By Michelle Willer-Alred
In response to the growing demand for victim services in eastern Ventura County, discussions are underway regarding the establishment of a new Family Justice Center here.
County Supervisor Janice Parvin led a panel discussion at Simi Valley City Hall on Tuesday to talk about the need for the center and the services it would offer. The discussion led to a debate about what city the new center should be located in.
Erik Sternad, executive director of Interface Children and Family Services, attended the meeting and said the highest number of calls to the agency’s 211 crisis line come from Oxnard and Ventura, followed closely by Simi Valley.
He said many East County callers have a tough time arranging transportation to Interface’s Ventura office, which makes it hard for them to access counseling, legal aid and other services.
“That tells you, location is critical,” Sternad said.
On the panel were key figures including Michael Jump, chief deputy at the Ventura County district attorney’s office; Christine Mitchell, project manager for the proposed East County center; Simi Valley Police Detective Kellyn King; Debbie Samel, representing Soroptimist Simi Valley; and Shannon Sergey, founder and CEO of Forever Found.
The East County facility would be the third family justice center in the county.
Ventura County’s Family Justice Center at 3170 Loma Vista in Ventura offers comprehensive services for victims of domestic violence, sexual offenses and human trafficking. It also provides mental health and housing assistance.
A new justice center, slated to open this year in Oxnard, aims to expand these critical services. It will be dedicated to the late Ventura County Supervisor Carmen Ramirez,
Last year, Supervisor Jeff Gorell suggested that a vacant property in Thousand Oaks be used for the East County center, but supervisors opted to do more research.
According to county statistics, the majority of the 10,666 individuals the Ventura center has served from 2019 through 2023 are females coming in seeking help with restraining orders and roughly half are accompanied by children.
Data show the highest demand for help in East County comes from Simi Valley residents, followed by people living in Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park and Moorpark.
Many of those seeking services don’t have transportation.
“They’ve overcome a lot of barriers to get here, so we want to make it as easy and as comfortable as possible to seek help,” Mitchell said about the need for an East County center.
Samel and Sergey discussed the services their organizations provide and said many of the people they help are from the East County.
Jump said the county’s Family Justice Center Foundation offers Camp Hope, which provides activities for at- risk youth. Foundation officials would like to offer more programs to youths on the county’s east side.
King, who works with victims, said the entire county deserves equal access to victim services.
“I urge all of you tonight, if we can continue to work together, we can be that beacon of hope for East County residents who are experiencing their darkest hours,” she said.
Jump said community engagement will play a vital role in the decision making process, with two upcoming meetings scheduled in September in the East County to gather input from residents.
The final decision will rest with the office of District Attorney Erik Nasarenko, given the substantial commitment required from DA staff to operate the center effectively.
Jump said the Family Justice Center is funded through grants, fundraising efforts and indirectly through partners and volunteers.
Parvin, who represents District 4 which includes Simi and Moorpark, said she would like to see the center in Simi Valley.
“When you look at the statistics, it kind of leads you to that direction. That’s just my opinion,” she said.
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