Monica Villa speaks with George Alger about the Ventura County Family Justice Center (VCFJC) and its services.
Key aspects of the VCFJC and its mission include:
- Holistic Support: The VCFJC provides a safe space for victim-survivors of crime, offering a holistic approach to connect them with resources and avoid re-traumatization.
- Partner Agencies: The center collaborates with over 30 partner agencies, including law enforcement, child support, legal aid, and behavioral health services, to provide comprehensive support.
- Walk-in Services: The VCFJC operates Monday through Friday, from 8 AM to 5 PM, and accepts walk-ins without the need for referrals.
- Specialized Workshops: They offer domestic violence restraining order workshops on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a Spanish version available on Wednesdays, to empower victims in the filing process.
- Safe Harbor Multi-Disciplinary Interview Center: This center aims to reduce trauma by allowing victims to tell their story only once to a multidisciplinary team, including law enforcement, social workers, and the district attorney.
- Specific Crime Types: The VCFJC specifically assists victims of domestic violence, child abuse, elder and dependent abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking, and hate crimes.
- Safe Harbor Activation: Unlike the VCFJC, Safe Harbor services are not walk-in and can only be activated by law enforcement for forensic exams or interviews, available 24 hours a day.
- Addressing Misconceptions: Monica addresses the misconception that it’s easy for victims to leave abusive situations, highlighting barriers such as language, culture, shame, and financial abuse. The center provides support like transportation through Uber to help overcome these barriers.
TV broadcast week beginning 7/20/25
Producer: George Alger
Sponsor: NONPROFIT FIRE, Google Ad Grants Community Building NonProfitFire.org
Sponsor: GWC PRODUCTIONS, Putting Eyes on Your Music GWCProductions.com
Sponsor: SKYWORKS MARKETING, Performance Advertising SkyworksMarketing.com