Category: News

For Immediate Release  Susun Kim Named Executive Director of West Contra Costa Family Justice Center Richmond, California February 20, 2014 The Advisory Board of the West Contra Costa Family Justice Center (FJC) is excited to announce that Susun Kim, Esq. will be the new Executive Director of the West Contra Costa Family Justice Center beginning March 10, 2014.  As Managing Attorney of Bay Area Legal Aid’s Contra Costa Office for over nine years, Susun has built a staff of first-rate attorneys while integrating Bay Area Legal Aid as a strategic partner with other service providers.  “We are fortunate to have Susun’s expertise in domestic and interpersonal violence and her extraordinary tenacity and leadership” said Devorah Levine, chair of the FJC Advisory Board.  Susun is happy to return to working in the area of family violence as she began her public interest law career representing immigrant domestic violence survivors. “The day I met my first domestic violence survivor client, a new immigrant from China with a broken arm, sitting in my small office, I knew in my heart that I found my life’s work.  She taught me what courage was all about and inspired me to fight for her.” Richmond Police Chief Chris Magnus, one of the key leaders of the FJC’s planning and development, is confident that the FJC will be in great hands:   “Susun will bring her clear vision and strategic thinking to building a meaningful and profound public-private partnership to end domestic and other types of interpersonal violence.” Over the past five years, the FJC has grown from an idea shared by community leaders and service providers into a dynamic partnership.  Building on the momentum and good work at an interim location, the FJC recently broke ground on a new permanent facility at 24th Street, Richmond.  At this permanent home, Susun will lead the FJC to the next phase, becoming an anchor organization for survivors, service providers and law enforcement agencies all working toward healing and community building.  Melissa Caine-Huackabay, who has led the pilot phase, will serve as Operations Director.    Melissa’s leadership has been Susun has devoted her career to developing effective partnerships among community members, service providers and policy makers. She understands how much more impact a true collaborative can create as she successfully developed the Concord Domestic Violence Clinic in partnership with STAND! for Families Free of Violence and Monument Crisis Center, participated in creating the SparkPoint centers, and played a leadership role in countywide  reentry and realignment collaboratives. Devorah Levine Chair, West Contra Costa Family Justice Center Advisory Board

As part of Human Trafficking Prevention Month, our partners at Community Violence Solutions are hosting a screening of ‘FLESH’, a documentary about sex trafficking in the United States at Hercules Public Library this evening at 6:30pm. From the FLESH THE MOVIE website: FLESH THE MOVIE “FLESH a shocking documentary, calls into question our definitions of slavery, human trafficking, and prostitution in the United States.  This is a story told by girls who have escaped and by those still enslaved.  It is told by former and current pimps.  It is told by the abolitionists of today, including numerous directors of non-profit organizations, a former U.S. Ambassador, LAPD vice and the L.A. City Task Force on Human Trafficking. “ See a trailer for the film here. Join us for the screening and facilitated discussion tonight, Tuesday January 14, 2014 at 6:30pm at the Hercules Public Library located at 109 Civic Drive. 

Press Release:  Contra Costa District Attorney and Zero Tolerance for Human Trafficking announce the Contra Costa County Anti-Human Trafficking Campaign 2014 Press Conference: Thursday, January 16, 11:00 A.M. Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office 900 Ward Street, Martinez      January is “Anti-Human Trafficking” month in Contra Costa County, designed to raise awareness of this $32 billion-a-year worldwide criminal enterprise.  Along with the Board of Supervisors’ Zero Tolerance for Human Trafficking Initiative, the District Attorney announces its month-long campaign to bring the message home:  “Human Trafficking Is Real in Contra Costa County.”  The District Attorney and Zero Tolerance Committee will be holding a press conference on Thursday, January 16th to discuss the public awareness campaign. Human trafficking involves the selling and using of humans for sex trade, often times soliciting and then ensnaring children as young as 12 to 13 years old.  Commercial sex rings and selling young women and men has become a profitable trade for traditional street gangs, replacing the harder-to-find commodities of drugs and weapons.  The internet and technological advances also come into play, whereby criminals use social media to recruit young victims, and then use social media to advertise, communicate with, and meet customers.    Human Trafficking also occurs with the exploitation of individuals in the work-force.  Men, women, and even children, are forced into providing services or labor for an individual or a business by the use of force, fear, fraud, or duress, essentially turning them into modern-day slaves.  Human Trafficking is the world’s second most profitable criminal enterprise, as has been pointed out by California Attorney General Kamala Harris.  California has the dubious distinction of having one of the nation’s “top 4 destination states” for trafficking human beings.  It is vital that outreach and social services work to combat this ever-growing problem.  It is critical that law enforcement receive training and investigative tools to identify and catch these predators.  During the next month, Contra Costa County will be displaying billboards in the streets of Richmond, advertisements in bus shelters throughout the county, and posters at the bus and BART railways throughout the county.  All of this is intended to alert the public of the growing problem of Human Trafficking.  Together, with information, knowledge, and resources, the people of Contra Costa County can work together to STOP Human Trafficking.   Mark Peterson District Attorney Contra Costa County   For more information, please contact Bobbi Spinola at 925-957-2214, bspinola@contracostada.org

Contra Costa Crisis Center has released a new Quick Resource Guide specifically focusing on services and resources for trafficked and exploited persons in Contra Costa County as part of Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The Quick Resource Guide can be downloaded here (English or Spanish) or you view the guide on the Contra Costa Crisis Center website, www.211database.org.

Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month On January 14th the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors will acknowledge the critical issue of human trafficking in a proclamation declaring January 2014 “Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month”. Please join us at 9:00 am on Tuesday the 14th in the Board’s chambers at 651 Pine Street in Martinez.

To learn more about the Executive Director search or to apply, please click here. You can also submit a cover letter, resume and writing sample to: Melissa Caine-Huckabay mcainehuckabay@wccfjc.org (510) 262-0257 (fax) All applications must be received by 5pm January 13, 2014

A message from Advisory Board Chair, Devorah Levine: Dear FJC Partner, We are writing today to inform you of exciting new developments at the West Contra Costa Family Justice Center (FJC). Over the past five years, the FJC has grown from an idea shared by community leaders into a dynamic partnership. As the FJC prepares to enter a new phase of development, the West Contra Costa Family Justice Center Advisory Board and Project Director are pleased to announce that we will begin the search for an Executive Director. The Executive Director will be responsible for leading this diverse coalition of public, private, and community based organizations addressing interpersonal and family violence in Contra Costa County. The Advisory Board is grateful for Melissa Caine-Huckabay’s extraordinary leadership during this formative time. Melissa will remain as Project Director to support a smooth transition in the coming months. The FJC partnership has charted new territory in Contra Costa providing integrated, multi-agency, multi-disciplinary services for victims of family and interpersonal violence in a single location. Building on the momentum and good work at an interim location, the FJC recently broke ground on a new permanent facility at 256 24th Street. The 24th Street building will provide a permanent home for the FJC and will triple the number of services available on-site and strengthen partnerships supporting victims of family violence and abuse and their family members in West Contra Costa. The search for an Executive Director will begin in December with applications due by January 10th. To learn more about the search, click here or contact the FJC at (510) 965-4949. Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support. Devorah Levine Chair, West Contra Costa Family Justice Center Advisory Board

From KCBS: CoCo County Creates Multi-Service Centers For Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault Victims « CBS San Francisco.