A representative from the League of California Cities presented the Concord City Council with a Helen Putnam Award of Excellence at its meeting on October 11. The City won the Helen Putnam CCS Partnership Intergovernmental Collaboration Award for the Central Family Justice Center, which opened in 2015. The league selects one California city in each of 12 categories to recognize each year. Western City magazine had recently featured the Family Justice Center.

The Family Justice Center, located on Salvio Street in downtown Concord, is a one-stop, multi-agency facility for children, youth and adults affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse and human trafficking. A diverse group of professionals from the criminal justice field, civil, legal, advocacy, health and mental health systems provide comprehensive services under one roof. In its first nine months of operation, the center assisted 575 clients, 80 percent of whom had experienced domestic violence.

For clients in need of the services at the center, coming to one location is faster and less expensive; help is more immediate. Clients can access the broad spectrum of essential services because of the multiple agencies located on-site. Putting many agencies and resources into one place not only promotes efficiency, but also improves the quality of services. The Helen Putnam Intergovernmental Collaboration Award recognizes this partnership aspect of the center and the results achieved through this combined effort.

To contact the Central Family Justice Center at 2151 Salvio St., Ste. 201, call (925) 521-6366, or visit www.cocofamilyjustice.org. For more information about the Helen Putnam Award, visit www.helenputnam.org.