Part I of two parts

It's likely that few Ventura County residents have ever heard of Safe Harbor East (SHE), because most of the people aware of this oasis in Simi Valley have been adult or child victims of sexual assault, rape or molestation.

In simple terms, the threeyear-old Multi-Disciplinary Interview and Advocacy Center is a gathering place where law enforcement and government and public agencies in the county's eastern region can interview victims in a nonthreatening environment.

"It's a more humane, more compassionate and more efficient way for law enforcement and community service agencies to deal with a victim of sexual assault, including both adults and children," said Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten, who, along with Supervisor Judy Mikels, led the effort to establish SHE. "It's a friendlier, more compassionate atmosphere for the victim."

Prior to the establishment of Safe Harbor East, sexual assault victims had to travel from one office to another, recounting their story again and again to social workers and medical and legal professionals.

It wasn't uncommon for a victim to be interviewed a half-dozen times, Totten said, and "for children, it's particularly traumatizing."

SHE makes it possible to put victims in touch with people in a position to help them and prosecute their attacker.

Victims are interviewed at a renovated ranch-style house in Simi Valley. For obvious reasons, its location can't be disclosed. The three bedrooms here were converted into exam, interview and observation rooms. Bathrooms, a storage room, a den and a small kitchen make up the rest of the house. Renovation is underway to transform part of the garage into a counseling room. What's striking about SHE is its soothing, homelike atmosphere.

That's by deliberate design. In setting up Safe Harbor East, county officials and their nonprofit partners wanted a comfortable, nonintimidating environment for victims when they undergo medical examinations and interviews. Instead of languishing in a police station or hospital waiting room during one of the most traumatic times of their lives, victims and their families can sit on cushy sofas and armchairs, watch TV or listen to the radio. Children can find comfort in the teddy bears and other toys that fill the den. In the backyard, there's a playhouse and under the shade of fruit trees, a jungle gym.

In the exam room, a handpainted mural of a tree decorates a corner. A bright handmade quilt, donated by a community group, lies across the exam table.

Across the hall is the interview room. The one-way observation window was removed a few weeks ago, replaced by a solid wall and hanging pictures. Jacquie Richardson, SHE program coordinator, said the window allowed prosecutors, social workers and others to remain unseen in the next room as they watched the person being interviewed. But the window fooled no one into believing it was just a mirror, not even 4-year-olds, she said.

On the child-size table in the center of the room sits a bucket of crayons. The forensic interviewer may sit in these pint-size chairs and draw with the child as the two talk about the events that took place. A sofa, several chairs and end tables with decorative knickknacks sit against the tan walls.

Next door is the observation room, made soundproof when the window was taken out. Here the interview in progress may be watched on a 32-inch TV monitor. Viewers include the prosecutor, detective, victims' advocate, perhaps a police officer, a counselor and a social worker from Children and Family Services if the victim is a minor. In an attempt to minimize any

additional trauma, Safe Harbor East was outfitted recently with high-tech video-conferencing equipment, such as the TV monitor, that relays the live interview to the observation room. Donations and grants secured by the county made the purchase possible.

Thanks to the equipment, victims no longer have to wait for prosecutors from the government center in Ventura to drive an hour or more to interview them in Simi Valley. A deputy district attorney in Ventura can converse with the observers at SHE, watch the live interview and even maneuver the camera in the interview room to pick up on nuances the victim displays, such as body language and facial expressions.

Another new piece of equipment here is a DVD recorder. In a matter of minutes, a copy of the interview can be made for all parties involved in prosecuting the crime and helping the victim. No longer will the whirring sound of an aged tape recorder be heard.

Totten said the county is so pleased with SHE that it will serve as the model for next month's relocation of Safe Harbor West, which occupies office space in a building near the government center.

Part II will take a closer look at Safe Harbor West, Safe Harbor East, the professionals that use them and plans for the future.