Middlesex County welcomes Casey Gwinn, Gael Strack and the team from the Family Justice Center Alliance, a program of Alliance for HOPE International, on May 18, 2021 for a two-day strategic planning conference to develop the County’s first Family Justice Center (FJC). Casey Gwinn is the President of Alliance for HOPE International and one of the visionaries of the rapidly expanding Family Justice Center movement. Gael Strack is the CEO of Alliance for HOPE International and ran the first Family Justice Center in San Diego, CA. Women Aware invited the Alliance team to help Middlesex County continue the planning process for a FJC to help survivors of domestic violence and their families get the resources and support they need at one location – bringing together police officers, prosecutors, advocates, therapists, civil attorneys, human services, community volunteers, and many others.
“In Middlesex County, we are fortunate to have a network of dedicated service providers committed to moving survivors beyond abuse,” said Phyllis Yonta, CEO of Women Aware. “Strategic planning gives us an opportunity to come together to build a FJC that improves family safety and increases offender accountability.”
The first Family Justice Center was created in San Diego, California in 2002 through a partnership between the San Diego City Attorney and the San Diego Police Department. It evolved out of a collaborative relationship between community-based domestic violence agencies and criminal justice professionals. The model has since been identified as a best practice in the field of domestic violence intervention and prevention by the U.S. Department of Justice.
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“Without a question, Middlesex County is uniquely positioned to move forward in the development of a Family Justice Center. The need is clear, the commitment of key partner agencies to participate in the model is strong, and key leaders all appear to support the emerging vision for a Family Justice Center,” stated Mr. Gwinn.
The documented and published outcomes from the Family Justice Center model have included: reduced homicides; increased victim safety; increased autonomy and empowerment for victims; reduced fear and anxiety for victims and their children; increased efficiency and coordination among service providers; and reduced recantation and minimization by victims when wrapped in services and support; increased prosecution of offenders; and dramatically increased community support services to victims and their children. (See Casey Gwinn & Gael Strack, Dream Big: A Simple, Complicated Idea to Stop Family Violence posted online in the Alliance’s resource library at www.familyjusticecenter.org).
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Strategic Planning is the next step in advancing Middlesex County’s first Family Justice Center. The Alliance team visited the County in February 2020 at Women Aware’s invitation, and generated momentum for the development of a FJC by bringing local elected officials, policy makers, and government and community-based agencies together to start the planning. The results of the study tour were presented in a report to the FJC planning team. Significant progress has been made since then and the FJC now occupies space in downtown New Brunswick.
To learn more about the Middlesex County Family Justice Center, contact Susan Dyckman, Development Director, Women Aware, 732.249.4900, x 0428 or sdyckman@womenaware.net.
About Alliance for HOPE International
Alliance for HOPE International (Alliance) operates the Family Justice Center Alliance, the Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention, Camp HOPE America, the Justice Legal Network, and the VOICES Survivor Network. Casey Gwinn and Gael Strack, the Founders of the Alliance, launched the nationally recognized San Diego Family Justice Center in 2002. The San Diego Family Justice Center was featured on Oprah and was the inspiration for the President's Family Justice Center Initiative in 2003. At the request of the U.S. Department of Justice, Casey Gwinn and his team were asked to take a leadership role to support new and developing Family Justice Centers across the country. Within two short years, the Alliance team helped open 15 federally funded Family Justice Centers. Today, there are more than 110 operational Centers in the United States with international Centers in over 20 countries. There are over 100 Centers currently developing in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Central America.
About Women Aware
Women Aware is the state-designated lead domestic violence agency for Middlesex County. For 40 years, Women Aware has been saving lives through a comprehensive array of services that include a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, support groups, children’s trauma therapy programs, legal advocacy, and supportive housing. Each year Women Aware moves approximately 2,000 survivors beyond abuse.
If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, call Women Aware’s free 24/7 hotline at 732-249-4504 or toll-free at 833-249-4504.
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