by
Emily Roberts
| Jun 24, 2020
On June 25, 2020, The Family Place will celebrate the opening of its new Southern Dallas Counseling Center with a virtual dedication on Facebook Live at 11 a.m. This new, expanded office will provide counseling and case management service to victims of family violence in Southern Dallas. The Family Place has had an outreach office in Southern Dallas since 1997 to bring counseling and support to victims living there who have transportation and other barriers to accessing services.
The Southern Dallas Counseling Center will also be home to The Family Place’s new African American Domestic Violence Council (AADVC). The AADVC was established to address the high rate of domestic violence homicides among African American women in Dallas County.
The office dedication will include brief messages from The Family Place CEO Paige Flink and Dallas City Council Member Tennell Atkins. Theresa Little, Community Outreach Advocate at The Family Place, will also moderate a discussion with AADVC members Torrey Carroll, Founder of TNC Psychotherapy, and Maggie Cathcart, CFO/Owner of Performance Masters Career Institute. The ceremony will conclude with a blessing of the building from Pastor Bryan Carter of Concord Baptist Church and closing remarks from The Family Place Board Member Delia Jasso.
“At The Family Place we understand that victims of domestic violence need programs that are designed specifically for their cultural and community needs” says Flink. “Being able to expand our offices to meet the growing demand for help in an area that to date has been a ‘social services desert’ makes this an exciting day!”
The Family Place’s Southern Dallas Counseling Center was furnished thanks to a generous donation from Texas Capital Bank. The artwork throughout the facility was donated by local artists including The Family Place Board Member Deborah Alves, Ari Brielle, Bob Campbell, Linda Clary, Suedabeh Ewing and Kimberly Kort.
With the high reports of domestic violence during shelter-at-home orders, the resources The Family Place provides are more important than ever. A recent study led by researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas found that domestic violence incidents increased 12.5% with the shelter-at-home orders. The Family Place’s new larger office space in Southern Dallas will allow case managers and counselors to see more clients and provide expanded space for support groups and community education meetings.