(Posted 2025 November)
Two Volunteer Programs Join Forces to Fight Intimate Partner Violence
The Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Language Access program (originally the Volunteer Interpreter Program, or VIP) has existed for 30 years, providing services for limited English speakers at the court. Volunteer Voices recently sat down with Sandra Guerrero Perez, Language Access manager, and the program coordinator Mildred Castillo Villareal to talk about the work the program does. This is an excerpt of that conversation.
Volunteer Voices: Talk to me about the mission of JDRDC’s Language Access program.
Sandra Guerrero Perez: It was the VIP program in 1994—that was the official name when it started, the Volunteer Interpreter Program--and we did what the name suggested. By 2019, we started growing so, so much, and we changed the name [to reflect everything we do] to the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Language Access program.
We are officers of the court who coordinate volunteers to provide translation and interpretation services for limited English speakers to be able to communicate with court officers, counselors, judges, clerks, and any other staff members so they feel supported through the court process. Our staff is trained to follow compliance on federal regulations, county regulations, and state regulations.
What does this mission and work look like in action?
SGP: Sometimes it’s complex. We have a broad county, so we never know what flavor we’re getting today. At any moment we have walk-in appointments. We can have Vietnamese, Arabic. The other day we had Russian. I love how we provide services to so many different clients.
Mildred Castillo Villareal: We say the most predictable thing is it’s an unpredictable thing. Requests come in any mode—over the phone, virtual, in person. Sometimes I get three days to get a volunteer in place, or one day, sometimes I’ll have 10 minutes. Our volunteers speak 32 languages. We try to accommodate the client’s needs and also the needs of the office. So, the client has access to the proper language and knows what just took place in a courtroom. Even if you speak English, you don’t always understand what happens in a legal setting. We break it down to the level of understanding for that client. Everybody should have equal access to legal terminology. We also do translations of vital documents, forms within JDRDC, to make sure clients understand what they’re filling out. Translations happen in the five to 10 most used languages in the county.
We also train staff, and that training is not just language but also cultural appropriation. What does Spanish from Guatemala look like [compared to another Spanish-speaking country]? Some of the terminology we use in the United States, there’s no equivalent. For instance, probation doesn’t exist within the legal system of some countries.
And we look into compliance. It’s not limited to translation and interpretation. We make sure everybody’s compliant, including our vendors. We protect the agency.
How does JDRDC-LA differ from other language access programs in the county?
SGP: Part of the answer is the legal work. This is the courthouse; we have the legal terminology. We also have other units, including counseling, probation, examinations, assessments. It’s a big umbrella of services. What makes it unique is that our volunteers have medical and legal training. We specialize in making sure they have both. It takes a long time to become a legal interpreter, but these volunteers step it up to become specialists.
MCV: When we recruit our volunteers, we pull from everywhere. We have a volunteer with Foreign Service background and another who is a housewife. They all have been trained, within the agency and outside, for language and cultural awareness.
How did the partnership between JDRDC-LA and the Domestic and Sexual Violence Services division come about?
SGP: It’s a new partnership. [Volunteer Manager] Caroline [Croghan] reached out to us because the division is seeking more Spanish-speaking volunteers. I was very happy she wanted to partner with us. Both of our programs serve vulnerable clients. For instance, we both work with clients who need protective orders or who have experienced domestic violence. We speak the same language on the domestic violence front.
What's the best thing about this partnership?
SGP: I have this wonderful, amazing volunteer interpreter program, and DSVS has amazing trainings. Having that support, knowing I can call her, and she makes trainings work for us. Working together we become stronger.
What are some challenges to this partnership? How are we addressing them?
SGP: Scheduling. But DSVS does multiple training throughout the year.
What else should our audience know about JDRDC-LA and the work the program does in Fairfax County?
MCV: Services are free of charge. They are also confidential. What happens here stays here. If we notice a conflict of interest between a volunteer and a client—we once had a volunteer and client run into each other in the grocery store--we find a replacement. Language should never be a barrier for receiving services. We are here to close that gap of not fully understanding the legal system. We’re here so they’re not afraid to seek help. So clients don’t feel, like, “No one speaks my language.”
SGP: We are always recruiting more volunteers. We’re more than happy to explain the magical world of legal interpretation.
MCV: Anyone 21 and older, we want them. Plus, there’s a lot of support for the volunteers, so they don’t take home the trauma we see. We will hold your hand through this.