As part of a coordinated community response to domestic violence/intimate partner violence in the area, Chattanooga Hamilton County Family Justice Center is reaching out to social service providers, domestic violence/intimate partner violence programs, law enforcement, educational professionals, victim advocates, therapists, justice related agencies, faith based organizations, survivors, community groups and individuals for their input into a Domestic Violence Needs Assessment for the community.
Officials said, "Domestic violence/intimate partner violence is a pervasive problem that threatens the physical, psychological, emotional and material safety of individuals and families in our community. The Chattanooga Hamilton County Family Justice Center has seen a 25 percent increase in survivors seeking safety and support last year.
Local service providers/partners also indicate significant increases in the number of survivors they are serving as well.
"The form should take five-10 minutes to complete. The purpose of the assessment is to learn from those who receive and provide services about which populations are most in need, what resources are needed and how we can improve supports. Please share this with your staff and networks.
"Communities across the country are identifying the need for agencies who serve victims/survivors to collaborate and coordinate more closely with each other. In recent days and months we have seen locally the deadly impact of intimate partner violence. The FJC and our community partners are committed to creating pathways to hope for women, children and men who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse and human trafficking through collaborative, integrated multi-disciplinary teams in order to break the generational cycle of violence and abuse in families across Chattanooga and Tennessee.
"The results of this survey will be shared with everyone who participates along with a plan that addresses identified priorities. In January and February 2023, we will be hosting a series of in person and virtual meetings for additional input.
"Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. Your experience, knowledge and insight is foundational to a strong coordinated community response."
The survey can be found
here.