” to their section by other members. Members have voting rights in their own section meetings and in all-clinic meetings.

+ Can I get a letter of recommendation (LOR) from the Berkeley Free Clinic?

Volunteers are eligible for letters of recommendation after they have been members for at least 1 year.

Exception: Medical Section and Peer Counseling Collective members are only eligible for LORs 1.5 years after they are voted in as members.

+ What are the requirements to get “voted-in” as a member?

The requirements that are mandatory for all clinic members include the following trainings:

• 8 Core Trainings (Clinic History, Building Safety and Security, Internal Referrals, Power + Privilege, HIPAA, Principles of Unity, Collective Voting Practices and Principles, and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis/Volunteer Health)
• Health Requirements (TB test, Hep B titre/vaccination, annual flu shot)
• Attendance at at least one All-Clinic Community Meeting

In addition, each section has its own requirements. Sample requirements might include:

• Section-specific trainings
• Weekly or twice-monthly shifts
• Attendance at section business meetings and subcommittee meetings
• Being signed off by a member as competent in specific tasks (e.g. flu shots)

Once voted-in, the requirements to stay an active member depend on the section. Generally they may include:

• Regular shift attendance
• 1 all-clinic meeting per year
• 1 section meeting per quarter
• 10-25 off-shift task hours per quarter.

Off-shift tasks might include things like committee meetings, cleaning/maintenance, or supply ordering. As we are a mainly volunteer-run organization, our members take part in all levels of clinic administration.