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Marjorie Hernandez , Marjorie.Hernandez@vcstar.com, 805-437-0263 Published 3:44 p.m. PT March 22, 2017 | Updated 3:45 p.m. PT March 22, 2017
Plans are in the works to develop a multimillion-dollar center that would house agencies that assist victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and elder abuse.
The proposed Ventura County Family Justice Center is based on a national model for victims to access law enforcement, legal, medical and mental health assistance under one roof. The idea for the multi-agency center not only will provide a “one-stop shop,” but also will streamline the process to provide vital services for victims and their families, organizers said.
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office has led the two-year push to bring the concept here. That effort has included conversations with leaders from law enforcement, the Ventura County Health Care Agency, nonprofit organizations, experts in the family justice center movement and victims.
“It is really a very progressive model where you have all of the service providers who have been operating in silos and are now coming together and going a step beyond by integrating services,” said Michael Jump, chief deputy district attorney and director of Victim & Community Services. “We are seeing that the successes of these centers has been proven and are emerging as a best-practices model.”
Jump said funding could come from various sources, including grants and private donations. An exact price tag has yet to be determined, but building costs would be part of the capital campaign, Jump said.
Once constructed, Ventura County’s center would be the 19th such facility in the state, with the closest other one in Van Nuys. While various services are already available in the county for victims of domestic and sexual abuse, getting to those agencies often poses a major hurdle, especially for women with children.
“If she is injured, she has to get medical attention and has to worry about caring for her kids,” Jump said. “If the perpetrator is not in custody, since they typically flee before being arrested, the victim can’t go home. … This goes on and on, and it is not surprising that a lot of these women are just don’t want to deal with that. It’s nearly impossible for them to do it.”
Jump said victims can become frustrated and uncooperative, and the alleged perpetrator is not held responsible.
In 2016, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office reviewed about 2,500 felony and misdemeanor domestic violence cases. Out of those, prosecutors filed 337 felony cases and 493 misdemeanor cases, said Audry Nafziger, Sexual Assault Family Protection Division supervising attorney.
A total of 101 felony sexual assault cases were filed last year, which includes everything from child annoyance and indecent exposure to rape and child molestation.
Nafziger said that instead of having to face their assailants in court, victims could file a restraining order at the center. Some centers provide an option for a victim to appear in front of a judge via video, she said.
Nafziger said the center could also help address the needs of elder-abuse victims. These cases include physical and financial abuse against seniors.
In 2016, the District Attorney’s Office filed 94 elder-abuse cases. Five years ago, 74 cases were filed, Nafziger said.
“The family justice model will address those unmet needs, and if we approach it by doing more community outreach, it will bring some awareness, especially here in Ventura County, where we have an aging population,” Nafziger said. “Having a more friendly environment where victims could come in and have it all in one place, which is very important for seniors who may not be as mobile … I image it would have a very big impact.”
The family justice center movement began in the early 1990s as prosecutors and police officers who handled domestic violence cases began to work alongside nonprofits and community-based organizations. Interest in domestic violence issues also was at a high point during the O.J. Simpson murder trial in 1995, Nafziger said.
The first family justice center opened Oct. 10, 2002, in San Diego and included 25 agencies under one roof. It was spearheaded by former San Diego Deputy City Attorney Casey Gwinn.
The nonprofit Alliance for HOPE International, founded by Gwinn, now serves as the national clearinghouse and research center for the family justice center movement.
Gwinn said about half of the centers in the U.S. are led by local district attorney’s or sheriff’s offices. While there is a framework, a committee of local stakeholders works together to assess the community’s needs and decide what should be included.
A key component includes the input of victims, who provide their own experiences and explain the challenges they have faced when searching for services and what worked for them.
Gwinn, who has consulted in the formation of more than 100 centers around the world, said there are some challenges when bringing the justice center vision to a community. Some communities lack interdisciplinary relationships among the agencies. There are also challenges with raising funds to build a facility.
Working together has not been the issue with stakeholders in Ventura County, which is “very encouraging,” Gwinn said. He said research shows the complexity of gang violence in Ventura County is linked to domestic abuse and other assault-related crimes. Individuals who are sent to prison for domestic abuse often have experienced some form of child abuse, domestic violence or alcohol and drug dependencies in their families, he said.
“Ventura County has a very low rate when it comes to crime rates in general, but this area and the complexity of gangs and generational violence is an area that has not received an enormous amount of focus over the last 30 years,” Gwinn said.
“You can’t just think of this as a criminal justice problem. You have to think of this as a public health issue.”
Oxnard Police Chief Scott Whitney agrees. He said opening a family justice center also could be viewed as preventive care against domestic violence, elder abuse, human trafficking and sexual assaults.
Whitney said the center would have a designated area for Oxnard Police’s Family Protection Unit, which includes a team of detectives and a victim advocate who already handle domestic violence and sexual assault cases.
“Having officers take these cases right from the start is very important because that ensures there is one less person the victim has to talk to,” Whitney said.
Dr. Todd Flosi, Ventura County Health Care Agency Safe Harbor medical director, said the most important component is to make sure victims provide input.
Flosi said victims often are under trauma and may not be able to thoroughly process important steps they need to take, including filing restraining orders, searching for housing, child care and medical follow-ups for themselves or their children. Having all of those resources at the center will streamline the process and help agencies provide the best care and services, he said.
“What we are talking about is the idea of a trauma-informed and victim-centered process where it’s not about my schedule or where police should conduct their interviews,” Flosi said. “It’s about what will be best for the victim and what will give them the tools to break away from that cycle of abuse.”