Knox County Family Justice Center reports steady service levels after governance change

Michelle Clayton, executive director of the Knoxville Family Justice Center, briefed the commission on the center’s operations and recent accomplishments. Clayton said the FJC — founded in partnership with Knox County and multiple public agencies — has positively impacted more than 30,000 lives and that this year staff assisted more than 2,700 clients, answered over 800 calls for support, and provided emergency transportation and shelter for about 300 survivors. She told commissioners the center maintains a roughly 90% survivor satisfaction rate and highlighted community financial and in-kind contributions reported in the meeting.

Clayton also addressed recent governance changes: she said the board of elected officials and community members voted in April to transition to an advisory board model and to move toward a community-led governing board, work she described as aligning the center with national best practices. Clayton said the transition has not interrupted client services and that the center continues to partner on-site with law enforcement, the district attorney’s office, the county clerk and more than 48 government and community partners.

Clayton asked for the commission’s continued support through the Victims Assistance Fund, which she said has enabled key client services. No commissioners raised substantive questions in the meeting; Clayton reiterated plans for an upcoming needs assessment developed with the University of Tennessee to guide long-term service planning.