Since the 1980’s, individuals, organizations, and legal agencies in Denver have been successfully creating and improving on a coordinated community response to the devastating impacts of domestic violence. Twenty years ago, the Denver Metro Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee began the work of learning from the most tragic cases, and what they found resoundingly is –
Collaboration and coordinating information is not just best practice for helping abuse survivors recover and rebuild but is critical to saving lives.
Collaboration is the cornerstone of a Family Justice Center. The model of a Family Justice Center brings together advocates, community organizations, representatives of the criminal legal system (police, prosecutors), civil legal services, and so much more to give the best care and support for a domestic violence victim seeking safety, hope, and healing. These are critical services that have historically operated independently of each other, creating a confusing and frustrating maze for a victim trying to find help.
The first Family Justice Center opened in San Diego in 2002, bringing unity to that fragmented system; providing one safe place for victims and their children to find hope and healing; and holding abusers accountable for their actions. Just a year later, President George W. Bush recognized the efficacy of the model and announced $20 million dollars in grants through the Department of Justice to develop and pilot Family Justice Centers across the United States.
The Rose Andom Center opened in June of 2016 becoming the first Family Justice Center in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region; community organizations and city agencies come together creating a strong and collaborative response for domestic violence victims experiencing domestic violence.
The opening was a culmination of a decade of work from community advocates as well as key champions including Rose Andom, Mayor Michael B. Hancock, former District Attorney Mitch Morrissey and former City Attorney Cole Finegan.
Since opening, we have clearly seen the value of collaborative and coordinated access to support. Over 6,500 victims have come in more than 11,000 times to find resources and rebuild their lives after experiencing domestic violence.
In just five years, the Rose Andom Center has been repeatedly recognized with awards in partnership, collaboration, neighborhood safety, social justice, and recognized as a nationally Affiliated Family Justice Center with the Alliance for Hope International. We are committed to continued improvement and expanding our strategies to better serve survivors and their children who are impacted by domestic violence through increasing our partnerships, collaboration and feedback from the community we serve.
“Rose Andom Center miracles are not flimsy, ethereal, unmeasurable things. They are the result of careful listening, building trust, asking gentle, open-ended questions and hearing unmet needs from a victim that may or may not be obvious. They manifest following diligent action, when one provider can connect with another when collaboration kicks in, and new options appear. The miracles manifest when a provider can walk down the hall, finding needed answers or resources that previously would have taken days or weeks to access. The most astonishing of these miracles happen when several of these scenarios take place almost simultaneously, and the wonderful mix of community providers and system-based agencies bring the full force of their creative synergy to bring the next piece that will help keep someone safer.” Advocate, Project Safeguard.
