Adams County proclaims October 2025 Domestic Violence Awareness Month; officials highlight Family Justice Center and survivor services

The Adams County Board of County Commissioners proclaimed October 2025 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month on Oct. 21 and heard officials outline local work to support survivors and to open a Family Justice Center in 2026.

The proclamation, read into the record by Commissioner Henson, noted statewide and national statistics on intimate-partner violence and urged residents to support first responders and victim-service providers. County and justice officials described cross-agency efforts to protect victims, reduce fatalities and address the housing and safety needs that often accompany domestic violence.

Why this matters: County and community leaders said domestic violence is a driver of housing instability, poor health outcomes and, in some cases, death; officials said a coordinated, multiagency Family Justice Center will concentrate services for survivors and could reduce fatalities.

Brian Mason, district attorney for the Seventeenth Judicial District, said the county is in a “final push” to open the Family Justice Center in 2026 and credited broad interagency cooperation for making the center possible. "For the first time in the history of this community, we are on the brink of opening a Family Justice Center, which will save lives and serve victims and survivors of domestic violence in ways they have never been served before," Mason said.

Delaney Coe, deputy director of Almost Home, a housing-stability nonprofit, told commissioners that domestic violence is a frequent cause of homelessness among clients and that nearly one-quarter of Almost Home’s program participants are either actively fleeing domestic violence or cite it as a primary factor in their housing instability. "Leaving this dynamic takes immense courage and resources," Coe said, urging continued investment in coordinated supports.

Interim detective-division chief Manny Carrillo, speaking for the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, said the proclamation is more than symbolic and sends a promise that the county will continue to try to make Adams County “a place where survivors are protected, supported, and believed.” Carrillo thanked law enforcement, advocates and prosecutors for daily work on the issue.

Commissioners and other speakers stressed that domestic violence responses must address ancillary needs such as housing, child-care and pet care. Mason and others said the lack of pet care options can keep survivors from leaving abusive homes and praised partnerships — including the Riverdale Animal Shelter — for helping survivors with pet-related safety concerns.

The board invited victims’ advocates, nonprofit partners, the sheriff’s office and the Riverdale Animal Shelter to stand and be recognized during the meeting. Staff and elected officials emphasized that 24/7 help is available through national hotlines and local resources referenced in the proclamation.

The proclamation does not create new policy or funding in itself; it records the board’s position and spotlights county and partner efforts already underway.

Speakers quoted in this article spoke during the public proclamation segment of the Oct. 21 meeting and are identified above by name and role per the meeting record.