Stanislaus Family Justice Center Ready in a Crisis
October 17, 2011
By Rosalio Ahumada

In August alone, 33 children believed to have been victims of physical abuse or sexual assault were taken to the Stanislaus Family Justice Center.

It's a harrowing experience for abuse victims to share their stories of pain and betrayal; the center was created to make it as easy as possible for them to reveal their torment and receive help.

For instance, a therapy room gives children a comfortable space to speak with clinicians from Stanislaus County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. It's a small room filled with toys, children's books and a couple of doll houses.

"These people really pick up the pieces," center Executive Director Tom Ciccarelli said of the clinicians.

The therapy room is just one small corner of a large two-story building in downtown Modesto. It was designed to bring a variety of services under the same roof to help victims of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault and elder abuse.

Inside the building, survivors of family violence and abuse can seek counseling, apply for a restraining order, get medical care and talk to police — all in one place.

"What's in this building right now was once scattered all over the county," Ciccarelli said during a recent tour of the center at I and 17th streets in Modesto.

The center will reach its one-year anniversary next month, and it's already served several hundred people in dire situations.

"We're expecting that this number will grow," said Cindy Schneider, the center's director of community partnership.

She said the staff is developing ways to get the word out about the center, informing the public that there is help available, and that it's free.

The building is secured with locked front doors that can be unlocked only with a push of a button from the reception desk. The security prevents an attacker from following a victim inside.

Victims can speak with a navigator who will steer them to the appropriate service agency in the building. Next to that office is a small cafe room, where victims can relax and release some of the tension that comes with revealing an abusive past.

"They can de-stress from the situation and not have to worry about standing in lines, where they might have a fear for their safety," said Lisa Mantarro, president of the center's foundation.

Also on the first floor is a forensic nurse's room. The room is used to examine victims who were choked and to gather evidence, because bruises usually appear after a few days, Ciccarelli said.

Could aid rape victims

The nurse's room eventually will be used to examine rape victims.

"One less place the victim has to go," Ciccarelli said. "You just never know what the needs are going to be."

Rape examinations currently are done at a local hospital, because there haven't been enough cases brought to the center to hire a medical professional to conduct the exams. There's also a shower available for victims.

A large kids' zone room, similar to a day care center, can be used by children as their parents speak in another room about domestic abuse. There, the children are fed, have their diapers changed, participate in arts activities and play with toys.

A chaplain provides emotional support to victims, and sometimes helps service providers handle the tragic stories they hear.

"They see some really tough things," Mantarro said.

Upstairs, there's a family room with magazines, children's books, a TV and "Scooby-Doo" DVDs.

The Haven Women's Center helps domestic violence victims develop a plan to get out of an abusive relationship as safely as possible. Afterward, the agencies at the center continue providing services to break the cycle of violence.

"You can't just give them the help and walk away from them," Mantarro said.

The district attorney's office has civil legal experts to help victims obtain restraining orders as well as advocates to assist them through criminal prosecutions.

Providing help that will end with criminal convictions is an essential part of the center's mission, Ciccarelli said.

There's a forensic interview room with unobtrusive microphones and cameras; children can sit at the small table and color drawings with crayons as they share stories of abuse. From an observation room next door, investigators and prosecutors can listen to the interviews without intimidating the children.

"It's pretty traumatic for the child; the ones we've had in here were mostly 5 to 10 years old," Ciccarelli said.

The recorded interviews are the foundation of a prosecution. The interviewer wears a small ear piece, listening to instructions from the observation room.

Ciccarelli said the center hopes to install equipment within six months in the interview room that will allow victims to testify in court via live videoconferencing. He said the victims' identities won't be concealed, but "they won't have go to the courthouse and testify in front of everyone."

About 80 similar centers are throughout the country, providing a one-stop shop for victims seeking help. The Stanislaus center is slightly different, because it operates as a not-for-profit charitable organization.

The center is funded by a mix of federal grant money, private donations and proceeds from a county fee levied on copies of birth and marriage certificates and death records.

Looking for inspiring art

To celebrate its first anniversary, the center will hold an open house and art show fund-raiser called "The Art of Justice" on Nov. 10. Schneider said the center is looking for art that can be placed at the center with the goal of inspiring hope in victims as they seek help.

"We're looking to build a relationship with the art community, looking for avenues that provide healing," Schneider said. "It's a nice way to invite people to the center without being invasive and compromising to the clients."