Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 09/14/2009

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Terry Menshek - (707) 565-3098 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Christine Cook

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER OF SONOMA COUNTY SELECTED
FOR CALIFORNIA FAMILY JUSTICE INITIATIVE

District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua and Denise Frey, Executive Director and CEO of YWCA Sonoma County, announced today that the Family Justice Center (FJC) of Sonoma County has been selected by the National Family Justice Center Alliance as one of six sites to receive support and funding through the California Family Justice Center Initiative.

District Attorney Passalacqua said, “We are truly gratified that the hard work of all of our partners toward creating a Family Justice Center in our community has been recognized by the National Family Justice Center Alliance. We are equally excited that in the current economic climate we will be able to provide better and more efficient crime victim services, while increasing our ability to hold offenders accountable, by benefiting from the accumulated knowledge and experience of the other initiative participants and the Regional Training Centers.”

Denise Frey stated, "The YWCA Sonoma County is proud to be a partner with District Attorney Passalacqua and other public safety leaders, and several other community organizations in this exciting project. Bringing a Family Justice Center to Sonoma County will enhance services for victims and will save lives."

Sonoma County’s FJC, along with the five other sites selected, will participate in a funded learning collaborative, where the selected multi-agency, co-located family violence service models will share best practices and receive planning and technical support. The Alameda County Family Justice Center is the Regional Training Center designated by the initiative for our FJC. The initiative is funded by the Blue Shield of California Foundation. Later this month, a group representing the various partners involved in this effort, designated a Learning Exchange Team, will travel under the grant to San Diego for a kickoff planning event.

The Family Justice Center model is a “one-stop” approach to providing comprehensive services to family violence survivors. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), has identified the FJC model as a best practice in domestic violence intervention and prevention services. The FJC will promote multidisciplinary collaboration to best serve victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, elder and child abuse.

Additional information can be found at the The National Family Justice Center Alliance News Room.

Sonoma County’s Learning Exchange Team (left to right): Maria Zavala (Community Services Coordinator, California Parenting Institute), Christine Cook (Assistant District Attorney, Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office), Denise Frey (Executive Director, YWCA Sonoma County), Hank Schreeder (Captain, Santa Rosa Police Department). Not pictured: Christine Castillo (Executive Director of United Against Sexual Assault)