Missoula County Invites Public to Participate in Family Justice Center Planning Process
Posted on March 24, 2026
The Missoula County Community Justice Department invites members of the public to participate in a strategic planning session for a potential Family Justice Center that would help survivors of crime and their families get the resources and support they need at one location.
The planning session will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, April 1-2, in the Broadway Building Conference Center at St. Patrick Hospital. The Wednesday session will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Thursday will start at 8 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m. Registration is required, and residents interested in participating can email [email protected]. Members of the media are invited to attend any part of the session.
A Family Justice Center is a nationally recognized, collaborative model that brings together key agencies and service providers – such as law enforcement, prosecutors, advocates, therapists, civil attorneys and community agencies – in one coordinated approach to better support individuals and families impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse and related trauma.
Staff from the Family Justice Center Alliance, a program of the Alliance for HOPE International, will be on site to facilitate the planning session process. The Community Justice Department encourages all interested stakeholders, and especially those who have experienced domestic violence, to participate. Residents can also provide feedback on the project at missoulacountyvoice.com.
"A Family Justice Center makes a real difference, not just for survivors, but for the teams working to support them," said Celedina Coss, a licensed clinical social worker and division manager for Missoula County’s Crime Victim Advocate division. "When someone can walk into one place and access everything they need, it reduces confusion, removes barriers and meets them where they’re at during a really difficult time. On our side, bringing partners together in one space with a shared purpose allows us to respond more effectively and collaboratively, which ultimately leads to better outcomes for survivors and the community."
Missoula County received a $700,000 grant that funds the current planning process. The goal is to fund a potential facility with grants, fundraising and other outside sources, not local property taxes.
The first Family Justice Center was established in San Diego, California, in 2002 through a partnership between the San Diego City Attorney and the San Diego Police Department. It evolved out of a collaborative relationship between community-based domestic violence agencies and criminal justice professionals. Montana currently has one Family Justice Center, the Northern Lights Family Justice Center in Billings.
This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-24-GG-01632-ICJR awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions and recommendations expressed in this press release are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice.
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