Bill Laitner – Detroit Free Press – The new $8-million Family Justice Center of the nonprofit HAVEN agency flung open its doors Friday.
It also flung open to the public a full view of HAVEN in action. The nonprofit group, long known as a pioneer in aiding victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, now is a pioneer in a new model of providing those services without the shroud of secrecy — and without any intimations of shame — that once cloaked its services for Oakland County residents.
“Because this new facility is visible to the public, versus being in a secret location like we have traditionally been, it will not only make it easier for people to find help, it will also be a visible reminder of the pervasive problem of violence in our community,” HAVEN President and CEO Beth Morrison said. Still, HAVEN’s new building has extensive security systems to assure safety for clients fleeing from violent partners, Morrison said.
The group’s old shelter for victims of domestic violence, primarily women and their young children, had been in a 1920s-era convent that badly needed repairs and was costly to operate, she added. In addition, a lack of space in the former facilities forced the agency to turn away needy women — and some men — a shocking 1,278 times in 2014, the agency said in a news release.
HAVEN’s Family Justice Center is on 6 acres of land off Telegraph Road, and just south of the Oakland County government complex in the center of Oakland County. It consolidates all of the organization’s offices and services under one roof, except that HAVEN will continue to operate a site in Royal Oak for examining victims of sexual assault and collecting evidence from them for criminal cases, HAVEN spokeswoman Carrie Zarotney said.
An estimated 40% of women in Michigan, 16 years of age and older, have experienced some form of sexual violence, Zarotney said.
To view original article click here: HAVEN Opens Family Justice Center in Pontiac