Chief Monifa Willis brings decades of clinical and trauma experience to help assist and support victims of crime and their families
San Francisco, CA — Today, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced Monifa Willis as the new Chief of the office’s Victim Services Division. As a community health professional for nearly two decades, Willis will lead the division that provides assistance and support to victims of crime and their families.
“I want victims and their families to know loud and clear that my office will serve as a champion for them and their rights,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “Helping victims of crime and their families is a top priority for me and a critical service we provide for those who need support during the most desperate of circumstances. No longer will victims be left in the dark about the services or support that they deserve.”
Chief Willis is an Assistant Clinical Professor for the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Nursing, training students in trauma- and culturally-informed nursing practices. Prior to her role as a professor, she served as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital of Oakland’s Department of Psychiatry. She spent a significant portion of her career working directly with patients and their families as a Psychiatric Registered Nurse at the San Francisco General Hospital and a Family Facilitator I/Mental Health Clinician at EMQ Child and Family Services. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing with a specialty in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from University of California, San Francisco. She also holds a Masters in Counseling Psychology from Santa Clara University.
“It is an honor to serve victims and their families. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly. Through my career in psychiatry and community health, I understand the resources and practices that best support victims and their families,” said Chief Monifa Willis. “I will lead the Victim Services Division with care for those who we serve and ensure that their voices are heard and respected.”
The Victim Services Division (VSD) of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office is charged with providing support and assistance to victims and their families in the aftermath of a crime, during criminal prosecution, and after a verdict is reached.
Chief Willis will increase communication and collaboration between assistant district attorneys and victims services advocates to better serve victims and their families. She plans to help educate the office’s attorneys and victims services staff how to interact with victims using trauma-informed language and practices. Willis will increase direct participation from advocates in and with the diverse communities across San Francisco that they serve. Willis will begin her new role on Monday, August 8, 2022.