About DESJ

Our mission

The mission of the County of Santa Clara is to plan for the needs of a dynamic community, provide quality services, and promote a healthy, safe, and prosperous community for all.

Our vision

A County government that incorporates diversity, equity, and belonging into all aspects of our work to help achieve our organizational mission through fair and just governmental processes, equitable distribution of resources, and power to improve outcomes for all.

Our services

Get assistance with labor standards compliance or workplace issues

About DESJ

Free advice line for workers and businesses seeking information or assistance with labor standards compliance or workplace issues.

Core values

Systems transformation

Address the root causes of multi-generational crisis and shift agency and power back to the hands of our most marginalized communities.

Authentic community engagement

Policies, strategies, and processes should be informed by communities most affected by inequities in our community.

Mutually beneficial partnerships

Partnerships move at the speed of trust and should benefit all groups, with clear conversations about expectations and power.

Data-driven decision-making

Policies, programs, and strategies should be informed by data and be responsive to those affected by inequities in our communities.

Accessibility and accountability

Information, services, strategy-setting, and decision-making should be clear, transparent, accessible, and allow for engagement of all stakeholders in the county and our diverse community regardless of language or disability.

Holding complex, intersectional identities

Invitations and pathways must ensure a broad range of voices, especially those with intersectional marginalized identities and deeply systems-impacted experiences.

Our offices

Situated in the County Executive's Office, our offices center children, women, workers, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, individuals with Limited English Proficiency, individuals with disabilities, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and the historically underserved.

Disability Affairs

Diversity, Equity, and Belonging

Gender-Based Violence Prevention

Immigrant Relations

Labor Standards Enforcement

Language Access

LGBTQ Affairs

Women's Policy