Story by: Ben Pounds

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — Melissa Miller, site coordinator for the Anderson County Family Justice Center (FJC), addressed a crowd of over 50 people at an Altrusa International of Oak Ridge meeting on the need for a future facility.

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — Melissa Miller, site coordinator for the Anderson County Family Justice Center (FJC), addressed a crowd of over 50 people at an Altrusa International of Oak Ridge meeting on the need for a future facility.

Opening in July 2021, the Center will connect victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and exploitation, child abuse and elder abuse to support and services that will help them become “thriving survivors,” a news release stated.

Miller explained abuse survivors may have difficulty taking the next steps.

“We have someone who is fleeing someone … Maybe they’ve used all the energy they have and getting to the next thing is difficult,” she said.

Regarding the new center’s services, she said, “How are you going to be on your feet once you’ve fled (the abuse)?”

She said the services will be free and confidential.

Miller said her hope is that elder abuse referrals “skyrocket” because “we are making it safe for them to come forward.”

As she explained, the future facility will work with other agencies, but be “neutral” — not representing any one agency. Rather its “navigators” will inform clients of service options from public and private agencies, which clients can choose. She said it will also make “warm connection between client and agency,” which she called “navigation.” She said the group will preserve the mission purpose and function of its partner agencies and will not make operational decisions without input from them.

Types of service providers Miller listed with which family justice centers work include police, prosecutors, medical services, victim advocates, including elder abuse advocates and YWCA domestic violence advocates, civil legal services, transportation assistance and career centers. In response to questions, she said the Anderson County Family Justice Center would specifically refer clients to the Child Advocacy Center.

“By coordinating everybody who’s already doing the work we’ll make it safer for victims to come forward,” she said.

While she said family justice centers do not usually provide direct services to the victims, Miller said they can fill in the gaps if there aren’t any other agencies who can do a particular task for a victim.

She also said the Family Justice Center won’t require any clients to seek prosecution.

Miller came to her current position with the 7th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office after serving as the YWCA Anderson County Victim Advocate, where she worked on behalf of victims of domestic violence.

Much of Miller’s presentation focused on the threat of abuse. She said one in three women and one in four men have been victims of intimate partner violence or physical violence. One in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence each year and 90 percent of these children are eyewitnesses to this violence.

At the time of her presentation, Miller did not know the location of the future Family Justice Center, but said she would need 3,500 square feet in Anderson County, ideally in Clinton.

There are already nine family justice centers in operation in Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration website states, with more, including Anderson County’s, expected to open in the future. The website stated Anderson County received a three-year grant from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program from the Bureau of Justice Assistance at the U.S. Department of Justice.

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