Macon-Bibb County Family Justice Center Study Tour Report 2021

STUDY TOUR REPORT

CRISIS LINE & SAFE HOUSE

M A C O N - B I B B C O U N T Y, M A C O N , G E O R G I A

2021

Prepared by Raeanne Passantino, Michelle Morgan, and Dr. Denise McCain, under the leadership of our Co-Founders Casey Gwinn and Gael Strack on behalf of The Family Justice Center Alliance, a program of Alliance for HOPE International familyjusticecenter.org | allianceforhope.com | 888.511.3522 | info@allianceforhope.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND

THE STUDY TOUR

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS SURVEY

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FOCUS GROUP WITH SURVIVORS

RECOMMENDATIONS

CONCLUSION

3 4 6 10 13 14 20

THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER FRAMEWORK IN MACON-BIBB HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION AMONG THOSE WORKING WITH SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND THEIR CHILDREN. GAEL STRACK, CEO ALLIANCE FOR HOPE INTERNATIONAL

INTRODUCTION

I

t was an honor for our Family Justice Center Alliance (FJCA) Technical Assistance Team, a program of Alliance for HOPE International (Alliance), to participate in a Community Forum and Study Tour to support the development of a Family Justice Center in Macon-Bibb County, Georgia on June 22-23, 2021. The Study Tour process was an opportunity for the Alliance Team to meet with key stakeholders, service providers, and survivors to learn more about the services being provided in Macon-Bibb County.

“I want it on the record that I am onboard and am giving my complete support.”

Lester Miller, Mayor of Macon

The focus of the Study Tour was to identify the current strengths and gaps in the county’s various service delivery systems, pinpoint any processes that could potentially present challenges to survivors, and determine how the Alliance can best support ongoing efforts toward the creation of a Family Justice Center. As part of the Study Tour, the Alliance Team gathered feedback and information about your community through pre-planning meetings, anonymous partner surveys, online research, stakeholder meetings, and a focus group with survivors. MaconBibb County is well-positioned to further develop and implement its Family Justice Center framework.

Study Tour Participants "Are In"

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BACKGROUND

F

or more than a decade, the Alliance has been leading the effort to break down silos by integrating and coordinating services using the Family Justice/Multi-Agency (FJ/MA) Center framework. Our collective community impact model creates a collaborative approach that comes alongside survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, and human trafficking to break generational cycles of family violence. The Alliance is one of the leading systems and social change organizations in the country, creating innovative, collaborative, traumainformed, hope-centered approaches that meet the needs of survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their children. The Alliance and its allied FJ/ MA Centers serve between 150,000 and 200,000 adult and child survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault each year in the United States.

in Fort Worth, TX, Dr. Denise McCain, Executive Director of the Prince George’s Family Justice Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, and Maryann Postiglione, FJCA Program Assistant. Over the course of the two-day event, held in Macon, the team met with many stakeholders to learn more about the community’s response to domestic violence, child abuse, elder abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking.

THE MISSION OF THE ALLIANCE is to create

the Alliance Team included: Bibb County Department of Family & Children Services, Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, Crescent House Children’s Advocacy Center, Crisis Line & Safe House of Central Georgia Board of Directors, Crisis Line & Safe House of Central Georgia Staff, Family Counseling Center of Central Georgia, Georgia Legal Services Program, MaconBibb County Commission, Macon-Bibb County Mayor, Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority, Macon Mental Health Matters, Mercer University School of Law, Mercer University School of Medicine, Middle Georgia State University Center for Career and Leadership Development, Office of the District Attorney, Office of the Solicitor-General, Resilient Middle Georgia, Superior Court Judge Jeffery Monroe, Survivors, and The Arc Macon.

pathways to hope for women, children, and men who are victims of domestic violence and sexual assault through collaborative, integrated multi-disciplinary centers, teams, and initiatives in order to break the generational cycle of violence and abuse in families across the United States and around the world. The Alliance Team was pleased to learn more about MaconBibb’s alignment with that mission and its commitment to strengthening collaboration and implementing effective strategies that better serve survivors and their children.

THE ALLIANCE TEAM conducting the

Study Tour consisted of Raeanne Passantino, Director of Technical Assistance for the FJCA, Michelle Morgan, Vice President and Director of One Safe Place

District Attorney's Office

THE KEY STAKEHOLDERS that met with

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BACKGROUND

THE HISTORY For 50 years, Crisis Line & Safe House (CL&SH) has been leading the way in the provision of family violence, sexual assault, and stalking services to survivors and their families in Central Georgia. Macon is one of three communities in the state of Georgia selected by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) through a competitive grant process to receive funding toward the creation of a Family Justice Center. CL&SH came together with eight other organizations in the Fall of 2020 to lay the groundwork for a Family Justice Center in Macon. These founding partners wrote letters of support for the grant application: Mayor Lester Miller, Sheriff David Davis, Office of the District AttorneyMacon Judicial Circuit, Solicitor-General Rebecca Grist, Georgia Legal Services Program, Central Georgia CASA, Crescent House Child Advocacy Center, and Family Counseling Center of Central Georgia.

The grant was awarded in November 2020 and will be awarded annually for four years.

CL&SH began working with the Alliance in March 2021 to create a two-part technical assistance plan that includes this Study Tour and a future Strategic Planning event that will create a blueprint for the creation of a Family Justice Center framework in MaconBibb County. This Report is the result of the two-day Study Tour event.

"Macon Night Skyline" by Alexdi

FAMILY JUSTICE CENTERS CAN BE AT THE HEART OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM AND EARLY INTERVENTION FOR CHILDREN IMPACTED BY VIOLENCE AND ABUSE AND THE FORCE MULTIPLIERS OF RACISM, POVERTY, AND HISTORIC OPPRESSION. IF WE INTERVENE EARLY WITH FAMILIES EXPERIENCING VIOLENCE, WE CAN PREVENT HOMICIDES AND BREAK THE VICIOUS GENERATIONAL CYCLE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. CASEY GWINN, PRESIDENT, ALLIANCE FOR HOPE INTERNATIONAL

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THE STUDY TOUR

A

COMMUNITY FORUM kicked off the

Study Tour at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in downtown Macon. The 50 in-person and 20 virtual participants were welcomed by CL&SH Executive Director Dee Simms, CJCC Executive Director Jay Neal, Solicitor-General Rebecca Grist, Georgia Legal Services Program Managing Attorney Tomieka Daniel, and Family Justice Center Site Coordinator Sarah Schanck.

“Welcome to the next generation of victim Dee Simms, CL&SH services in Georgia!"

“CJCC staff are committed to making a difference in our state. What’s about to happen in Macon-Bibb County is going to change the way victims are served. Thank you, Macon, for being the pilot and leading the way for others to follow.”

Jay Neal, CJCC

Sarah Schanck shared a very comprehensive and compelling slide presentation on the need for a Family Justice Center in Macon-Bibb County by highlighting the number of domestic violence calls for service and the number of victim services provided over a threeyear period. The data was contrasted with an illustration of a survivor’s journey through the process and the difficulty they faced when attempting to access critical services. A geo-mapped diagram of the various and distant locations survivors would be required to visit emphasized the need for a more efficient and clientcentered service delivery process. Raeanne Passantino, Michelle Morgan and Denise McCain then focused on various aspects of the Family Justice Center framework, including its history, structure, special programming established by the Alliance and a quick introduction of the science of hope. You can view a copy of the presentation here.

“I’m so excited to participate in this program. This is a wonderful next logical step for us to be involved in.”

Rebecca Grist, Solicitor General

"We need to make sure that legal services are available for victims of violence.

The project partners have Georgia Legal Services Program’s unwavering support and we are thrilled to be part of this program...this is groundbreaking. ”

COMMON STOPS IN A VICTIM'S JOURNEY

Tomieka Daniel, Georgia Legal Services

“This is transformative, this is huge!

This is something that Macon needs!”

Sarah Schanck, FJC Site Coordinator

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THE STUDY TOUR

MEETINGS The Alliance Team had the honor of meeting with a variety of key stakeholders, frontline staff, and leaders from agencies across Macon-Bibb County who are passionate about the work they are doing to support survivors and their families.

The conversations produced compelling insights from professionals who are currently handling domestic violence and sexual assault cases, and their thoughts and experiences illuminated the current state of service provision and collaboration in the county. Their perspectives were crucial for gaining a deeper understanding of service delivery effectiveness and existing survivor needs. Conversations identified existing strengths that will support the development and success of the Family Justice Center. The meetings also clarified potential challenges that will need to be addressed in order to maximize the impact and facilitate the development of the Center. The Alliance Team found that there is widespread support of the Family Justice Center framework, and an eagerness to be involved in the planning and decisionmaking process.

The Alliance Team met with local attorneys, the Prosecutor’s Office, and the Department of Human Services. These discussions raised important and practical questions about a phased approach to the Family Justice Center that might foster an increase in collaboration and impact by starting small and dreaming big together.

The Alliance Team also met with over a dozen members of law enforcement, who are supportive of the Family Justice Center model and feel strongly that a Center would increase access to services for the citizens they are protecting.

Meeting participants thoughtfully raised questions about the current development of the Center, asking the following:

• How is a Family Justice Center funded?

• What is the plan for volunteerism in the Center so community members can be involved?

• Who are the stakeholders that are currently involved?

• What is the structure of the other two developing Family Justice Centers in GA? • Given the current staffing shortage, how do we balance service delivery and our day-to-day work while at the Center?

• Will the military and universities be engaged in this conversation?

• How do you keep survivors coming back for ongoing services?

• Who is going to be the lead agency?

• What cultural competency will go into the creation of the Center?

These questions, frequently asked during Study Tours conducted across the country, helped guide our recommendations provided on the following page.

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THE STUDY TOUR

From our meetings with key community partners and survivors, we identified THREE KEY THEMES throughout the Study Tour:

1. The need for additional financial resources to allow staff to be at the Center.

2. Focus on diversity and cultural awareness of Family Justice Center staff and Family Justice Center partner agencies to be more reflective of the community they serve.

3. Effective data collection, sharing and evaluation.

These three themes continuously surfaced in dialogues throughout the Study Tour.

The Alliance Team was impressed with the widespread support from a variety of community-based and government agencies to see the Family Justice Center vision become a reality.

“I have a few locations in mind and I am confident that a suitable location will be found to house the Macon-Bibb FJC.”

Seth Clark, Mayor Pro Tem Commissioner, District 5

Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Macon-Bibb County Study Tour Report

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THE STUDY TOUR

FINDINGS FROM MEETINGS WITH PARTNERS Meetings with stakeholders and community partners helped the Alliance Team learn more about what is already working well and what gaps exist in service delivery in Macon-Bibb County. As a result, we have identified the following:

CURRENT STRENGTHS • High degree of support from elected officials • Key stakeholders and core partners are engaged, supportive and very enthusiastic about the project • The development of the Family Justice Center is in alignment with the Mayor’s Macon Violence Prevention Initiative (MVP) • Having the support and buy-in from local administrators is highly advantageous and will further efforts to secure a facility and perhaps additional funding for the Center • CL&SH Board is very engaged in the development process and is excited about the establishment of a Family Justice Center in the county • The faith community is very interested in learning more about how they can be involved in this process • There is a great awareness of the importance of working with underserved and disadvantaged youth • Sarah Schanck is the absolute right pick to coordinate the development of the Center • The Sheriff’s Office fully supports the development of a Family Justice Center and thinks this will be a valuable resource they are able to utilize when responding to domestic violence cases • Sheriff’s Department is understaffed

CURRENT CHALLENGES • Partners are unsure how to staff the Center with already limited resources • Criminal justice system intervention can, at times, present a potential conflict with the survivor-driven, choice-based philosophy of the Family Justice Center framework (which will be addressed during strategic planning) • Child welfare and other human services systems can provide important services in Family Justice Centers, but their presence can also cause victims not to come forward out of fear of losing their children (which will be addressed in strategic planning) • Partners need clarity on how funding the Center will work, including fear of supplanting and compliance with funding mandates • The faith community does not currently feel well equipped to address domestic violence with their parishioners • Limited transportation options for survivors • No special investigator for domestic violence or sexual assault has been assigned to conduct follow up investigations • No specific resource card is provided to domestic violence victims by law enforcement • Patrol is not utilizing a specific domestic violence packet, evidence-based screening tool for IPV or a strangulation screening tool when responding to domestic violence • Emergency room staff lack training and awareness of signs of domestic violence to include fatal and non-fatal strangulation • The Family Support Services of the Department of Family & Children Services may not resume providing in-person services to support clients in need of social services

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS SURVEY

P

rior to the Study Tour, community partners throughout Macon-Bibb County were invited to participate in a Community Partners' Survey.

The data collected from the survey allowed the Alliance Team to better understand the current state of interdisciplinary collaboration and identify potential hurdles to co-location. The survey is intentionally designed to pinpoint any sources of apprehension, which then helps the Alliance Team work with your community to mitigate any projected challenges of a Family Justice Center.

The survey was completed by 41 community partners from a variety of agencies, and the data revealed that there is strong buy-in and widespread understanding of the benefits of colocated, inter-disciplinary services.

The results also pointed to a need for shared decision-making as the community continues to plan for a Family Justice Center, as well as cross-training opportunities for community partners.

COLLABORATION Respondents were asked if they work closely with a number of service providers.

The top six service providers reporting they collaborate closely with other agencies are:

1. Community-based domestic violence programs 92% 2. Government agencies 89% 3. Law Enforcement 4. Shelter programs

87%

86%

5. Community-based sexual assault programs 84%

6. Community-based children’s advocacy programs 77%

Survey respondents identified two groups, that in their opinion, do not work closely with other agencies at this time: the faith-based community and community-based human trafficking advocacy programs. Our team had the great privilege of meeting with the faithbased community during the Study Tour and learned they are very eager to be part of the creation of the Family Justice Center. They are also interested in training opportunities that will help them support congregants who may be experiencing interpersonal violence.

Finally, they have already begun thinking about educational and outreach activities for Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October.

The collective responses from this Community Partners' Survey revealed a moderate to strong level of inter-disciplinary collaboration throughout Macon-Bibb County, with some room for improvement as the community plans for and develops a Family Justice Center.

Ideas to strengthen community engagement can be found under Recommendations.

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PARTNERS SURVEY

TRAINING

HOPES AND FEARS

The responses on cross-training reveal a strong need for increased training on fatal and non-fatal strangulation assaults, with only 25% of respondents having received this training in the last 12 months.

Strangulation survivors are at the highest risk for domestic violence homicide and are most likely to suffer major longterm health impacts from the abuse they have experienced. Less than half of the respondents have received training on the following, further indicating a need for heightened focus on cross-training for all agencies and disciplines:

The Community Partners' Survey asked respondents to express their degree of agreement or disagreement with a variety of statements to capture current hopes and fears surrounding the development of a Family Justice Center in Macon-Bibb County. The strongest responses on anticipated benefits of a Family Justice Center include:

1. HUMAN TRAFFICKING 48% having received training 2. CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 44% having received training 3. SPECIAL POPULATIONS (such as immigration issues), 32% having received training

The cross-training focus area with the highest number of affirmative responses (64%) is domestic violence and intimate partner violence. Additionally, 60% percent of those having completed the Community Partner Survey received training on sexual assault in the past 12 months. While these two statistics are positive, overall, we see a need for increased focus on cross-training opportunities for community partners, including faith leaders.

1. Development of valuable relationships

2. Heightened public profile of SA/DV/HT/ Child Maltreatment issues 3. Development of new skills

4. Enhanced ability to address SA/DV/HT/ Child Maltreatment in the community

5. Enhanced ability to affect public policy related to SA/DV/HT/Child Maltreatment The anticipated benefit with the weakest response was “gain additional financial support.” This is in line with concerns shared by a number of governmental and community-based partners in regard to lack of resources.

Those responding to the survey do not have notable fears surrounding the development of the Family Justice Center, but the strongest responses addressing anticipated DRAWBACKS included:

1. DIVERSION of time and resources away from other priorities or obligations 2. CONFLICT between my job and the Family Justice Center’s work

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PARTNERS SURVEY

COURT OBSERVATION An important component of the Study Tour process for the Alliance Team is the opportunity to observe protection order calendars and overall courthouse protocol. Survivors across the United States report over and over that one of the scariest places they go is to court, either to complete or file protection order paperwork or to attend their court hearings. Trauma-informed courthouses and courtrooms play a huge role in encouraging survivors to follow-through with their filed cases which ultimately increases offender accountability. Many factors come into play when creating trauma-informed, hope-centered courthouses and courtrooms, beginning with initial security procedures at entry into the building, supportive personnel (including the need for advocates) throughout their experience at the courthouse, and ending with where petitioners and respondents are seated and how they are treated by court personnel.

We were grateful for Judge Monroe’s willingness to move the protection order calendar, normally held on Fridays, to accommodate our Study Tour visit. The courthouse itself appeared to be fairly empty upon arrival so it was hard to observe ease and safety of movement around the building. There did not appear to be any security outside of courtrooms beyond entrance into the building which could be problematic should one’s abuser be waiting to confront their victim before entering the courtroom itself. The courtroom layout, while not overly large, did provide enough space for petitioners and respondents to be separated while they waited for their hearings. There were

several bailiffs and deputies distributed throughout the space which provided an overall sense of safety; however, petitioners and respondents were made to stand very close to one another during their hearings.

An advocate, if available, is permitted to stand between the parties, and a bailiff stands directly behind, but there is plenty of opportunity for respondents to be intimidating and demonstrative with facial expressions and body movements that can be extremely intimidating and frightening to a petitioner. This was observed on at least one occasion.

Another challenge for petitioners is the process by which they can ask direct questions of the respondent and vice versa. Some petitioners may be quite confident in this role, but many may not and therefore may be unable to properly advocate for themselves due to fear, feeling intimidated, and/or not understanding what they are/are not allowed to ask, etc. The proximity of the parties during hearings feels physically and emotionally unsafe. The fact that petitioners were allowed to leave first was welcomed, as was the opportunity for a petitioner to appear virtually. It is very important that courts create systems that allow e-filings and virtual hearings.

Many courts across the country shifted to this format because of the COVID-19 pandemic and we strongly encourage all communities to advocate for this practice to continue as an important ingredient in creating a trauma-informed court experience for survivors. Survivors are more likely to follow through with their cases if they can do so from places of safety, such as Family Justice Centers and trauma-informed courts.

Please see additional information in the Recommendations section.

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FOCUS GROUP WITH SURVIVORS

“So many times, we as survivors feel voiceless and not empowered.

It’s rare when people ask me what I need!”

Survivor

I

nput from survivors is a key element in the development and successful operation of a dynamic Family Justice Center. Survivors know what they do and do not want the Center to look like, what partners and services should be present, where the Center should be located, and even what the Center should be named.

The Alliance Team conducted a focus group consisting of four survivors: three as survivors of domestic violence and one as a survivor of child sexual abuse. Two of the survivors reported they had been “choked” (strangled) and all participants were very candid and openly discussed their concerns and negative experiences encountered as victims during their interactions with the criminal justice system and most importantly, emergency room personnel.

In the cases of non-fatal strangulation, both survivors reported that neither law enforcement nor medical personnel engaged in asking about strangulation.

“It was a don’t ask, don’t tell situation.” One survivor reported that emergency room personnel failed to question her about prior injuries or even acknowledge obvious signs of trauma during one of her visits to the emergency room. Another survivor shared that she did not ask for more help because,

“You want help, but you don’t want to seem needy, you don’t want to feel judged. That would make it worse.”

All four survivors expressed an overall feeling of shame and embarrassment that prevented them from disclosing abuse to medical personnel and they all felt the trauma they experienced was their fault.

Focus group participants unanimously agreed that a Family Justice Center would be ideal so they would not have to travel to different places to access services, a commonly expressed opinion in over 230 survivor focus groups facilitated by the Alliance over the years. Survivors also feel the coordination of services between professionals will mean better provision of services overall.

The focus group concluded by brainstorming about potential names for the Family Justice Center. The survivors were very clear they did not want it called “Macon-Bibb Family Justice Center” because they equated this to the criminal justice system which would be a deterrent to seeking services. They also felt that name sounded too sterile, like a government agency. They did not feel that name would be relatable. The survivors agreed the name should be one that made them feel safe and was client centered. One survivor said, “When I hear, One Safe Place, I say, ‘Here I come’.” All of the focus group participants expressed an interest in providing ongoing input to the development process and were very appreciative of the opportunity to participate in the focus group.

“Victims of crime experience single, chronic, or complex trauma; having one place for victims to receive assistance will reduce the level of trauma associated with the experience. A place with support, understanding, and a pathway to recovery is vital to create a healthy community. Family Counseling Center of Central Georgia is so happy to be a partner in this effort.“ Patty Gibbs, Family Counseling Center of Central Georgia Macon-Bibb County Study Tour Report

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RECOMMENDATIONS

T

he following list of recommendations is presented for your consideration as you move forward with planning for a Family Justice Center in MaconBibb County.

1 SURVIVOR ENGAGEMENT: Survivor

voices are central to the success of the Family Justice Center framework and their inclusion will be essential to the continued development of your Center.

The participants with whom the Alliance met during the survivor focus group were eager to engage in the planning process and provided important feedback on the naming of the Center. Consider adding survivors to your Steering and Planning Committees. In addition, consider conducting more survivor focus groups between now and the upcoming Strategic Planning event in 2022, by adopting the Alliance protocol on survivor focus groups, and engaging all potential partner agencies in conducting additional focus groups with survivors. The Alliance has a Focus Group Toolkit to assist with this process. It is imperative for a large, diverse group of survivors to provide input regarding their experiences with the current systems and agencies, along with their ideas for a countywide Family Justice Center framework. Survivors should be asked about the types of services they want co-located in the Family Justice Center, as well as the overall design and layout of the building itself. Finally, consider starting a VOICES Chapter as a mechanism to bring more survivors to the planning process to continue the momentum through Strategic Planning. Access the Alliance VOICES Toolkit for guidance.

2 CREATE AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: It is vital that a strong Executive Committee is in place to drive planning of the Family Justice Center forward.

Ideally, this committee is a smaller decision-making group made up of key stakeholders from a variety of governmental agencies and communitybased organizations, including the chairs of the Work Groups identified below.

3 EXPAND THE STEERING COMMITTEE:

For the Family Justice Center to be a successful, dynamic, sustainable framework, it must include and amplify the ideas of all key community leaders, partner agencies, and survivors. While Crisis Line & Safe House is the lead on this project it is important to expand the conversation and decision making to include more perspectives, which will increase buy-in and create community momentum for the upcoming Strategic Planning days and toward opening the Center. Ensure a diverse Steering Committee by including members of law enforcement, faith leaders, prosecutors, medical professionals, judges, survivors, underserved populations, social workers, etc. Once the Steering Committee has been organized, it is recommended that the committee meet monthly to continue moving toward the creation of the Center. As a starting point, we recommend all committee members review the FJC Framework Impact Report and read Dream Big, Start Small and Hope Rising: How the Science of HOPE Can Change Your Life.

Some committees in other communities have divided up the chapters of each book, each taking the lead on a few, and then the committees come together to start dialoguing on the key steps toward developing the Family Justice Center.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

4 EXPAND COMMUNITY PARTNER OUTREACH: The voices of the LGBTQ+, military (Air Force), medical community, K-12 educators, Family Support Services from DFCS and immigration/immigrant communities were not present during the Study Tour. These stakeholders play an important role in gaining community buy-in and creating a Center where all survivors feel safe, seen, and supported.

Meetings and consistent updates with law enforcement, prosecutors, and agencies that work with underserved populations will be crucial for engaging all key voices in the planning efforts. It is recommended that community partners who are not currently at the table be invited to join the Steering Committee and are invited to the January 26-27, 2022, Strategic Planning event.

5 CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE: A number of people with whom we met identified the need for a culturally responsive approach to the development of the Family Justice Center. The Alliance’s technical assistance work around the county includes a focus on ensuring Centers look like the community in which they serve. This includes, but is not limited to, the Executive and Steering Committees, frontline Family Justice Center staffing, onsite partners, volunteers and interns, onsite services and programs, etc. Consider conducting focus groups with survivors from various community partner agencies to learn more about who and what they want at the Center, as well as what will make them feel comfortable and welcome when they arrive.

6 RESOURCES: Lack of financial resources

was one of the three key themes heard from a wide variety of governmental and community-based service providers.

Continue engaging the mayor, to not only focus on locating a facility, but to begin identifying specific funding and funding opportunities that will help service providers place staff at the Center. The funding model for most Family Justice Centers is a public/ private funding mix. This funding mix can include funding stream solicitations such as federal grants and corporate and foundation grants. Consider inviting representatives from private foundations and other potential funders to Strategic Planning in 2022 so they can be part of the visioning process for the creation of the Family Justice Center.

7 STRANGULATION TRAINING: Based

on the Alliance’s national research and experience, 70% of cases can be proven without victim testimony when law enforcement investigators follow up on domestic violence calls with comprehensive investigations. The most at-risk victims are those who have been strangled. If a victim is strangled one time, she is 750% more likely to later be killed by her abuser, yet per the Community Partners Survey, only 25% of the service providers in Macon-Bibb County have received training on strangulation assault within the last 12 months. To improve your response to non-fatal strangulation cases, consider sending a multi-disciplinary team, emphasizing law enforcement and medical and emergency room staff, to the Alliance’s strangulation prevention trainings to better understand the risks, lethality, signs, and best practices for treating and prosecuting strangulation crimes. There are also a variety of tools and resources on our Resource Library that will assist with better supporting survivors of near and non-fatal strangulation assault.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

8 LEGAL SERVICES: Continue working

with other civil legal service providers to meet the anticipated demand for assistance.

Engage in further discussions with Bonnie Carlson of Mercer Law School to incorporate the new domestic violence clinic into the Family Justice Center framework. Consider a legal incubator model that has been adopted by several Family Justice Centers to provide more representation to victims in civil legal matters. Finally, begin thinking of more streamlined and coordinated processes for survivors to be connected to the variety of legal services they may need.

9 TOUR FAMILY JUSTICE CENTERS:

It is recommended that members of the Steering Committee tour a variety of Family Justice Centers across the country.

There are strong Family Justice Centers in your neighboring states of Louisiana (New Orleans Family Justice Center), Texas (One Safe Place, Fort Worth), Oklahoma (Palomar – Oklahoma City’s Family Justice Center, and the Family Safety Center, Tulsa), and Tennessee (Family Safety Centers, Nashville).

Touring multiple Family Justice Centers will provide your community with creative ideas on how to develop a Center that will uniquely meet the needs of survivors in Macon-Bibb County.

10 AFFILIATION GUIDELINES:

Consider becoming familiar with the basic requirements for becoming an Affiliated Center with the Alliance. The affiliation guidelines will help you identify the core fulltime onsite partners that Centers must have to be affiliated in the category of Family Justice Center. These guidelines will also prepare you for the baseline documents and operational procedures to have in place when your doors open.

11 CHAIRS FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING WORK GROUPS: Begin to identify

community stakeholders to serve as chairs and co-chairs for the work groups that will be created during the Strategic Planning process in 2022. Suggested work groups include Governance and Facilities, Funding and Sustainability, Service Delivery and Operations, and Community Engagement, Outreach and Volunteers.

Consider adding a fifth Work Group focused on Research, Data and Evaluation.

Once the chairs and co-chairs have been recruited, arrange for a Zoom call with the Alliance and anticipated work group chairs to discuss roles and responsibilities of the chairs, purpose of the work groups, and their role in the Strategic Planning process.

12 DATA COLLECTION AND BENCHMARKING: The Alliance

recommends that all participating agencies identify and document local domestic violence and sexual assault statistics to benchmark the progress of your collaboration, including: 911 calls; police reports; charged, negotiated, and/ or dismissed criminal cases; recidivism rates; homicides; and temporary and permanent protective orders. Consider conducting a “mini safety audit” of your systems by gathering, randomly, and then de-identifying (prior to analysis) ten police reports, ten protection order files, ten cases from domestic violence court, and ten 911 tapes. The Alliance often assists in analyzing this information for communities, but members of the local planning team, such as faculty from higher education institutions, are likely the best people to conduct this evaluation.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

13 ADVERTISE THE STRATEGIC PLANNING EVENT: Advertise the

Strategic Planning event and coordinate all details with the Alliance Team once you have had an opportunity to address the recommendations in this Study Tour report.

Hold intentional, one-on-one meetings with potential partners to learn more about the services they provide and personally invite them to Strategic Planning. Emphasize the importance of having all voices represented in the planning and visioning process for the Family Justice Center. We recommend 100-125 participants for the two-day Strategic Planning event. This could include:

Leaders of agencies and direct service providers (frontline workers); Representatives from all law enforcement agencies; Medical providers, including emergency room staff; Faith community leaders; Business leaders; Educators (middle school, high school, and college level); Civil legal service providers; Social service providers; Professionals from the affordable housing sector; Law schools City and County officials; Potential funders Survivors; Local architects; Leaders from other community groups, such as tribal leaders, Latinx community, etc.; Criminal and civil justice system agencies (including prosecutors, judges, magistrates, and clerks); Local Bar Association.

14 JUDGES/COURT SYSTEM: Consider

focusing on creating trauma-informed courts. Historically, this circuit has allowed for ex parte Temporaty Protection Orders to be decided based on the verified pleadings.

Now, not all judges follow that process.

Some are using the in-person ex parte hearing to question the petitioner in a way that has been labeled as “interrogation” by some. Since Georgia’s law allows for ex parte hearings to be decided based on the pleadings, consider returning to this

practice because it would eliminate many barriers for petitioners. In addition, some judges are not ordering FVIP which is required, absent an express finding of why it is not necessary. This reduces offender accountability and undermines legislative intent and potentially puts the victim's safety at risk. The Alliance strongly recommends continuing virtual hearings, especially once the Family Justice Center opens. Survivors could receive services in a safe and secure location at the Center as they wait for their protection orders and/or trials instead of entering the courthouse, which survivors in over 230 focus groups express induced fear and confusion. Video conferencing could be utilized for protection order hearings and other court procedures where information is needed from the victim. Ensure the judges are included in the Family Justice Center planning process and focus on building this partnership as the Family Justice Center develops. The Alliance also recommends including personnel from the Swift Certain & Fair Probation Domestic Violence Court Program into the conversation to begin looking at ways to incorporate offender accountability into the Family Justice Center framework, and to assess the following: How effective are offender programs?

How do they measure success? How are offenders signing up for treatment?

Directors of Family Justice Centers around the country have begun talking about the need to safely incorporate offender accountability into the co-located service delivery framework. This conversation is focused on supporting survivors who want to keep their family intact while ensuring their partner is held accountable and receives help. These important conversations challenge the notion that only addressing the needs of survivors will change the paradigm of abuse (i.e., end abuse).

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RECOMMENDATIONS

15 TRAINING: Training was identified as

an existing need amongst service providers based on the Community Partners Survey and in the Alliance’s meetings throughout the Study Tour. As the community continues to plan for a Family Justice Center, pinpoint additional training needs for community partners and core team members, including, but not limited to human trafficking, the criminal justice system and working with special populations.

In addition, consider engaging the faith community to create training opportunities to support their role in the community.

16 TRANSPORTATION: Consider

including transportation as a line item in the projected budget and expenses. In meetings with community partners, it was acknowledged that transportation can be a barrier to survivors accessing services.

Transportation will be an important factor in the planning process. Some Family Justice Centers have purchased vehicles and hired or brought retired law enforcement or others as volunteers to provide transportation services to survivors.

Others have fundraised in order to provide clients with gift cards for gas, bus passes, and ride sharing apps. It is recommended that the Steering Committee consider transportation as they continue to plan for the Family Justice Center.

17 FOCUS ON CHILDREN: District

Attorney Howard expressed a very strong desire to help youth, particularly underserved and disadvantaged children, and is very interested in the Camp HOPE America program. It is recommended that strong efforts be made to spread awareness of the Camp HOPE America

program and to create a strong partnership between the Family Justice Center and the camping and mentoring program for children and youth exposed to trauma. In addition, continue engaging the Crescent House Children’s Advocacy Center in ongoing discussions to create collaborative services for survivors and their children.

Identify potential partners that may want to begin planning development of a local Camp HOPE America program, the Alliance’s nationally recognized camping and mentoring program for children impacted by domestic violence. The Alliance will present more information on Camp HOPE America during the strategic planning process in January 2022.

Camp HOPE America is one of the most dynamic ways to engage in vision casting and practical support for children and teens experiencing trauma in Macon-Bibb.

18 COMMUNICATION: Consider a plan

to keep the public and community informed on the planning process of your Center on a regular basis, such as a website. See, for example, this website created by a community in North Carolina.

19 SHARED SUSTAINED FUNDING POLICY: Review and share the Alliance’s

Shared Sustained Funding Policy with all potential partners during the planning process for feedback and potential adoption.

20 GUIDING PRINCIPLES: Review,

share, and consider formally adopting the Alliance’s Guiding Principles at the Strategic Planning event.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

21 ATTEND THE 12 TH ANNUAL DIRECTORS LEADERSHIP SUMMIT:

Register a team to attend the 12th Annual Directors Leadership Summit in Nashville, TN on December 7-9, 2021. Consider fundraising to cover registration of Crisis Line & Safe House leadership staff and other local elected officials and policymakers. 16 Transportation: Consider including transportation as a line item in the projected budget and expenses. In meetings with community partners, it was acknowledged that transportation can be a barrier to survivors accessing services.

Transportation will be an important factor in the planning process. Some Family Justice Centers have purchased vehicles and hired or brought retired law enforcement or others as volunteers to provide transportation services to survivors.

Others have fundraised in order to provide clients with gift cards for gas, bus passes, and ride sharing apps. It is recommended that the Steering Committee consider transportation as they continue to plan for the Family Justice Center.

22 ATTEND THE 22 ND ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER CONFERENCE: Register a

multi-disciplinary team to attend the 22nd Annual International Family Justice Center Conference, May 25-27, 2022.

Consider fundraising to cover registration of multiple staff at Crisis Line & Safe House and coordinate with additional staff from partner agencies to attend the Conference as a developing team.

23 RESOURCES FROM THE ALLIANCE:

Become familiar with the Alliance’s Online Resource Library funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, which includes toolkits, webinars, sample protocols and forms.

Visit our online Resource Library for access to the library and more information about Family Justice Centers. Attend the Alliance’s monthly Directors Calls for developing and operating Centers. They are held the 2nd Wednesday of every month.

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CONCLUSION

C

risis Line & Safe House and its many community allies have done an excellent job of coming together to begin talking and dreaming about the development of a Family Justice Center in Macon-Bibb County.

You all have demonstrated the passion and vision to continue working toward the creation of a dynamic, thriving Family Justice Center in the state of Georgia.

Through the implementation of the above recommendations, we believe your community will be ready to conduct a Strategic Planning event in January 2022. The Alliance is committed to doing all we can to support your planning

process, and we look forward to seeing a Family Justice Center framework emerge in Macon-Bibb County that will provide trauma-informed and hope-centered services for survivors and their children.

Our President, Casey Gwinn, and Chief Executive Officer, Gael Strack, look forward to being with you all in January 2022 as the vision for your Family Justice Center takes shape during the strategic planning days together.

We encourage you to DREAM BIG! But cautiously remind you to start small, because survivors in your community need all of you working together to create pathways to hope and healing.

WE ENCOURAGE MACON-BIBB COUNTY TO AND

DREAM BIG S TA R T S M A L L Casey Gwinn & Gael Strack

This project is supported by federal award nos. C19-8-205, C18-8-559, and C18-8-540 awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime and administered by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime or the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

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