Last year there were over 3,500 reported incidents of domestic violence in Jefferson County according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency website. For many of these families, Birmingham’s One Place Family Justice Center acted as a single stop that could connect them to the resources they needed.

In her Q&A with the Lede this week One Place Deputy Director Kelly Klehm expressed a need for greater municipal support for the organization and offered advice for what to do if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence.

So, for people who are unfamiliar with One Place, what services do you guys offer?

We’re a family justice center, which is a collaborative of several different agencies who are all here under one roof providing services to victims of domestic violence. So, we have public and private agencies here on site.

The goal of family justice centers is to reduce the number of times that a victim might have to tell their story or reduce the number of places that they might have to go for help, and then try to increase the access to services for those victims. So, anyone going through domestic violence could call One Place and be connected with staff here who would listen and support them and connect them to resources.