SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME IN SOUTH COUNTY WILL BE EXPANDED SOON

To help more crime victims, the county Board of Supervisors recently approved an initiative that will bring more wrap-around services to South County.

Board Vice Chair Nora Vargas, whose District 1 includes the South Bay, has been working with District Attorney Summer Stephan to expand the resources offered through the DA’S Community, Action, Resource, Engagement (CARE) Center.

In 2016, the CARE Center opened to offer crime prevention and intervention services to low-income and underserved populations. The site, based in National City, has served about 20,500 people. Most are from National City and Southeast San Diego whose top needs revolve around housing, food, clothing and employment. More than half were previously incarcerated and about one-third were on probation or parole, according to CARE’S website. Between October 2017 and September 2020, the center said that 69 percent of 1,000 adults they served had some experience with traumatic events.

The initiative backed by Vargas and Stephan aims to bring more help to those with untreated trauma.

“If we truly want to invest in safer communities, we need to invest in providing services and resources that focus on prevention and support for the survivors of violent crimes who suffer long-term consequences as well as their families,” said Vargas in a statement.

Stephan said that expanding services will improve the way victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and human trafficking get help.

“Research shows that only about one in 10 people who survive a violent crime receive direct assistance from a victim services agency. People need access to services that address that trauma and help them avoid the negative consequences that come with it when left untreated,” she said.

The board’s unanimous support allowed for the county to start a competitive bidding process to add services that focus largely on stabilization services. Once selected, the county would begin working with those providers starting Oct. 1. Supervisors also approved a contract with Palomar Health and Rady Children’s Hospital to offer trauma recovery services. Funding of $1 million for the effort came from the county’s Proposition 172 special revenue fund.

Expansion efforts for the CARE center are in anticipation of a future South County Family Justice Center. In other parts of the county, family justice centers offer a wide range of services to domestic violence victims. One is scheduled to open soon in San Marcos to serve North County.

tammy.murga@sduniontribune.com