Johnson County leaders want to build a one-stop center where domestic violence survivors and families in legal crisis can access courts, counseling, health exams and legal aid in a single location.

The proposed Johnson County Family Safety Center would be the first of its kind in Kansas. Dozens of local politicians, attorneys and a co-founder of the Alliance for Hope gathered for a two-day planning session at Johnson County Community College to map out the facility, the Olathe Reporter first reported Sept. 9.

Megan Ahsens, a senior assistant district attorney in the Douglas County District Attorney's office, has spent 20 years prosecuting domestic violence and sex crimes. She created a foundation in 2019 to push for the center and said the planning session moved the effort further than it has ever been.

The session used a hypothetical scenario to illustrate the problem. A domestic violence victim who owns a car and lives near the courthouse would still need to travel nearly 1,000 miles between court hearings, hospitals, therapy sessions, schools and food assistance programs over the course of a full case. The group estimated that travel would cost about $152 in gas and more than $1,600 in lost wages.

"This is 1,000 miles and it's 1,000 reasons to do this because we actually made this victim very lucky," Ahsens told the Olathe Reporter. "We never made it a scenario that the suspect was threatening her, that he got out of jail … We didn't make any of that a reality for her … and it's still this bad."

Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said the center would serve children, adults and elderly victims of violence alike. Howe told KSHB in a Sept. 3 report that next steps include securing funding and choosing a location in the county.

The Alliance for Hope, which has guided the family justice center movement since the first such center opened in San Diego in 2002, has deemed Johnson County ready to proceed. More than 300 centers now operate worldwide, according to the organization.

The center could cut travel for survivors and provide support in a trauma-informed setting, said Kimberly Paul, program director at Safehome, a Johnson County domestic violence agency. Jennifer Sonsiadek, a domestic violence survivor, has a seat at the planning table.

The immediate next step is hiring a full-time executive director. Ahsens said the goal is for the county government to fund the position. The county has not agreed. Her optimistic timeline puts the center's opening within two years, and no county commission vote or public hearing has been scheduled.