Tag Archive for: victim services

Family photo of Victim Assistance Program Supervisor Annamarie Francisco.

AAPI: Meet VAP Supervisor Annamarie Francisco

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which is observed throughout the month of May, we are featuring stories of DA employees, what inspired them to pursue a career in public service and their contributions at the DA’s Office. In this video, you will meet Victim Assistance Program Supervisor Annamarie Francisco, whose passion for helping victims comes from a long line of public service in her family.

Photo of Victim Assistance Program Supervisor Annamarie Francisco.

Meet Victim Assistance Program Supervisor Annamarie Francisco

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which is observed throughout the month of May, we are featuring stories of DA employees, what inspired them to pursue a career in public service and their contributions at the DA’s Office.

Meet Victim Assistance Program Supervisor Annamarie Francisco, who has been at the DA’s Office for the past eight years. She is currently assigned to the North County Branch Superior Court Division. She directly assists victims in the aftermath of a crime – this includes providing emergency-related services like assistance with relocation or funeral/burial expenses through CalVCB; assisting with safety planning and making referrals to One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center or other community agencies to help a victim leave a dangerous situation; providing crisis intervention and always approaching victims with trauma informed care; educating the victim about the criminal justice process, providing updates and accompanying the victim to court; informing the victim of their rights under Marsy’s Law; acting as a liaison between the victim and our office/law enforcement, among other duties. She currently supervises a team of advocates (with Ollie the Court Dog!) in North County, where they work misdemeanors and felonies of all crime types. She also interviews potential candidates for vacant Victim Advocate positions and she present trainings regarding our program to recruits at the San Diego Regional Academy and other community service agencies. Annamarie is also a part of the Crisis Response Team, which is called out to provide crisis intervention to victims of mass violence incidents or incidents that affect the greater community. She is also a member of the San Diego Anti-Hate Coalition and enjoys working with other government and community agencies to combat hate. Within the DA’s Office, she is a member of the Peer Support Team for the office- if you or anyone you know is a DA employee dealing with a critical incident or personal problem and would like to talk it out with a peer, the Peer Support Team is here for you and only a phone call or e-mail away. Read more about what inspired Annamarie to pursue career in law enforcement at the DA’s Office, below, or meet her in THIS VIDEO.

What inspired you to pursue a career in law enforcement/ at the DA’s Office?

“Growing up, my parents instilled within me an appreciation for and purpose in service to country and to the public. My dad was in the chosen three out of 300 applicants to be recruited for the US Navy out of the Philippines – he proudly served for 26 years. My mom did a few years in the County before she went on to have a long career in the US Postal Service. My sister is a Captain in the US Army and many of my aunts, uncles and cousins have served or are currently serving in the armed forces. Victim advocacy is a career that I fell into and ended up falling in love with. Since the first homicide I ever worked, I’ve found purpose in consoling those in crisis, providing information to those who are lost, and acting as an emotional support and guide for victims as they navigate the criminal justice process. I’m proud to be a team member of an office that combats crime, pursues justice, and holds those who threaten our safety and well-being accountable for their actions.”

 

Why is AAPI Month important to you?

“Both of my parents left their home country of the Philippines to pursue the American Dream – the belief that hard work, determination, and grit would bring with it an assortment of opportunities and a better life. I visited my parents’ hometowns in the Philippines, and it gave me a new perspective and a deeper appreciation for all the sacrifices my parents made so that my two sisters and I could have the best of everything. I was also lucky to have grown up with both sets of grandparents, who lived through devastating events like the Bataan Death March during WWII and survived and thrived.  AAPI to me is honoring, remembering, preserving, celebrating, sharing, and all those other beautiful verbs where we come from, who we are, and where we’re going. It’s connecting with people like us, educating others not like us, sharing our tradition and cuisines, and celebrating what makes us unique.”

WATCH a video about Victim Assistance Program Supervisor Annamarie Francisco, here.

Read more AAPI stories from the DA’s Office, here.

The DA’s Office is the Largest Provider of Victim Services in San Diego County

Keeping up with this year’s theme for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors,” it is a little-known fact that the DA’s Office is the largest provider of victim services in San Diego County. There are currently 20 Victim Advocates in the San Diego County District Attorney’s Victim Assistance Program. In 2023, they assisted 9,942 new crime victims. This assistance included 814 crisis interventions and 11,865 resources and referrals. See what they do, in this video!

No Cost Haircuts for Families in Need

Volunteer hairdressers provide haircuts to families in need at One Safe Place: The North County Family Justice Center. Watch more in the VIDEO below.

Read more details, HERE.

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.

Hands stacked together - Empowerment

DA Releases Comprehensive Plan to Empower Crime Victims and Survivors

Saying that crime victims have become invisible in important discussions around funding priorities, community programs, and criminal justice reform, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan today released a detailed plan that recommends a dozen specific solutions in direct crime victim services and improved support of crime survivors. The DA’s Blueprint for Transforming Victim and Survivor Care : A Strategic Approach for Empowering Crime Victims, Preventing Harm, and Reducing Violence is the culmination of input from hundreds of stakeholders, victims, survivors, and community members.

The plan comes as a recent SANDAG report shows violent crime in San Diego County is up 14% in the first half of 2021, aggravated assaults with a firearm are up 55% and a statewide report shows California’s homicide rate increased 31% in 2020.

“This blueprint is a call to action for all elected officials, community leaders, and policy makers to always consider the victim’s voice in implementing laws that affect them,” said DA Stephan. “Keeping the victim and survivor perspective at the core of our work is the best way to interrupt cycles of poverty, disrupt pipelines to prison, and prevent generational violence born of childhood trauma and the normalization of crime.”

To better map the intersection of victims and survivors who encounter the criminal justice system and countywide victim services and to identify areas of gaps and needs for needed change, District Attorney Stephan and her team led three key initiatives to collect community input and to shape a new approach:

1) The formation in April of 2019 of a Victim and Survivor Advisory Board made up of survivors from a wide array of crime types.

2) A virtual Crime Victim and Survivor Summit in November of 2020, engaging over 1,300 community partners, survivors, professionals who work with survivors, and others dedicated to elevating the victim voice.

3) The release of the Blueprint for Transforming Victim and Survivor Care, reporting recommendations for significant changes in how to respond in trauma-informed ways and identifying areas of needed programs, policies and legislation, all through a lens of racial and social equity to best serve San Diego County victims of crime.

These initiatives provided opportunities for community partners and professionals to work alongside survivors of trauma to identify gaps and needs in our criminal justice response and to develop ideas for solutions.

As a result, 12 specific recommendations came from the culmination of stakeholder and community input, survey data, crime victim and survivor board input, Summit participant data, and strategic planning sessions. The recommendations include:

  • Developing regional hubs throughout the county of co-located professional services specific to victims and survivors of crime and their families.
  • Supporting and expanding the use of technology for improved victims’ safety, reporting, communication and access.
  • Expanding and funding best practices such as forensic interviews and domestic violence forensic examinations.
  • Building and increasing school-based prevention education and support systems.
  • Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) to reduce a child’s potential for lifelong health and criminal justice negative outcomes
  • Expand housing for victims and survivors of crime from emergency shelter to permanent housing

“Our society will be judged by how we care for our most vulnerable including children and seniors,” DA Stephan said. “To do this with excellence, we must consult with crime victims and survivors, hear their voices and together pave the way for transformational innovative solutions.”

The District Attorney’s Office is the largest victim service provider organization in San Diego County, serving about 14,000 crime victims annually. The office is the natural community convener to begin and lead an expansive dialogue about empowering the victim voice and best practices in victim and survivor services. The District Attorney’s Office Victim Services team responds with culturally competent, trauma-informed care to individuals plagued by crime, and dispatches mass critical incident teams to provide emotional support and counseling when the community is ravaged by hate crimes such as school shootings or shooting at houses of worship. Because victims and survivors of trauma frequently intersect with the criminal justice system, their perspective is critical to achieving racial and social equity and fair and equal justice for all. The victim and survivor voices are also critical as legislators and political leaders consider changes in the law.