Marsha Lucien, Executive Director of the Family Justice Center
Our guest speaker for June 17, 2021, was Marsha Lucien, the Executive Director of the Sonoma County Family Justice Center (“FJC”). Marsha started as ED in December 2020 following a long career in a variety of criminal justice and non-profit organizations, including the Solano County Probation Office and the Volunteers of America, among others. Marsha has an MBA from the University of Phoenix.
The FJC concept came out of San Diego, where the City Attorney decided that forcing victims of family violence follow a complex process of traveling from agency to agency, telling and re-telling their stories, was counterproductive. The idea was to provide a one-stop-shop for victims of family and intimate partner violence; a single place where people could tell their stories one time and meet with a variety of knowledgeable and compassionate professionals. The first family justice center was opened in 2003; there are now 140 centers across the country. The FJC in Sonoma County is the fifth center to open and is part of the District Attorneys’ office.
The FJC’s clients are typically victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child and elder abuse, sex trafficking, and stalking. While the original goal was to triage the clients to identify sources of support, the FJC now focuses on providing ongoing services. Clients initially meet with a “navigator” who prepares an intake assessment and connects the client to the appropriate advocate and/or community service. The facility is “trauma informed;” a cozy, warm, and safe environment, including a children’s play area in which the children can see, but not hear, their parent(s) meet with advisors. They have yoga, art, and massage, and even a comfort dog, Miranda! The FJC also provides other assistance, including limited on-site food and clothing, computer access, and job assistance, as well as referrals to a variety of services.
The FJC’s clients typically have incomes below $35,000/year, half include minors, and one-fourth speak a language other than English. The FJC often works with a number of key partners, including the YWCA, the Legal Aid Society, Catholic Charities (immigration assistance), Verity, the Inter-Tribal Council of California, Ruthless Kindness, Sonoma Works, and JobLink. Covid-19 was a perfect petri-dish for FJC’s clients, frequently keeping family members at home all day with their abusers. Reportable abuse increased by 32% during the pandemic.
Thank you so much, Marsha, for the presentation and for the wonderful work you do at FJC. It is an amazing program!
View a recording of her presentation available HERE for next week or so.
