Tag Archive for: domestic violence

One Safe Place for Victims of Abuse

District Attorney Summer Stephan along with a broad coalition of community leaders, victim advocates, health professionals and law enforcement today announced the upcoming opening of One Safe Place—The North County Family Justice Center, in response to data that demonstrates a need for more supportive services for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, human trafficking and other crimes in northern San Diego County.

One Safe Place, located in San Marcos, provides free support services to anyone who has experienced family violence, child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, hate crimes, elder abuse, human trafficking, violent loss, or other crimes. Child and adult victims of abuse and their families can walk through the doors and receive acute crisis-care, forensic medical exams, advocacy, counseling and therapy, legal services such as restraining orders, connections to a safe shelter and housing, long term mentoring, workforce readiness, clothing, and educational opportunities all under one roof.

One Safe Place will officially open its doors to the public on July 5. At a ribbon cutting ceremony today, officials said the facility will help residents of North County who are experiencing violence and abuse to move forward with safety and dignity.

One Safe Place is made up of caring, dedicated professionals who are all coming together to protect victims from violence and abuse and prevent harm,” said San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan, whose office built and is administrating the facility. “Opening this facility has been a passion project of mine and a priority for our office. We heard the voices of victims who struggle to regain their safety, heal from trauma, find shelter and economic stability and we responded with One Safe Place in the North County where everyone is welcome, and people can find hope, healing and justice. We couldn’t have done it without our partners and the tremendous support from our County Board of Supervisors and our community.”

Watch a video about One Safe Place.

North County is home to about 1 million people who make up about a third of San Diego County’s population. Data from recent years shows north county residents are experiencing specific types of crime at a disproportionate rate compared to the rest of San Diego County:

  • 46 % of domestic violence-related murders
  • 56% of elder abuse reports

While existing service providers deliver excellent support in the region, there is little interconnectivity, and providers often operate in silos, rather than under one umbrella of victim care. Co-located professionals at One Safe Place include victim advocates, nurses, medical professionals, counselors, attorneys, housing navigators, childcare professionals, work-readiness coaches, law enforcement and more. One Safe Place is a multi-agency service center that focuses on reducing the number of times victims tell their story, the number of places victims must go for help, and increasing access to services and support for victims and their children.

“One Safe Place will literally be a life-saver,” said San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond. “Many victims of violence and abuse feel they don’t have anywhere to turn and continue to suffer. One Safe Place will interrupt the cycle of abuse and empower people to break free to become thriving members of society again. A lot has happened during my first three years on the Board of Supervisors, but there is nothing I’m more proud of than being a part of creating One Safe Place in San Marcos.”

More than 70 community agencies will partner with One Safe Place, many of which will be located in the expansive center. A primary partner is Palomar Health and its nationally accredited child advocacy center. Palomar Health is also placing nurses at One Safe Place who are experienced in performing forensic medical exams on individuals who have experienced intimate partner violence or other types of abuse.

“Palomar Health is honored to provide a safe space for individuals in our community that are in need,” said Kristin Gaspar, President and CEO of the Palomar Health Foundation. “Our top priority is to ensure an extraordinary patient experience to every person who walks through our doors, so they feel safe, cared for and at home. The community we are a part of deserves the time, patience, and personalized touch that healthcare should deliver.”

One Safe Place is part of the Family Justice Center Alliance. The Family Justice Center model has been identified as a best practice in the field of domestic violence intervention and prevention services by the United States Department of Justice. This model began in the City of San Diego in 2002 under the leadership of then City Attorney Casey Gwinn and has continued to thrive with current City Attorney Mara Elliott, becoming a national and international phenomenon. Community leaders say it was time to regionalize this model to serve the North County and say more such centers may be established in the future. One Safe Place- The North County Family Justice Center is unique in that it has also been designated a Trauma Recovery Center by California’s Victim Compensation Board in addition to being a nationally accredited Child Advocacy Center.

One Safe Place is located at 1050 Los Vallecitos Boulevard, San Marcos, CA  92069. Individuals can contact One Safe Place at gethope@OneSafePlaceNorth.org or at 760-290-3690. One Safe Place will be open to walk-ins beginning July 5. The facility is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to noon.

More information can be found at www.OneSafePlaceNorth.org

One Safe Place– The North County Family Justice Center

We provide free support services all under one roof to anyone who has experienced family violence, child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, hate crimes, elder abuse, human trafficking, violent loss, or other crimes. At One Safe Place—the North County Family Justice Center— we provide comprehensive help in a safe and judgment-free environment that empowers people to move forward with their lives. Visit www.OneSafePlaceNorth.org for more information.

DA Announces Standards for Healthcare Response to Domestic Violence

District Attorney Summer Stephan announced on Wednesday the release of a collective set of guidelines for healthcare organizations on how to screen for and respond to domestic violence. The first-of-its kind standards provide a countywide roadmap for medical professionals, who are often the only individuals able to see domestic violence victims alone away from their abusers.

This effort builds on the steps taken by the District Attorney’s Office and the County Health and Human Services Agency over the past five years in the Strangulation Protocol under which training was provided to over 5,000 peace officers on how to detect strangulation signs and symptoms.

“Domestic violence, including strangulation, goes largely under-reported by survivors,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said. “Healthcare staff can be a critical point of intervention and connection to help in a safe and private setting and that’s why I am so proud of the partnership with our County’s Public Health Officer along with other healthcare experts that is saving lives.”

The data-driven effort has been led by the District Attorney’s Office, County Medical Care Services, Emergency Medical Services and Public Health Services. Together, the partners worked with healthcare staff over the past year to develop this evidence-informed document.

Since the Strangulation Protocol went into effect, domestic violence homicides dropped by 15 % between 2017 and 2020 according to the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team.

In 2019, the DA’s Office in partnership with HHSA released launched the Health CARES initiative, bringing training and resources to healthcare staff countywide. The release of the Healthcare Standards comes on the anniversary date of national Health Cares About Domestic Violence Day. Healthcare staff across the county will take part in efforts to raise awareness about domestic violence including resources fairs, training and outreach events.

Included in the Healthcare Standards are evidence informed practices for:

  • Conducting screening for domestic violence
  • Assessing for signs and symptoms of strangulation
  • Reporting suspicious injuries to law enforcement
  • Evaluation of the patient by a trained forensic examiner
  • Safety planning with the patient and connect them to resources

“The purpose behind these standards is to have a collective and coordinated healthcare community response as we see and treat patients who have experienced violent crime,” said Dr. Wilma Wooten, Public Health Officer for the County of San Diego Public Health Services, HHSA.

Implementing better documentation and connecting forensic health service examiners when strangulation or other domestic violence related injury has occurred has been critical.

“These steps are saving lives and we hope the implementation of these Standards for Healthcare staff countywide help drive this change home,” said Michelle Shores, Director of Forensic Health Services for Palomar Health.

Abusers are being held accountable and justice is better served through these efforts.

“Our office has seen a threefold increase in felony charges for strangulation-related crimes that we can attribute to better forensic evidence,” DA Stephan said. “The most compelling data point that the partnership between healthcare and public safety is working is the dramatic decrease in domestic violence strangulation homicides that have dropped to 2.3 %.”

The San Diego County Domestic Violence Council has assisted in bringing together countywide staff representatives from healthcare organizations such as UCSD, Rady Children’s Hospital, Sharp, Palomar Health, military hospitals, and the County of San Diego in the collaborative development of this document.

“Our hope is for universal screening in healthcare settings, where every patient is asked whether they are experiencing abuse and received education and resources,” said Claudia Grasso, the San Diego Domestic Violence Council President. “Even if that patient is not personally experiencing abuse, odds are that they know someone who is and this information could make a difference to someone who needs help.”

If you or someone you know is being abused by a current or former partner, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) for confidential support and assistance with planning.