San Diego DA announces 'One Safe Place' Family Justice Center coming to National City

Summer Stephan, San Diego County district attorney, told the National City council on Tuesday that a Family Justice Center South—branded “One Safe Place”—is scheduled to open in National City this fall, providing co-located victim services intended to streamline care for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking and elder abuse.

Stephan said the center will reproduce the Family Justice Center model already operating in North County and will include medical forensic services, temporary restraining order clinics, law enforcement partners, housing navigation and child trauma services. “It is a one-stop shop,” she said, describing the center as a hub where victims can access medical exams, child-specific trauma work and housing and legal navigation without being shuttled between multiple agencies.

Why it matters: District attorneys’ offices are often the largest local providers of victim services, Stephan said, but she argued legal advocacy alone is not enough. She cited a North County Family Justice Center that saw 8,000 visits and said that region recorded a lower domestic-violence homicide count after the model was deployed. “If we offer a solution, it can also impact the life of the children and break cycles of violence,” she said.

Stephan told the council the South County center will open between September and October and that it already has 23 partner organizations signed on, including a hospital-based child trauma advocacy partner. She thanked the mayor and council for accelerating approvals and said the center’s sign is already up at the site near an existing LiveWell Center, where the program will tap immigrant and veteran services.

Council reaction and next steps: Council members praised the announcement and asked staff follow-up questions about operations and partnership roles. Stephan said Chief Deputy Tracy Pryor will manage the South County center and that her office will continue coordinating referrals and services. No formal city action or funding commitment was recorded during the presentation; Stephan said the center is bringing resources to South County and framed the project as filling a local service gap.

The presentation closed with public thanks from community members who said the integrated service model could make it easier for survivors to access help and rebuild their lives. The city did not adopt a specific resolution or funding appropriation on Tuesday; council members and staff signaled they would coordinate further details with the DA’s office and community partners ahead of the center’s fall opening.