Why this matters

Residents in San Diego’s South Bay region make up 15% of the county’s population and account for nearly 20% of domestic violence cases submitted to the district attorney’s office.

San Diego County’s newest family justice center is now open in National City to help people who have experienced trauma. 

From the Documenters

This story came in parts from notes taken by Paulina Castellanos Wade, a Documenter in inewsource’s San Diego Documenters program, which trains and pays community members to document what happens at public meetings.

Located on Mile of Cars Way, the nearly 26,000-square-foot facility known as One Safe Place will offer services for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking, violent loss or other crimes and forms of victimization. The center will provide forensic exams, legal assistance, trauma therapy, shelter placement and more.

The nearly $18 million project was covered by Proposition 172, grants and other funding. It’s part of an initiative by San Diego County and District Attorney Summer Stephan’s office that officials celebrated Friday.

Stephan said the new site is meant to improve access and reach more victims in the South Bay, where residents make up 15% of the countywide population — and nearly 20% of the domestic violence cases submitted to the district attorney’s office.

 “Telling a victim to go north or go even central when they live in the south and their crime occurred in the south is just a barrier,” Stephan said.

In addition to a center in the city of San Diego, Stephan’s office also helped open a San Marcos facility in 2022 that has helped more than 9,000 victims — over 2,000 of them children. Stephan said when it opened, 42% of the county’s domestic violence murders occurred in that region. So far this year, that number is zero.

Angela Matias said the wraparound services she received at the North County site helped her process the emotional and physical abuse she experienced during her childhood and in a past marriage. 

Matias said she’d likely still be struggling if it wasn’t for the center. Now, she said, she’s ready to fully heal and give back to her community.

Help during a crisis

One Safe Place in National City is the county’s South County location for services for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, human trafficking and more. Here’s how to contact the center.

Visit: 401 Mile of Cars Way, National City.

Hours: 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. 8 a.m.-noon on the second Saturday of the month.

Phone: 888-440-HOPE (4673)

Info: ospsandiegocounty.gov

“The counseling services helped me deep-dive into being able to understand the certain situation and just the feelings I was having,” she said. “I think it was more of, ‘why can’t I be strong?’ I’m a strong person, but in that aspect, I just couldn’t. I have education, I know where to get resources. Why can’t I talk?

“It was a lot of working backwards, being able to tune in myself from that young child experience.”

When entering a community, Stephan said listening and addressing the area’s unique needs is necessary. “We have more focus on our immigrant communities here in the south, so we have a lot of resources that support them,” she said.

Matias’ sister, Brenda, shared a similar success story, appreciating the legal aid she received at the center. Through tears, Brenda expressed her gratitude for the simple safety plan that was provided to her and her children. “When I walk in, I’m not just a number,” she said.

Stephan said there are talks of opening another facility in East County in the future.

Type of Content

News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.