Less than two years after opening its doors, a one-stop center for those experiencing domestic or family violence will relocate to the former Tefft School at 1418 E. Pythian.
Springfield Public Schools in July 2019 sold the 20,694-square-foot Tefft School building and 2-acre lot as surplus property to Greene County for $10 to use as a new location for the FJC. The new location is set to open in May, said FJC Project Coordinator Jamie Willis.
The Tefft School was built in 1914 at a cost of $40,000 and served as a K-5 elementary school until it was converted to an administrative center in 1991. The building closed permanently in 2016.
“In October 2019, one year after we opened in a 3,000-square-foot space in the Judicial Courts facility, the Greene County Family Justice Center took ownership of Tefft School, with plans to move operations there in May 2020. This new facility will allow FJC to increase the capacity of clients served by increasing service areas nearly threefold, and adding additional office space for new and existing on-site partnerships,” Willis said.
In its first year, the Greene County Family Justice Center served nearly 1,400 adult victims of domestic, sexual or family violence and more than 200 children. At the FJC, victims can receive assistance creating a safety plan, filing an Order of Protection, securing emergency shelter, filing a police report, meeting with a civil legal attorney, accessing crisis counseling and more. Services are free of charge and confidential.
Community partners on-site at the new location will include Harmony House, The Victim Center, Legal Services of Southern Missouri, Burrell Behavioral Health, Springfield Police Department, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Greene County Children’s Division, Greene County Prosecutor’s Office and the Child Support Division.
About the FJC
Domestic violence typically occurs behind closed doors, but it affects thousands of families in our community annually. Domestic violence touches every neighborhood within the Springfield area, and has no regard for age, class, race, or gender. Rates of domestic violence have been historically high in Greene County, but rates increased dramatically in 2012, with 3,428 incidents reported to local law enforcement. This increase was the motivation for the creation of the Family Violence Task Force, a group of local community leaders charged with creating a coordinated community response to domestic violence.
The Family Justice Center model is one approach that was identified by the Family Violence Task Force as a solution to the high rates of family violence in Greene County. This framework focuses on putting the needs of victims first by increasing access to community resources in a collaborative setting, and providing one safe place for victims to access services from many community partners, including domestic violence shelters, civil legal attorneys, law enforcement, prosecutors, and mental health counselors.
The U.S. Department of Justice recognizes this model as a best practice, and other communities implementing this model have seen promising results, including increased victim safety, reduced fear and anxiety for victims and their children, increased efficiency among service providers, increased prosecution of offenders, and dramatically reduced domestic homicide rates. The FJC’s operations are supported by the nonprofit Greene County Justice Center Alliance.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic, sexual or family violence, you are not alone. The Greene County Family Justice Center accepts walk-ins during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and can help you or your loved one navigate the road to safety. Transportation assistance to the Family Justice Center can be provided if needed, by calling 417-799-1500. For assistance after hours, help is available, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the SAFEline at 417-864-SAFE (7233). To learn more about the FJC, visit GreeneCountyFamilyJusticeCenter.org.