One Safe Place Macon Family Justice Center

One Safe Place Macon Family Justice Center will provide comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder and dependent adult abuse, and human trafficking in Central Georgia. One Safe Place Macon will be in Macon-Bibb County with a service area including Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, and Twiggs counties. The primary purpose of the project is to create a safe, supportive, and empowering environment where victims of the aforementioned crimes can access the help they need to escape abusive situations and rebuild their lives. The FJC model addresses the hopelessness victims often feel when they believe nothing can be done by ensuring victims are aware of all available options and empowered to choose which ones meet their needs. This model will address intergenerational trauma and polyvictimization by co-locating DV, sexual assault, and child abuse specialists together. One Safe Place Macon will be one of the first FJCs in Georgia when it opens in 2024. 

Crisis Line & Safe House of Central Georgia is the lead agency, partnering with over 20 other agencies to serve victims collaboratively. While these service providers currently work together to refer to each other and ensure victims are aware of services, victims can become overwhelmed when they seek help at various providers, complete multiple intakes, and retell their traumas. Victims may not access services for a variety of reasons-no knowledge of available services, services too scattered across the community, lack of transportation, and lack of time-off from work—but the FJC addresses many of these barriers by eliminating the number of trips a victim will need to make to get help. At the center, victims and their families will be provided with centralized intake, navigation, and case management using a survivor-centered approach. The primary activities of the project will include hiring initial staff, implementing training, planning outreach for the Center launch, and procuring furniture and supplies for the Center.