Knoxville Family Justice Center

The Knoxville Family Justice Center (KFJC), one of our nation’s and Tennessee’s first centralized domestic violence providers, invites investment in Reaching the Underserved. Our pilot targets individuals experiencing abuse, but marginalized and disempowered, often leaving them silently in danger and reluctant to seek help. Providers traditionally underserve these groups that include racial/ethnic minorities, non-English speakers, LGBTQ, and persons with disabilities, among others. Our pilot (June–August 2019) will result in developing an Implementation Plan for improving our services for them. Activities will include researching national resources, holding focus groups, and interviewing stakeholders – creating objectives for translating materials and needed changes. We will also audit existing KFJC partners, identifying underserved collaborating gaps. Once defined, we will initiate outreach–arranging events/meetings within those communities and recruiting champions and volunteers reflecting the underserved.

Stakeholders will guide prioritizing translating, revising, and changing KFJC practices for engaging challenged Knox County groups. A grant award will support developing the Implementation Plan including personnel and administrative costs, focus group travel and supplies, and outreach supplies. Measures will include a finalized Implementation Plan; increased engagement of under-served into services; and improving victim safety, health, and resources. KFJC has formal partners, and we will identify and engage new collaborators during the pilot. Ultimately, KFJC will better identify the underserved experiencing abuse. We will link them into services using outreach (presentations, displays, relationship-building), connecting to organizations with established relationships, and culturally responsive materials. Stakeholder insights combined with newly revised materials help sustainability, as will our positive outcomes and experience in sustaining projects.