In 2024, the dissolution of the Family Violence Council left a gap in the coordinated response between criminal justice partners and individuals experiencing domestic violence. For decades, the Family Violence Council played an essential role in ensuring that survivors of domestic violence and sexual violence were met with a unified, compassionate, and effective response from the systems designed to serve them. To address this, Friendship Home partnered with Voices of Hope to continue vital work previously done by the Family Violence Council.
Friendship Home created and filled a new role: the Coordinated Community Response Director to lead this renewed effort. The Coordinated Community Response Director’s mission is to bring together system partners, enhance the framework for Coordinated Community Response Teams and Sexual Assault Response Teams within Lincoln-Lancaster County, and ultimately, improve survivor-centered outcomes for those experiencing violence in our community.
We know this work cannot be done alone. True progress comes from partnership. Community collaboration is not just helpful, it is essential. By standing together, sharing expertise, and aligning our efforts, we can create a more responsive, compassionate, and effective system of care and justice.
This article was written by Ellen Reilly, Friendship Home Coordinated Community Response Director.