Waterford ― From across the country, Safe Futures’ Executive Director Katherine Verano and her team spoke optimistically Tuesday afternoon about the organization’s future family justice center.

Verano was in San Diego for the Alliance for Hope International’s 23rd Annual International Family Justice Center Conference.

Titled "Honoring the Past and Imagining the Future", the three-day conference teaches family justice centers what best practices look like for victims of child and elder abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking, and domestic violence.

Family justice centers provide a wide range of services under one roof for these victims by involving entities such as prosecutors, law enforcement officers, therapists, social workers and survivors.

Verano was accompanied by volunteer and former New London Police Captain Ken Edwards, Director of Client Access and The Center for Safe Futures Project Coordinator Marie Kenny and Director of Crisis Counseling and Camp HOPE Christine Foster.

Though Safe Futures, a nonprofit organization, does not yet have its new family justice center constructed, Verano and her team said they are focused on removing barriers that victims often face when they seek out help and learning about the best practices to implement in their future home.

“It’s very easy to think this is about a building and it is not about a building,” Edwards said.

The new building, named The Center for Safe Futures, is set to be constructed on a former tree farm at 994 Hartford Turnpike in Waterford. The nonprofit secured approvals for the project, which would be the first of its kind in southeastern Connecticut in August of 2021.

Safe Futures' current main office has been in New London since its founding in 1976 and would become a satellite location upon the opening of the new building.

The organization learned at a previous conference that its New London location was not centrally located for the 21 towns its serves, and that moving to Waterford would allow it to serve more people.

Verano said the organization is in the early stages of its $7.5 million capital campaign and has already raised $1 million, fueled by the donation and sale of two buildings in the area. She said the organization is pursuing state funding and plans to begin operating out of the new building within two years.

Victims would have a safe environment to receive services, including legal aid, treatment for mental health and substance abuse, and could prepare to testify at a trial. The children's center would care for the children of victims receiving assistance.

Multiple agencies, such as Sound Community Services and Sexual Assault Crisis Center, as well as attorneys and police will work together and will share space at the center. There will also be a room for training of all certified professionals and staff.

Verano said having multiple services under one roof and working together will help eliminate the need for survivors to retell their stories multiple times and be labeled as certain type of victim, both of which are often viewed as barriers to seeking out help.

Safe Futures serves nearly 10,000 victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and trafficking annually. Verano said it should be serving upwards of 35,000.

“This is going to help us to do that,” Verano said of building, noting that one in four women and one in seven men are victims of domestic violence with an intimate partner.

The organization has begun a soft opening of its expanded services in its New London location.

The soft opening will continue until the new building opens, with agency employees cross training in disciplines to provide better service and communication to those they serve.

“This is really community based,” Verano said. “This is probably one of the most exciting things happening in southeastern Connecticut.”

k.arnold@theday.com