MANCHESTER, NH – The Manchester Family Justice Center, which provided support and services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking, closed Jan. 31 after its application for a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice was not approved.
For three years, the center operated as a “one-stop-shop” where victims could access services from the YWCA NH, Manchester Police Department, YWCA NH, Manchester Community Health Center, Manchester Community Resource Center, NH Legal Assistance, and Easterseals NH.
It was designed to make it easier for survivors of traumatic events and their children to access the services needed. While the parent was filling out paperwork, workers from Easterseals NH provided care for their children. A detective was on hand to take a report and YWCA NH advocates were there to accompany survivors to the hospital, police department and court.
The program operated on a three-year, $450,000 federal grant bringing five agencies under one roof, initially at the YWCA on Concord Street and later out of an office on Lowell Street.
Police Lt. Matthew Larochelle of the Investigative Division, Juvenile Investigative Unit and Domestic and Sexual Violence Unit, said the department received a letter from the U.S. Justice Department in late October or early November saying its grant application had not been approved. No reason was given for the denial, he said.
“It’s unfortunate but we are moving on,” he said. “We are still providing victim services.”
What the Family Justice Center did “was streamlined the way services were offered by locating them in one place,” said Katie Parent, REACH (Resources, Empowerment, Advocacy, Crisis Innovations, Hope) program manager at the YWCA NH.
Now, the services offered by the partners are still available but not in one location.
“It’s sort of back to survivors having to navigate it a little bit more on their own,” Parent said.
YWCA NH has provided crisis services for many years and operates a 24/7 emergency shelter program, provides walk-in services and advocates.
It is one of 13 crisis centers across the state.
“Our services, our programs have not changed,” she said.
Parent said the YWCA will continue to help survivors and will make calls to the various agencies.
One positive, she said, is that the Family Justice Center enabled the agencies to forge strong partnerships that continue today.
With a stronger relationship, Parent said, “I know I can call the police department and have a detective come over. It (the Family Justice Center) really did help.”
Larochelle agreed the relationship among the partners improved because, being centrally located “everyone worked closely together.”
The following is a list of programs and agencies that provide services along with their contact information:
- YWCA NH – Call (603) 668-2299 24/7 and give a name and call back number. An advocate will call you back within ten minutes. For safety reasons, we will NOT leave call back messages.
- NH Coalition Against Domestic Violence – 24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline – (866) 644-3574 or 24-hour Sexual Assault Hotline – (800) 277-5570.
- Manchester Police Department – (603) 668-8711
- NH Legal Assistance & Dove Program – (603) 668-2900
- Manchester Community Resource Center – (603) 647-8967
- Manchester Mental Health Center – (603) 668-4111
- Easterseals New Hampshire – (603) 623-8863
