Anderson County Family Justice Center

06/01/2026

June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month, a time to recognize, understand, and help prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults.

Elder abuse can take many forms, including physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, financial exploitation, and sexual abuse. While many people picture a stranger as the perpetrator, the reality is that elder abuse is most often committed by someone the older adult knows and trusts—frequently a family member, caregiver, or other close acquaintance.

Because abuse often happens behind closed doors, it can go unnoticed for months or even years. By learning the warning signs and staying connected to the older adults in our lives, we can all play a role in prevention.

Take a moment and learn about the different types of elder abuse and how you can help protect the older adults in our community.

05/25/2026

05/22/2026

What an incredible experience at this year’s Tennessee State Family Justice Center Conference in Chattanooga hosted by Nashville’s Office of Family Safety!

The Anderson County Family Justice Center was proud to have a record number of partner agencies and invitees attend this year’s conference. Together, we spent time learning, collaborating, sharing ideas, and strengthening our understanding of how to better serve survivors of domestic violence and abuse in our community.

We are thankful for every member of our conference team who took the time to attend, stay informed, and invest in this important work. Opportunities like this help us continue building stronger partnerships and a stronger coordinated response for Anderson County.

Thank you all for being part of the ACFJC conference team!

05/21/2026

Congratulations to Oak Ridge Police Department Investigator Reign Pettus on receiving the “Justice for All” Award at this year’s Tennessee State Family Justice Center Conference in Chattanooga hosted by Office of Family Safety .

Investigator Pettus was recognized for her dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment to serving victims in our community. Her work makes a meaningful difference in the lives of survivors every day, and we are proud to partner with her in this important work.

Thank you, Investigator Pettus, for all that you do for our clients, our community, and the Anderson County Family Justice Center. This award is incredibly well deserved!

05/20/2026

Congratulations to Rocky Top TN Police Department Chief John Thomas on receiving the “Mountain Mover” Award at this year’s Tennessee State Family Justice Center Conference in Chattanooga hosted by Nashville’s Office of Family Safety.

This award recognizes Chief Thomas’ hard work, perseverance, and never-give-up attitude when it comes to serving victims and strengthening support for survivors in our community. His commitment to doing what it takes to help those in need does not go unnoticed.

We are incredibly grateful for Chief Thomas’ partnership and dedication to the mission of the Anderson County Family Justice Center and to the safety and well-being of our community. This recognition is truly well deserved!

05/07/2026

Wrapping up our final day at the Office of Family Safety 2026 Family Justice Center Conference! We’re proud to have our Anderson County team representing the Anderson County Family Justice Center this week alongside so many incredible professionals.

Today’s Lunch & Learn featured the Lethality Assessment Protocol (LAP) and High Risk Intervention Teams (HRIT), with the Oak Ridge Police Department represented by Captain Shannah Neumann. We’re especially proud of the recent rollout of LAP in Anderson County and the collaborative work happening through our HRIT efforts to improve victim safety and coordinated response.

We also appreciated the opportunity to learn from so many knowledgeable presenters throughout the week, including elder abuse expert Paul Greenwood, whose engaging sessions shared valuable insight that will help us better serve seniors in Tennessee.

We’ve learned so much, made meaningful connections with both old and new friends, and are already looking forward to next year!

05/07/2026

Day one of the Family Justice Center Conference hosted by Office of Family Safety was a huge success! This year’s conference is being held in beautiful Chattanooga at the Downtown Marriott, and the first day was packed full of valuable sessions, conversations, and ideas that will strengthen the work we do back home in Anderson County.

We are especially grateful to have such a strong local team attending alongside us, including all 5 Anderson County law enforcement agencies, the Dave Clark, District Attorney General - Anderson County, TN , YWCA Knoxville & the Tennessee Valley , and Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee . Having so many partners learning together in the same space is collaboration in action and a powerful reminder of what can happen when agencies come together with a shared mission of supporting survivors and building safer communities.

We learned so much today and are looking forward to another great day tomorrow!