Alamance County Family Justice Center promotes mission, reiterates confidentiality and care for victims

Success in supporting victims of domestic violence takes collaboration.

That was the message of a meeting the N.C. Domestic Violence Commission hosted Wednesday, May 30, at the Alamance County Family Justice Center in Burlington. The meeting provided an overview of how the FJC works, how it’s funded, and how community collaboration has allowed Alamance to succeed where other counties have struggled.

It took awhile to get to that point.

Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Tim Britt told the group that in 2002, law enforcement would arrive at the scene of a domestic case, make an arrest, and hand the victim a stack of business cards.

“Now think about this from that perspective,” Britt said. “We leave, and they’ve got a handful of cards, so if they want to follow through with this, they’ve got to drive to Burlington to go here, leave and go to Graham to go here — sometimes these folks would [eat up] a tank of gas just to go to all of these places they need services.”

When the FJC was established July 8, 2010, it brought those services to one central location, and now responding officers can call the center directly day or night, put victims on the phone, and help them get what they need in the moment.

Burlington Police Chief Jeffrey Smythe said the city has seen a significant decline in domestic violence murders and repeat offenses since the center came online, but the hope is that there will be an increase in the reporting of domestic violence cases.

As victims begin to trust police and the FJC, they’re more likely to seek help, and so what may look like an increase in domestic violence would actually be an increase in victims seeking help.

Trust means confidentiality.

FJC Director Cindy Brady says one of the biggest misconceptions about the center is that anyone seeking services must speak to a police officer. That’s not true.

If victims aren’t ready to involve law enforcement, it’s the center’s job to support them in that choice and get them what they need in the moment.

“The other [misconception] is that confidentiality just goes out the window,” Brady said. “It does not go out the window. Every agency here maintains and works by their confidentiality standards and rules. … We are committed to that.”

Another aspect of their mission — and perhaps the most important one — is providing hope.

“We have people come to us at their most broken moments, trying to put their pieces back together again,” said LaTonya Penny, executive director of Family Abuse Services.

So, she says, the center subscribes to the science of hope, meaning that by providing a pathway for victims of domestic violence, they are providing hope that they can rebuild their lives.

The Family Justice Center is at 1950 Martin St., Burlington. For more information, visit https://www.alamance-nc.com/fjc/ or call 336-570-6019.

Reporter Jessica Williams can be reached at jessica.williams@thetimesnews.com or at 336-506-3046. Follow her on Twitter at @jessicawtn.

Are you passionate about the well being of your community? Are you dedicated to serving victims of violence? Do you want to learn more about victim services in Alamance County? Apply to volunteer or intern with the Family Justice Center of Alamance County! Check out our Volunteer/Intern section to learn more or apply by completing the application below!

https://www.alamance-nc.com/fjc/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2018/04/FJC-Volunteer-Application-Final.pdf

The Family Justice Center of Alamance County was awarded Affiliation status by the national Family Justice Center Alliance on December 15, 2017. 

Affiliated Centers are specially designated by the Alliance every two years.  Centers affiliated with the Alliance have demonstrated the integration for the Family Justice Center Guiding Principles, their policies and procedures are in accordance to best practices, and leadership is involved and participates in development opportunities that insure continuous and persistent best practices.

The Family Justice Center of Alamance County is committed to providing one-stop services that promote safety for victims, in a trauma-informed and victim-centered environment.  

By Times-News

Alamance County Social Services and the Family Justice Center hosted End Abuse in Later Life on Oct. 25 at Elon Community Church. The event was part of the Elder Justice Project, an initiative to coordinate services to support those older than 50 who are victims of abuse.

Alamance was one of nine counties to be awarded a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women. The District Attorney’s Office, Family Abuse Services, Crossroads Inc. and the Elon Police Department have committed to partnering with community-based organizations such as Meals on Wheels, Eldercare of Alamance County and the Kernodle Senior Center to enhance services and support for older adults who need help.

Project coordinator Tracy Turner presented an overview of the initiative, and introduced community partners. Elon Alderman John Peterson shared a powerful personal story of his experiences as caregiver to his mother for over 20 years.

The event also included sessions with national trainers Juanita Davis, J.D., program manager with the National Clearinghouse on Abuse in Later Life, and Candace Waldron, M.Div., protective services manager for North Shore Elder Services and project coordinator for Confronting Abuse in Later Life.

Attendees also participated in a case study that helped identify resources and services offered to the elderly, as well as the processes that local organizations use to recognize and prevent elder abuse.

Elon Law partners with Family Justice Center to support crime victims

By Eric Townsend, Elon University | Published: Friday, February 24, 2017 at 12:15PM.

Margaret Dudley, a longtime North Carolina lawyer with experience practicing family law, has joined Elon Law to manage legal resources and advocacy in Greensboro and Burlington for survivors of domestic violence, elder abuse and sexual assault.

Margaret Dudley

A prominent Greensboro attorney who specializes in family law has joined the Elon University School of Law staff to coordinate legal services for crime victims seeking help from local government agencies.

Margaret A. Dudley is the first supervising attorney for the Emergency Legal Services Program that Elon Law is managing in coordination with the Family Justice Centers of Guilford and Alamance counties. The program is funded by a three-year, $1.3 million grant from the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission.

The program provides victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Guilford and Alamance counties with emergency access to legal assistance and representation to ensure physical and psychological health and safety. Victim advocacy and court accompaniment will also be available.

“I have always derived professional satisfaction from helping children in custody cases,” Dudley said. “That feeling will now be even more rewarding by providing legal guidance and support for people facing trauma in areas of domestic abuse. Our main goal is to empower clients to hopefully be able to extricate themselves from environments that profoundly destabilize families. And some of the clients we serve would not otherwise be able to get this kind of legal advice.”

Launched in 2015, the Guilford County Family Justice Center on Greene Street in downtown Greensboro describes itself as a “one stop shop” for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and elder abuse. It brings together law enforcement, medical, and social service professionals to coordinate access to vital services and information with a special focus on victims of domestic and sexual violence.

In its first six months of operation after opening, the Guilford County Family Justice Center served 2,500 individuals and families. Outside of victim advocacy and law enforcement for victims in crisis, legal services were the third-most requested service by Guilford County clients. Of the 565 clients served during that same time by the Family Justice Center in Alamance County, 261 were referred to Legal Aid and 38 were referred for offsite legal assistance.

The need for immediate access to an attorney for support were largely unavailable, leading to a partnership with Elon Law that would connect clients with attorneys and student interns.

“Attorney Dudley brings a rich knowledge of the judicial process in our community,” said Catherine Johnson, executive director of the Guilford County Family Justice Center. “Her expertise will be of great benefit to our clients. This also a tremendous opportunity for the law school to show leadership in what is considered a very significant social issue. Together, we are bridging gaps in services, and communities across our state see this as an innovative approach to addressing client needs.”

Calling it a “huge win for Elon,” Johnson also pointed to a broader benefit: better awareness within the legal profession of domestic and sexual violence, and its impact on communities. Having trained attorneys on site to meet the legal needs of victims will also enhance a victim’s ability to create a safe and stable environment for children.

Family Justice Center officials believe the Emergency Legal Services Program, along with the wraparound services being provided by center partners, will increase the autonomy and safety of victims, ultimately saving lives.

“We have long known that the absence of civil legal services represents a significant gap in services for victims that often prohibits them from moving forward,” said Cindy Brady, executive director of the Family Justice Center of Alamance County. “This collaboration adds a substantial benefit to the list of comprehensive services at both centers and further enhances the concept of one-stop services for victims.”

A graduate of Howard University School of Law, Dudley moved to North Carolina in 1974 to work on a prisoners’ rights project for the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and as a legal researcher for a Greensboro law firm. She was hired as a deputy county attorney in 1977, working for the next seven years with Guilford County departments focused on social services.

Dudley moved to private practice in 1984 and set out as a solo practitioner in 1994. She has focused much of her work on civil litigation with an emphasis on family law and throughout her time in the city has served on several community and civic boards, including Central Carolina Legal Services, the Greensboro branch of the NAACP, the Greensboro Citizens Association, and the N.C. Black Women’s Political Caucus.

“They taught us at Howard University that we had a responsibility to use our education to help improve our communities,” Dudley said. “This new role will most definitely do that.”

About Elon Law:

Elon University School of Law in Greensboro, North Carolina, is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential education in law. It integrates traditional classroom instruction with highly experiential full-time residencies-in-practice in a logically sequenced program of transformational professional preparation. Elon Law’s groundbreaking approach is accomplished in 2.5 years, which provides distinctive value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their professional careers.

For more information, visit law.elon.edu.

Originally Published: http://www.elon.edu/e-net/Article/144491

Partners Collaborate to Address Elder Abuse in Alamance County

Family Justice Center of Alamance County | January 3, 2017

Burlington, NC –Alamance County is one of ten counties, nationwide, to receive a grant from the Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) to address elder abuse in our community.  The Elder Justice Project advances an ongoing effort that began in 2013 by the Department of Social Services, the District Attorney’s office and local law enforcement agencies to establish a system of response to elder abuse that ensures the most effective and efficient approach to helping seniors who become victims of abuse.

The funding of $350,000 is for a three-year period and will be used to combat elder abuse and violence against older adults.  Grant funds will support a three-year project aimed at enhancing support to older victims of violence, through specialized training for service providers, law enforcement, and judicial officials and through the creation of a multi-disciplinary team that will advance services and response for cases of elder abuse. Having a coordinated response from the multiple providers that are involved in most elder abuse cases is a demonstrated model that has improved services in other areas, such as domestic violence and sexual assault.

The collaboration involves multiple partners. Primary partners are Family Abuse Services of Alamance County, the Adult Protective Services unit of DSS, Elon Police Department, and the District Attorney’s office. Alamance County Government is the applicant organization and fiscal agent and the Family Justice Center is the implementing agency. Alamance County DSS will be the responsible county department for the grant. In addition to the above, Impact Alamance provided the grant writer for this project and commitments have been obtained from numerous service providers who are dedicated to confronting the issue of elder abuse in our community.

Tracy Turner has been hired to direct the effort.  Tracy has a long history with Alamance County and facilitated initial efforts that eventually resulted in the creation of the Family Justice Center.  She also served as the Director of the NC Department of Social Services Directors Association where she helped create and develop a system of response for child welfare.  Ms. Turner has years of experience supporting NC communities with initiatives to coordinate services to victims of violence.

“We are very proud of the initiatives that have come about as a result of the Family Justice Center and the collaboration that it has fostered among agencies. It is our honor to serve as the applicant agency for an effort that will help the seniors in Alamance County” remarked County Manager, Craig Honeycutt.

Elder abuse victims face unique obstacles in getting help and the services they need, due to isolation, fear of losing their caregiver and threat of being placed in a nursing home, as well as embarrassment that the perpetrator is someone who they trusted.  Many incidents of elder abuse go unreported and underreported.  For example, some victims may report financial exploitation while choosing not to report physical and sexual abuse due to feelings of shame and/or fear.  It is imperative that appropriate services are available, accessible, and comprehensive.

Cindy Brady, Director of the Family Justice Center, states “The incidence of elder abuse is growing and we must have a system to provide comprehensive services, very similar to the system we now have in place for intimate partner violence. Having diverse partnerships at the table and on the same page is what makes this all work.”

Lynn Rousseau, Director of Family Abuse Services, agrees and will have an advocate who will specialize in elder abuse. She states “It makes sense to expand services to meet this need within an agency that has expertise with domestic violence and victim services.” LaTawnya Hall, Program Manager for Adult and Family Services, added “The partnerships that have already been generated with this effort is going to allow Adult Protective Services to expand their capacity and provide even more effective services.

As the lead law enforcement agency. Cliff Parker “is honored to be a part creating a consistent and systematic way to address the growing number of cases in Alamance.” District Attorney Pat Nadolski commented, “Having all stakeholders involved and at the table makes it more probable that we will have what we need to successfully prosecute. Many of these cases have multiple layers so it makes sense to have a multi-disciplinary team to address all of those layers.”

Letter to the Editor

Cindy Brady, Family Justice Center of Alamance County | June 2016

Dear Editor,

I read with interest the weekly commentary by Pastor Mark Fox in the Times-News on June 11, 2016. As the Director of the Family Justice Center, my perception about the context of the question “are you safe” takes on a different meaning than Reverend Fox, but is equally important. Within the context of violence, this three-word question offers a very important first step toward safety for domestic violence victims.

First, I want to applaud Cone Health/Alamance Regional Medical Center for their commitment to a violence-free community, which they demonstrate by having a standard practice that insists they speak with patients alone and ask “are you safe?” For many victims, this may be the first time they have been out of earshot and able to speak truthfully about the batterer’s abusive actions.

I also want to recognize the many other professionals who echo the question “are you safe” from within their own discipline and who then work tirelessly to assist those for whom a safety strategy is a daily concern.

Alamance County has chosen to attack this issue aggressively and relentlessly because what we know is that victims who feel that it is safe to come forward will do so. And, the more opportunities a victim has to answer this question, no matter where they enter the door for services, the more likely they are to feel supported enough to move themselves toward safety.

If someone is experiencing domestic violence, they should contact the Family Justice Center at 336-570-6019 or Family Abuse Services’ 24/7 crisis line at 336-226-5985.

Sincerely,

Cindy Brady

Alamance First-of-its Kind Court Program Wins National Honor

By Michael D. Abernethy, Times News | Published: Thursday, August 21, 2014 at 7:06 PM.

An electronic system developed in Alamance County to make it easier for victims of domestic abuse to obtain court-ordered protection is among the winners of a national competition for government technology.

The Alamance County Electronic Protective Order System is one of 10 winners of the 2014 GCN Awards for outstanding information technology achievement in government. This year’s other winners include the U.S. Air Force, the New York City Department of Transportation and the U.S. Navy’s space and warfare command system.

The awards recognize impact to the public and government efficiency. They are sponsored each year by GCN — an abbreviation of government computer news — a magazine detailing advances in government technology solutions. More than 150 nominations were reviewed by an independent panel of eight judges this year.

ALAMANCE COUNTY’S program streamlines the process for domestic abuse victims to obtain protective orders from District Court judges. It’s the only program of its kind in the state and is believed to be the first full-service protective order system in the nation.

It requires victims to make only one stop, at Burlington’s Family Justice Center, where they are sworn in and speak with a District Court judge over a web-based camera. The judge completes the protective orders online during that hearing and sends victims to the Alamance County Clerk of Courts Office, where the orders are printed and filed. The clerk’s office then electronically submits the orders to the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office for service.

The old method required victims to travel among all those offices to deliver paperwork, and it took hours to complete. It was so cumbersome that victims frequently gave up without obtaining the protective orders, and it was so confusing that the orders sometimes weren’t filed correctly or weren’t served on abusers.

Paul McCloskey, GCN’s editor in chief, said Alamance County’s project is an example of “outstanding public benefit” and “simple, elegant solutions” that should be a model for other government agencies.

“It was an example of the perfect coming-together … of a group of people who made sure this system worked and that all the pieces fit properly, and that victims of abuse could in fact communicate with the justice system,” McCloskey said. “On all three of those levels, everything clicked.”

ALAMANCE COUNTY’S team worked with the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts to create and fund the system. It took months to develop and went live in August 2013.

Some of those involved in creating the system were Cindy Brady, Family Justice Center executive director; Jim Roberson, Alamance County Chief District Court judge; Lynn Rousseau, Family Abuse Services of Alamance County director; Greg Paravis, Alamance County’s PC systems manager; Donna Harris, with the Clerk of Court’s Office; Sherrie O’Shields of the Sheriff’s Office; and Jill Davis, who heads arbitration and other District Court matters.

“I think we almost take it for granted now because we worked so hard on it for all this time,” Brady said. “It’s a reminder of what can happen when people play well together.”

Frank Merricks, director of the county’s Management Information Systems Department, nominated the project. A longtime GCN reader, he believed the project was worthy of recognition, being the first of its kind and the first county project in his 25 years of employment to meet the awards criteria.

This is the 27th year of the GCN Awards. The winners will be recognized during a ceremony in October in Vienna, Va.

The other winners are:

■ Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command;

■ FEMA Risk Analysis Division;

■ Internal Revenue Service;

■ Office of the CIO, New York City Department of Transportation;

■ USAF Air Mobility Command;

■ Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services;

■ NIST Computer Security & Intelligent Systems;

■ Navy Sea Systems Command; and

■ California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.