Dream big, start small: That’s the motto guiding the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence and its partners as they create the Gulf Coast Family Justice Center.
A site at 47 Maples Drive in Gulfport is set to be the new home of the Family Justice Center — a multi-agency facility serving victims of interpersonal violence, including intimate partner violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder or dependent adult abuse and human trafficking. Stacey Riley, CEO of the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence, says the process got underway in 2023 with help from the Alliance for Hope International, and the Center should open by the end of the summer.
The facility will be the first of its kind in Mississippi, and Riley says what makes it special is that it puts many services and resources in one place.
“An FJC is often referred to as a one-stop-shop’ where victims of crime can safely receive needed services and actively participate in the justice system.” – Stacey Riley, CEO of the Gulf Coast Center for Nonviolence
“An FJC is often referred to as a ‘one-stop-shop’ where victims of crime can safely receive needed services and actively participate in the justice system,” Riley says. “Centers focus on reducing the number of times victims tell their story and the number of places victims must go for help.”
According to Riley, communities with family justice centers report the elimination of or significant reduction to domestic violence homicides.
AMBITIOUS PLANS
The Harrison County Board of Supervisors has provided space for the Center, and Riley says legal clinic staff and legal advocates are now working there, with plans to add law enforcement, court partners and other social service agencies soon. When the facility opens, it will be available on a walk-in basis Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Initially, the available services will include a centralized intake, referral to GCCFN or partner services, civil legal services, court advocacy and law enforcement assistance.
“Over the next five years, we expect significant expansion of our project,” Riley says — to include the following:
- Full-time counseling services for adults and children
- Specialized services for children (preschool, experiential therapies, etc.)
- Forensics clinic that will perform sexual assault examinations and forensic examinations for strangulation victims
- Court preparation for survivors who will soon be attending grand jury, divorce/child custody proceedings, and criminal trails
- Strong collaborative law enforcement and specialized prosecutor presence
- Court facility for emergency protection orders
- Onsite service provided by GCCFN community partners (housing, case management, financial assistance, services for pets, onsite childcare, support groups, peer-led support groups, mental health
- Specialized training facility
SURVIVORS’ VOICES NEEDED
The Center also has established a committee, called Voices, which will be composed of people with experience and understanding of domestic violence, sexual assault and/or human trafficking.
“This committee will help guide all services offered by the FJC, as well as GCCFN …,” Riley says. “As survivors, Voices members can offer a unique perspective regarding the community response to domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking.” Those interested in joining Voices are encouraged to send a message to voices@gccfn.org.