University Seminar: Victim Advocacy and Support Services in Ventura County

Organizational History and Evolution of the Coalition

Founding and Origins: * The agency is $50\,years$ old, having started in $1977$ . * It originated as a volunteer hotline operated out of a community member's garage using multiple telephones. * The initial focus was on addressing symptoms of trauma, even though the term "trauma-informed" was not yet in common usage in $1977$ .
Timeline of Expansion: * 1987: Establishment of the first emergency shelter (ten years after the hotline's founding). * 1992: Launch of the Rape Crisis Center, expanding services to include victims of sexual violence alongside domestic violence. * 2002: Name change from "Coalition to End Family Violence" to "Coalition for Family Harmony". * 2009: Initiation of a high school teen dating violence curriculum, led by agency therapists. * 2011: Clarification of the agency name to "Coalition for Family Harmony". * 2013: Introduction of transitional housing programs. * 2015: Dr. Gomez took over program presentations while therapists transitioned to leading clinical therapeutic services. * 2016: Launch of the LGBTQ+ program to support victims of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, bullying, stalking, and hate crimes. * 2023: Opening of an indigenous shelter for community members affected by intimate partner violence. * 2024 (Last Month): Opening of the Family Justice Center shelter (Serenity House).
Legislative Context: * Senate Bill $967$ : This bill held colleges accountable for informing students of resources available to victims of sexual assault outside the university, such as partnering with Rape Crisis Centers. * The agency worked with Title IX and the Claremont Colleges regarding these mandates.

Key Services and the Rape Crisis Center

Rape Crisis Center (RCC) Status: * It is the only RCC in Ventura County. * It is one of $83$ centers in California held to the same state standards.
Advocacy and Support: * Staffed by $15$ advocates providing $24/7$ emotional support. * Advocates consist of "core advocates" (paid shifts) and community volunteers. * Services include in-person accompaniment for: * Filing police reports. * Court hearings. * Forensic exams. * District Attorney interviews.
Clinical and Crisis Services: * $24\,hour$ bilingual crisis hotline offering counseling, de-escalation, and grounding techniques. * Counseling sessions and support groups are free and facilitated by clinicians. * Services involve "warm handoffs" to navigation teams or student wellness centers to increase follow-through rates for survivors.
Outreach Efforts: * The team conducted $41$ outreach events in the last $3$ months with only two staff members (Dr. Gomez and Janelle). * Educational content is delivered via Instagram and TikTok using short videos ( $16$ to $90\,seconds$ ). * Materials are designed for a $6th\,grade$ reading level to ensure accessibility and covers consent, healthy relationships, self-care, and trauma recovery.

Domestic Violence Programs and Housing Structures

Emergency Shelters: The agency manages three houses. * Confidential Houses (2): These are $30\,day$ housing facilities located in undisclosed neighborhoods in Ventura County. * Design focuses on a calming environment including lavender, jasmine, and waterfalls to provide a welcoming space for those fleeing dangerous relationships. * On-site services include case management, assistance with restraining orders, and counseling. * Serenity House (Family Justice Center): Provides short-term housing for $5$ to $15\,days$ . * Caters to survivors with ongoing cases at the Family Justice Center or those needing temporary support until permanent housing is found.
Transitional Housing: * Provides rental assistance beyond the initial $30\,day$ shelter period. * Program Manager: Lorena. * Aims for long-term sustainability ( $6\,months$ of support) based on what survivors can afford independently later. * Challenges: Landlord reluctance to rent to survivors of domestic violence remains a constant struggle despite the provision of funds.

LGBTQ+ Specialized Program

Program Scope: Designed specifically for violence impacting the LGBTQ+ community, including intimate partner violence, sexual assault, bullying, stalking, and hate crimes.
Statistical Context: Rates of sexual assault and intimate partner violence are often $2 \times$ higher for LGBTQ+ individuals than for cisgender heterosexual individuals.
Clinical Support: * Offers $10$ free counseling sessions, though survivors are never turned away for lack of funds due to donations and departmental prioritization. * Features a dedicated LGBTQ+ therapist to prevent "patient-educator" dynamics where survivors must explain terminology to providers.
Support Groups: * Trans and Non-binary Group: One of the longest-running groups, primarily serving older adult trans women. * Youth Group: Located at Pacifica High School.
Advocacy: Dedicated advocate (currently Smethi Ram) available Monday through Friday, $8\,AM$ to $3\,PM$ .
Resource Guide: A QR-coded resource directory vetted by the agency and the Pride Clinic, organized by city and category (medical, faith-based, legal, etc.).

Best Practices and Prevention Education

Trauma-Informed Practice: Dr. Gomez emphasizes that being "trauma-informed" must be reflected in practice, not just used as a buzzword. It involves clear explanations tailored to appropriate ages ( $11\,years\,old$ vs. $16\,years\,old$ ).
Volunteer Training: Volunteers build skills to combat violence within their own neighborhoods, humanizing the issue of sexual violence.
Youth Empowerment: In California, youth $12\,years\,old$ and over can consent to their own therapy and reproductive health appointments without parental involvement.
Diverse Representation: Staffing reflects the demographics of survivors (LGBTQ+, Latinx, bilingual, and indigenous).
Indigenous Services: Houses are staffed with trilingual advocates (including Mixteco) and prioritize cultural comfort, such as traditional food.

Victim Advocacy in the District Attorney's Office

Role of Yajaira Bomce: A victim advocate for the Ventura County District Attorney's Office since September.
Primary Duties: * Providing court support for restraining order victims in the civil process. * Assisting with the paperwork process (not acting on behalf of or giving legal advice). * Informing victims of their rights and case updates to ensure educated decision-making.
Victim Compensation: Assisting with the California Victim Compensation Board ( $CalVCB$ ) applications for reimbursement of expenses, including for deceased primary victims.
Safe Harbor: A specific unit within the office dealing with victims of sexual assault.
Career Advice for Students: * Experience in case management, court support, and crisis intervention is vital for applications. * The hiring process includes an application with specific prompts, an oral exam, an interview, and a lengthy background check. * Volunteering at the Family Justice Center is recommended for gaining exposure.

Restraining Order Legal Processes

Levels of Orders: * Emergency Protective Order (EPO): Granted by a judge at the scene via law enforcement; not granted by advocates. * Temporary Restraining Order (TRO): Usually lasts about $3\,weeks$ until the next hearing. * Permanent Restraining Order (PRO): Issued after hearings where the judge reviews evidence.
Conflict Checks: As part of the DA's office, advocates must perform a conflict check to ensure they haven't already helped the opposing party or the defendant in a criminal case.
Court Attendance: For the permanent order hearing, victims must be present in person.
Locations: Currently operates on the $3rd\,floor$ of the Hall of Justice in Ventura; plans exist for new hubs in Thousand Oaks and Oxnard.

Questions & Discussion

Question (Student): How do you facilitate housing for a male victim of domestic violence? * Response (Dr. Gomez): Men are also victims ( $1/6$ men experience sexual violence). The shelters are welcoming regardless of gender or religion. Men may be housed in individual rooms within a two-story home with communal spaces (kitchen, garden). Homophobia or transphobia from other residents is not tolerated; offenders are asked to leave.
Question (Manny): How in-depth do advocates get into child custody issues during a restraining order? * Response (Yajaira Bomce): Advocates generally do not handle custody unless it necessitates an amendment to the restraining order. Typically, victims are referred to the "family self-help" clinic on the same floor.
Question (Student): How was the funding at the Coalition kept afloat when other programs like Planned Parenthood's LGBTQ department were shut down? * Response (Dr. Gomez): The agency utilizes funding from the California Office of Emergency Services ( $CalOES$ ). However, the state no longer allows the capturing of gender data beyond the binary or specific LGBTQ+ metrics, which leads to community erasure.
Question (Luis): How difficult is it to leave stressful stories at work versus bringing them home? * Response (Yajaira Bomce): It is difficult, especially stories involving children or sexual assault. A support system at work (colleagues) is essential for debriefing. Personal boundaries, like going for walks and focusing on family, help maintain the strength needed to advocate effectively for the next victim.
Question (Joseph): How is confidentiality maintained if someone compromises the location? * Response (Yajaira Bomce/Dr. Gomez): There are strict protocols. Information about adult children is not shared with parents. For shelter safety, locations are kept private, and information is only provided to the victim directly. If the advocate is told information not reported to police, they may become a witness in court and can no longer serve as the advocate, so they often call a duty investigator first.