CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Aug. 23, 2022) — The City of Charlotte is helping bring to Charlotte and Mecklenburg County a trauma-informed center of services for people impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse and human trafficking.

The Charlotte City Council on Monday approved $5 million for the Umbrella Center, a proposed family justice center to be located on Albemarle Road in east Charlotte. A proven national model, family justice centers bring victim services — advocacy, counseling, health care, law enforcement, legal services and social services — under one roof in a safe, unified support system that eases the process for people to get the help they need.

Currently in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area, people who seek these services often spend dozens of hours traveling to multiple locations, repeatedly telling their story, completing overwhelming amounts of paperwork and navigating numerous referrals. For many, this effort may be difficult or dangerous, leading them to lose hope and, too often, return to an abusive situation.

Family justice centers significantly reduce domestic violence-related homicides, increase victim safety, help break the cycle of violence for children, increase efficiency in victim services, and increase the prosecution of offenders.

"This is something that the service providers around serving victims of domestic violence have long said that our community needed," said City Council member and chair of the Safe Communities Committee Larken Egleston. "It's a nationwide best practice — not something we have but something we will have now, and I'm proud that we were able to be a part of that."

Umbrella Center Services

Community organizations can refer clients to the center. It will also be open for walk-ins and self-referrals.

Safe Alliance will manage the facility's operations. Other partners expected to have full-time presence at the center include:

• The North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts.

• Atrium Health.

• The City of Charlotte, including the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

• The Jamie Kimble Foundation for Courage.

• Mecklenburg County, including the Community Support Services and Social Services departments.

• The Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office.

• The Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office.

• Pat's Place Child Advocacy Center.

• The police departments of Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville.

The Umbrella Center will also include space for other organizations to be present on a part-time basis. Organizers are also exploring opportunities for satellite locations in one northern town and one southern town in Mecklenburg County.

Funding the Umbrella Center

Safe Alliance, the Jamie Kimble Foundation for Courage and Pat's Place are leading efforts to raise $35 million for the center.

The city's $5 million allocation is contingent on the center's team raising $20 million from the private sector and $10 million from Mecklenburg County government by September 2024. The Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 3 approved the county's $10 million, including costs to acquire the Albemarle Road property.

The city's funding contribution originates from federal COVID-19 relief funds. Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund dollars can be used by cities to prevent and respond to violence, including trauma recovery services.

Learn more about the Umbrella Center at charmeckfamilyjusticecenter.org.