The California Family Justice Network (CFJN) represents 26 Family Justice Centers throughout California serving over 70,000 victims of interpersonal violence each year, including over 20,000 children. CFJN advocates for victims of domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking, elder and child abuse in California with a focus on victim-centered collaborative services, as practiced by its member Family Justice Centers (FJCs).

FJCs have emerged in recent years as an effective, streamlined and collaborative model of service delivery for victims of domestic violence and assault. FJCs offer a single point of access for victims, where multiple service providers and agencies work together under one roof to provide a space dedicated to victim services and recovery.

The majority of victims utilizing FJC services are deemed to be in high-danger and suffer potentially-fatal assaults at the hands of their abusers. Without an FJC a survivor may have to go to over 23 places to receive services and legal support, all while telling their story over and over again in settings that are often scary or intimidating to survivors of abuse. An FJC offers survivors a safe space to tell their story to a trained navigator who makes the process understandable and as comfortable as possible. Then, a community of co-located professionals in victim advocacy, civil law, mental health, prosecution, law enforcement, trauma recovery and more, work together through the FJC to coordinate the best way to help serve the survivor and their family--providing comprehensive, continuous, and seamless care all in one place.

FJCs also provide immigration support for survivors of domestic violence and other crimes and various holistic services like yoga, art therapy, massage therapy, and reiki, helping survivors overcome their trauma, reclaim their futures, and restore hope.

Because children comprise a large percentage of individuals served at FJCs, child-centered trauma-informed programs are a growing aspect of FJC services.

A Model for Reducing Violence

The best way to reduce community violence is to support families in crisis, including children who are severely traumatized from experiencing or witnessing abuse. The Family Justice Center (FJC) model supports victims of violence through their initial trauma emergency and longer-term recovery with coordinated services under one roof.

• Immediate safety through: safety planning, restraining orders, legal assistance, assistance with safe shelter/housing, employment support, economic assistance while in transition, food, clothing, shelter….
• Trauma informed services
• Counseling
• Seeking justice
• Healing from trauma

Each FJC provides a safe environment where survivors and their dependents can be connected immediately to services, seek justice, begin healing, reclaim their lives and end the interconnected cycle of violence for their families and communities.

Impact

Typically, survivors are subjected to multiple interactions within the criminal and civil justice system to access legal and support services. This complex process requires victims to repeatedly recall traumatic incidents at each location they encounter. This redundancy, and all too often dysfunction, and confusion, potentially create more trauma and damage for victims and their dependents. The FJC model reduces complexity through collaborative co-location of services at a single Center, providing immediate access in a safe, welcoming environment. FJCs help survivors get the legal services, security, and self-sufficiency they need to bounce back and thrive while also providing trauma-informed mental health and wellness supports that are crucial in mitigating violence induced trauma.

Both the state and the nation have seen the benefits and impact of the FJC model. In recent years, preliminary impact assessments have shown that individuals receiving services from FJCs scored higher in indicators of hope, emotional well-being, and goal attainment after completion of services. FJCs wrap-around support to families and goal attainment after completion of services. FJCs wrap-around support to families and violence prevention practices result in:

• Increased trauma reduction programs for children and youth.
• Support for victims of violence through staffing and community partnership, victim safety plan development, trauma-informed therapy, and basic necessities such as access to safe housing, transportation, clothing and communications with FJC advocates.
• Technical assistance, training, and best practices development for local partners, including law enforcement.
• Public education and coordination in jurisdictions statewide between family law, criminal courts, law enforcement, and social services agencies for firearms relinquishment and safety pertaining to domestic violence restraining orders.

Supporting Child Victims of Violence

FJCs put victims, especially kids, first. Trauma-informed therapies, programs and services provided to children at FJCs include:

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Testing
• Counseling through county Behavioral Health Departments
• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Camp Hope
• Nurturing Parenting
• Motivational Interviewing
• Working with humane education and equine therapy
• Multidisciplinary Child Protection Teams