Volunteers and Students

A Legacy of Volunteerism

The contributions of volunteers – health care providers, community volunteers, and learners such as medical residents, interns, externs, and students – have been welcomed and valued at all levels of the organization since our beginnings as an all-volunteer run organization in 1972. We would not have been able to become the CommuniCare Health Centers that we are today without the interest, support, and dedication of volunteers!

There are several ways to get involved with CommuniCare!

Clinical Volunteer Experiences

Licensed health care professionals interested in volunteering at CommuniCare Health Centers can submit their resume/CV to volunteer@communicarehc.org. All volunteer providers will need to undergo credentialing (e.g. MD, DO, PA, NP, DDS, DMD, CNM, LCSW, LMFT).

Clinical Student Learning Opportunities

The Clinical Student Learning Application is for students in advanced health degree programs. These opportunities are not available to undergraduate students.

CommuniCare Health Centers offers a range of opportunities for student learners interested in completing a clinical rotation, practicum, or internship for a health related degree. Health professional student learners are integral to our community and help facilitate important services to our patient population. We have several ongoing partnerships with local universities and health centers that provide us with a number of student learners. We also have some, but limited, capacity to host learning opportunities for individuals not enrolled in one of our partnered institutions. Some of our student learning experiences include: 

 

  • Primary Care Resident Rotations
  • Addiction Medicine Resident Rotations
  • Behavioral Health Internships
  • Medical Assistant Externships
  • UC Davis LCE Clinical Rotations (medical students)
  • UCD ACE-PC Clinical Rotations (medical students)
  • Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Clinical Rotations
  • Family Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Midwifery Clinical Rotations
  • Master’s of Public Health Practicums and Nutrition Internships

Non-Clinical Volunteer and Internship Opportunities

In addition to clinical learning experiences for health professional students, CommuniCare offers a variety of opportunities to volunteer and intern in a non-clinical setting. Volunteers and interns assist our staff and providers at all levels of our organization, providing important support and services for our community. All of our non-clinical volunteer and internship opportunities are unpaid. However, historically, many CommuniCare volunteers and interns have moved into our paid workforce, becoming long-term members of the CommuniCare family. Some of our non-clinical volunteer opportunities include:

 

(Please click the position title to view the related position description)

 

Open positions:

 
Closed positions:

Interested in Applying to a Volunteer Position?
Select one option below

This application is for students enrolled in advanced health degree programs. This application is NOT open to undergraduate students. 

This application is open to anyone.

Volunteer and Student FAQ:

If you are interested in applying for a clinical or non-clinical volunteer opportunity, please select one of the applications above and submit your form. Once submitted, your application will be reviewed by the Volunteer and Student Program Supervisor. 

Upon review, the Volunteer and Student Program Supervisor will share your application and resume with the position’s supervisor for further consideration. 


Applicants that are chosen to move forward with an interview will be contacted via email. All applicants will undergo a screening phone call facilitated by the Volunteer and Student Program Supervisor, followed by an in-person interview (for applicable positions). Once a decision is made, the candidate will be contacted and notified of the decision.


Please allow up to 2 weeks for your application to be reviewed and processed. 

All volunteers are required to provide the following:

  • Record of MMR Immunization or proof of immunity (Titer)
  • Record of Hepatitis B Immunization or proof of immunity (Titer) 
  • Record of Varicella Immunization or proof of immunity (Titer)
  • Proof of COVID-19 vaccination and booster
  • Negative TB Test results (dated within 12 months)
  • Proof of current seasonal Flu Vaccine – during flu season Nov 1 – March 31


Additionally, upon acceptance into a volunteer position, the candidate can expect to receive an onboarding packet requiring signatures for signed agreements and policies, Sexual Harassment Prevention Training, and a CommuniCare Volunteer and Student Safety training manual and quiz. 


Student learners and licensed health professionals completing a student learning experience can also expect to submit additional certification and licensure documents (if applicable). These requirements will be laid out in the onboarding packet an accepted student would receive. 

All of our clinical student learning opportunities are designed for applicants already enrolled in a professional health degree academic program. If you are a student looking to complete a rotation or practicum as part of your degree’s requirements, you should apply for a clinical learning opportunity.

If you are an undergraduate student seeking clinical experiences or a student NOT enrolled in any related health professional degree program, then you should not submit a clinical student learning application.

CommuniCare Health Centers does not offer an opportunity to apply to shadow a provider in the clinic. Due to the presence of student learners and limited precepting capacity, we cannot accommodate all shadowing requests.


However, we can accommodate limited shadowing opportunities for those interested if you:

  • Volunteer for a minimum of six (6) months in a relevant volunteer position, or
  • Have the approval of a provider willing to let the individual shadow


Please also note that this is not a guaranteed benefit of volunteering at CommuniCare. Volunteers that have committed a substantial amount of service to CommuniCare can request the Volunteer and Student Program Supervisor to facilitate a shadowing experience with one of our clinic’s providers. Nonetheless, shadowing opportunities are dependent on preceptor capacity at that time and not guaranteed.

Learn More from Volunteers that have Transitioned to Employees Below

We are a proud certified Service Enterprise Organization!

Starting as an all-volunteer run clinic in 1972, volunteerism has always been at the core of our organization, and as we grew and our name changed, the contributions of volunteers have continued to be welcomed at all levels of the organization. Recently, as part of a re-commitment to our volunteer program, CommuniCare completed the process to earn a Service Enterprise certification. As a certified Service Enterprise, CommuniCare is among the top 11% of nonprofits, nationwide, in volunteer management and organizational performance.

A Service Enterprise is an organization that achieves operational efficiency, allowing for greater social impact, by strategically leveraging volunteers and their skills to address community needs. To earn this prestigious certification, the Volunteer Services team embarked on a three-year journey of extensive assessments, training & coaching, and the building of internal infrastructure to support a robust volunteer program capable of adapting and expanding to support the entire organization and continue to innovate and find new ways meet the needs of the community. Being certified Service Enterprise indicates that we have the capability and management expertise to strategically leverage the skills, talents, and unique experience and perspective that each volunteer uses as they contribute at all levels of the organization.

The Service Enterprise seal tells potential volunteers that personal, academic, and professional growth can be achieved through the opportunities they find at CommuiCare and that they will be able to have meaningful experiences creating positive impact on the health outcomes of some of our most vulnerable friends and neighbors, many who have not traditionally had access to the high-quality, comprehensive healthcare that CommuniCare is dedicated to providing everyone in our community.