VIVIEN VILLAVERDE earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Human Behavior with a minor in Criminology, Law and Society from the University of California, Irvine. She also has a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work in New York.

She is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of California and has worked in the Los Angeles Unified School District for the last 10 years. Villaverde held multiple positions in the district, including a leadership role and one in program development, specializing in programs serving students in the foster care and delinquency systems.

Villaverde has an extensive background in collaborative work with Los Angeles County agencies, such as the Department of Probation, Department of Mental Health, and the Department of Children and Family Services. She also worked for non-profit agencies as a psychiatric social worker.

She has been affiliated with the School of Social Work for the past 6 years through the school's field placement program and has served as a field instructor, sharing her experience and knowledge about working with families and children in the school setting. Villaverde teaches in the Virtual Academic Center and at the Orange County Academic Center, where she is co-coordinator for the foundation year curriculum and coordinator for the Mental Health and Community Organization, Planning and Administration concentrations, as well as the Pupil Personnel Services credential.