History
Family Justice Center Past and Present
“Nothing happens unless first a dream.”
– Carl Sandburg
When the Family Justice Center opened its doors on May 2, 2006, it was the culmination of a dream that began in 1995. That’s when the Erie County Coalition Against Family Violence and the Multidisciplinary Coordinating Council first came together to find a way to improve the response to incidents of domestic violence in Erie County. The result was the 1995 Erie County Long-Term Strategic Plan which received its final assessment in 2000.
As the next step, a Coordinated Community Response to Family Violence in Erie County planning conference was held at Buffalo State College in 2001. More than 100 individuals from various domestic violence agencies participated in the conference. The result of the conference was a long-term plan to streamline domestic violence services in hopes of ending family violence in Erie County. A two-year assessment and planning initiative completed in 2005 indicated that the general response to domestic violence was perceived as being fragmented, difficult to access, and often insensitive to the needs of victims.
A new, collaborative system of response would be borne out of a centralized family violence center. The center would act as a “one stop shop” for domestic violence services and would bring different domestic violence service providers together under one roof. The idea was to break down barriers to those services that at the time were spread out across many separate agencies offering uncoordinated programs. Victims seeking help were forced to travel from agency to agency, often with poor or no transportation, and frequently with young children in tow.
While Erie County was creating its own coordinated community response to family violence, the city of San Diego was working to establish the very first Family Justice Center. In 2002, the San Diego Family Justice Center (FJC) opened, paving the way for future Family Justice Centers across the country.
President George W. Bush was so impressed with the success of the San Diego FJC in its first year in operation that in October 2003 the Department of Justice announced the allocation of more than $20 million in grants to establish 15 FJCs in the United States. In July, 2004 Erie County bested more than 100 other applicants and was offered one of these grants. Diane M. Stuart, director of the federal Office on Violence Against Women said “Buffalo stood out” because of how the area’s domestic violence agencies had already begun working together to combat family violence.
On May 2, 2006, the Family Justice Center of Erie County celebrated its grand opening. Since that time, the FJC has helped thousands of clients deal with issues of domestic and family violence.
The FJC will continue bringing unity to a once fragmented system; holding abusers accountable for their actions; and providing a safe place for victims and their children to find hope and healing.
Mission:
The Family Justice Center of Erie County provides services and support to individuals in unhealthy relationships, and the education our community needs to break larger cycles of relationship abuse. Our comprehensive and collaborative service model tears down barriers to service, enabling our clients to heal and cultivate hope.
Our Vision:
Unhealthy relationships no longer exist in our community. All the support needed for a safe, secure and thriving environment is available to everyone.
Core Values and Guiding Principles:
We have a few strong and enduring beliefs that guide the rightness of our decisions. They are our core values and are grounded in zero tolerance for domestic violence and absolute confidentiality for our clients. Guiding principles are positions we strive to achieve, though they are not yet core values.
Core Values:
- Safety is a basic human right.
- Clients can take control of their lives.
- Collaboration and teamwork provide for optimal service delivery.
- Diversity and difference is valued.
- The cycle of relationship abuse must be broken.
- Offenders must be held accountable.
- Domestic violence is preventable.
Guiding Principle:
Easily accessible services remove barriers and effect change
Certifications
The Family Justice Center is committed to ongoing training and development for staff and volunteers, to keep in line with the tools and resources that best help our clients. We are proud to hold the following certifications.
New York State Address Confidentiality Program
The FJC is certified to support clients with the New York State Address Confidentiality Program (ACP). This program allows victims of domestic violence to add a layer of protection by shielding their personal address. Participants are assigned a substitute address which they will use for receipt of all first-class, registered and certified mail.
Trauma-Informed Care Provider
We are proud to boast that all FJC staff are trained in providing trauma-informed care, through the University at Buffalo’s School of Social Work. Trauma-informed care, as defined by the National Center on Trauma-Informed Care, is an approach to engaging people with histories of trauma that recognizes the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledges the role that trauma has played in their lives.