Taya Bookhart
Hotline Counselor
Taya was an intern at The Family Place in nonresidential services at our Central Dallas Counseling Center and Emergency Shelter Services at Ann Moody Place before she joined our hotline team on January 9, 2023. Taya strives to serve the community through resolving conflicts and providing guidance for those in need. She has a diverse background working with children and adults in psychiatric hospital settings and crisis intervention. Taya is working on her master’s degree in Social Work at Delaware University and received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Delaware State University as well.

 

Edwin Bustamante
Battering Intervention and Prevention Program Facilitator
Edwin has been facilitating psychoeducational groups in our Battering Intervention and Prevention Program and working with offenders since 2018. He joined our program full time on January 9, 2023. Edwin believes working with offenders is primarily about helping their survivors and families by providing tools and practices of accountability. He’s passionate about ending domestic violence and working with the team at The Family Place.

 

John Box
Ann Moody Place Operations Director
John joined The Family Place on January 17, 2023, to work with clients living in our Men’s Shelter on the logistics of starting new lives free from violence. His background is in manufacturing and management with 20+ years of experience in operations, 10 of which was in a director position focused on time management, scheduling, and cost saving. John is energetic about transferring this knowledge to his team and clients.

 

Keiarra Tolbert
Faith and Liberty’s Place Family Center Supervised Visitation Monitor
Keiarra originally joined The Family Place as a supervised visitation monitor in July 2021 and departed in August 2022. We’re excited that she returned on January 1, 2023, to her previous role helping families court ordered to supervised visitation enjoy safe and meaningful time together. Keiarra completed her undergraduate work at Grambling State University and pursued her master’s degree in Social Work at the University of Texas at Arlington. Keiarra has eight years of experience in social services. We’re excited to have her back at The Family Place!

 

Terrence Coleman
Warehouse Staff
Terrence joined our warehouse team on February 21, 2023, helping to house, organize, and distribute donations we receive from the community. He previously worked for Amazon and other major warehouse operations. We’re happy to have his expertise to keep our warehouse running smoothly.

 

Melanie Martinez
Emergency Shelter Services Bilingual Case Manager at Ann Moody Place
Melanie joined the Ann Moody Place team on February 21, 2023, to provide case management services to our Spanish-speaking clients. She has a background in crisis intervention and mental health with experience in de-escalation, working with children, and providing mental health assessments. Melanie graduated in 2019 from Texas State University with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.

 

Zonia Draught
Warehouse Staff
Zonia joined our warehouse team on February 21, 2023, helping to house, organize, and distribute donations we receive from the community. She previously worked for UPS, DHL, and other major warehouse operations. We’re happy to have her expertise to keep our warehouse running smoothly.

 

Paulette Reid-Jones
People Services Coordinator
Paulette joined The Family Place People Services team as a temp on January 17, 2023. We were immediately impressed with her energy and dedication and hired her as a full-time member of the team on February 27, 2023. Paulette has been in payroll and human resources for more than nine years.

 

Myla Cashaw
Resale Shop Assistant Manager
Myla joined our Resale Shop team on March 1, 2023, as an accomplished leader who enjoys using her retail skills to contribute to the success of the Resale Shop. Myla has worked in various roles in retail management from the spa world to big box retail. We’re already benefiting from her perspective making our Resale Shop more inviting to shoppers, which increases proceeds for our client programs.

 

Maritza Ruiz, MSW, MHP
Bilingual Case Manager at Southern Dallas
Maritza joined The Family Place on March 6, 2023, bringing her background in mental health and case management to the Southern Dallas team. She is a Mental Health Professional and recently passed her Association of Social Work boards exam to become a Licensed Master Social Worker. She plans to continue her work in the mental health field and become a therapist. Maritza is dedicated to learning and advancement in evidenced-based interventions. She has a passion for helping the Spanish-speaking community that has less access to resources due to language barriers. Maritza graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2021 with a master’s degree in Social Work.

 

Maria Castro, LMSW
Bilingual Case Manager at Collin County Counseling Center
Maria joined the team at our counseling center in McKinney on March 6, 2023. Born in México City, she moved to the DFW area in 2000. And graduated from Texas A&M University Commerce with a master’s degree in Social Work. She became a Licensed Master Social Worker in 2019. Prior to joining The Family Place, Maria worked at Hope's Door New Beginning. She is eager to use her skills to help those in need.

 

Shanitta Baree-Busby
Supportive Living Program Resident Advocate
Shanitta joined The Family Place Supportive Living Program team on March 6, 2023. She was a childcare investigator for Child Protective Services for more than six years with significant experience working with families, assessing them for safety, and helping advocate for their needs. She was also a mental health technician for Hickory Trail Hospital in Desoto, Texas. Shanitta has a bachelor’s degree in Health Studies from Texas Woman’s University.

 

Melanie Lewis
Emergency Shelter Services Resident Advocate at Sally’s House
Melanie joined The Family Place Emergency Shelter Services team on March 20, 2023. She received her bachelor's degree from the University of New Orleans and is currently working on a master’s degree in Social Work at the University of Texas at Arlington. Melanie has worked in social services for more than 18 years. She brings valuable expertise to our team and will be an asset serving survivors of domestic violence. 

 

Angelita Howard, LPC (pending state approval)
Central Dallas Counseling Center Counselor
Angelita joined our counseling team at Ann Moody Place on March 20, 2023. She brings a proven success record leading cognitive behavioral therapy, talk therapy, right brain therapy, and group counseling. Previously she was a counseling intern with Nexus Recovery Center, where she gained experience helping patients with substance abuse disorders, anxiety, and mood and personality disorders. Angelita also has more than a decade of experience as a dance educator. She has a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Delaware State University and a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Texas Tech University.

 

Patricia Sterling
Supportive Living Program Resident Advocate
Patricia joined The Family Place Supportive Living Program team on March 20, 2023. Her background is in education. She has a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education and has taught in public, private, and charter schools for more than 25 years. Patricia is an author and a service-oriented professional in the areas of domestic violence, advocacy, life coaching, speaker engagement, and group training. She serves on The Family Place African American Domestic Violence Council. Patricia always looks for opportunities to gain experience and growth.

 

Alexis Cokes, BSW
Emergency Shelter Services Resident Advocate at Ann Moody Place
Alexis joined The Family Place on March 20, 2023, as a weekend resident advocate. She has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is currently working on her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Alexis sees herself as a mental health advocate. During the week, she is a special education inclusion teacher in Dallas ISD working with middle school students. Her vision is to be an agent for social change creating a safe space, building connections, and helping find solutions.

 

Michael Edwards
Child Development Center Lead Teacher
Michael joined the Child Development Center team on March 20, 2023. With a background in teaching, coaching, and mentoring, he is a communications professional with a passion for youth development and sports. Michael is a creative and collaborative problem solver with success in content creation. He is proud to be a graduate of a historically black college having received his bachelor’s degree in Communications from Paul Quinn College in Dallas. He brings experience in mentoring and child development to the Child Development Center team.

 

Syamoria Williams
Hotline Shelter Advocate
Sy joined The Family Place team on March 20, 2023. She was previously a court coordinator for the State of Texas and a legal technician and child support officer for the Texas Attorney General’s office in Dallas, Tarrant, and Johnson counties. She worked for The Texas Attorney General’s office more than a decade gaining extensive experience with domestic violence cases, restraining orders, and visitation concerns. Sy has associate’s degrees in Management and Liberal Science and a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Development.

 

Q1 PROMOTIONS

 

Kayla Landry
Faith and Liberty’s Place Family Center Program Director
Kayla joined The Family Place team in October 2021 and was promoted to her current role on January 15, 2023. She has a background in social services and retail management. For five years prior to joining our team, she worked with adult and child family violence survivors and with offenders. She is passionate about providing quality care and safety to the clients we serve. Kayla has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Criminal Justice and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Social Work.

 

Theresa Little
Men’s Shelter Program Director
In her more than 22 years at The Family Place, Theresa has developed many areas of expertise. She has served in a variety of positions within the agency from program director to Community Counseling outreach specialist. She took on her current role at the Men’s Shelter on January 16, 2023. Theresa is a sought-after speaker about domestic violence in the community. She has received numerous awards and recognitions for work including the 2020 I Change Nations Award from the Grand Prairie Police Department and the 2021 Genesis Women’s Shelter Miriam Award for her community advocacy work. In addition to her role at the Men’s Shelter, Theresa is a liaison for The Family Place African American Domestic Violence Council.

 

Edith Walker
Residential Services Children’s Program Coordinator at Sally’s House
Edith joined The Family Place in 2000 and has been in the childcare field for 38 years. She was promoted to her current role on February 1, 2023. Edith is a supportive resource for families at our Safe Campus. She has a director’s license, National Accreditation certificate, and an associate’s degree in Business Administration. She will graduate in May 2023 with an Early Childhood Education in Administration degree from Eastfield College.

 

Britanny Roddy
Resale Shop Key Holder
Brittany joined The Family Place in April 2022 as a sales employee bringing 15 years of customer service experience to the Resale Shop team. She was promoted to her current role on February 3, 2023. Brittany brings a positive attitude and exceptional creativity to her work at the Resale Shop and values helping customers and associates achieve the Resale Shop’s goal of funding programs for our clients.

 

Terri Garner
Program Administrative Assistant at Ann Moody Place
Terri has been with The Family Place for 16 years. For years she was part of the glue that held together our Emergency Shelter Services at Sally’s House. She began her career with The Family Place in February 2007 at Sally's House as the administrative assistant. She was later promoted to administrative assistant at Sour Southern Dallas Counseling Center. On February 16, 2023, Terri transferred to her current role at Ann Moody Place.

 

Nikisha Anderson, MSW, QMHP
Emergency Shelter Services Case Manager at Ann Moody Place
Nikisha joined our Ann Moody Place team in October of 2018 as a resident advocate and was promoted to her current role on February 16, 2023. Nikisha has a bachelor's degree in Business from Northwood University and a master's degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. She brings many years of experience working with domestic violence survivors and children and families experiencing abuse and neglect. She has extensive training in anger management, illness management and recovery, the Satori alternatives to managing aggression, seeking safety, and adult needs and strengths assessment.

 

Trish Turrentine
Resale Shop Shift Supervisor
Trish joined The Family Place in September 2019 as the Resale Shop social media associate focusing on social media, online sales, and consignment. She was promoted to her current role on February 16, 2023. She previously worked in retail management and buying for a major retailer. Trish is currently focused on working with the Resale Shop team to build our better sportswear and consignment business.

 

Brielle Salley
Emergency Shelter Services Case Manager at Sally’s House
Brielle became a part of the Sally’s House family in the fall of 2022 and took on her new role on March 16, 2023.  She connects clients to resources and provided support in encouraging ways to both colleagues and clients. Brielle has a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Stephen F. Austin University and is pursuing a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Amberton University.

Having a safety plan in place is critical for anyone experiencing domestic violence. The Family Place’s 24-hour crisis hotline—214-941-1991—provides safety planning services to callers in crisis. Our goal is to ensure that 100% of callers are given a safety plan to help them act quickly to protect themselves from danger.

A safety plan is a personalized, practical plan that helps individuals anticipate and prepare for dangerous situations. It outlines steps to take if violence occurs, such as identifying safe places to go or people to call for help. Safety plans can also include information about legal resources, counseling, and other support services that can assist survivors in the aftermath of domestic violence.

Having a safety plan in place can mean the difference between life and death for survivors of domestic violence. It provides a sense of control and empowers individuals to take action to protect themselves and their children. Our crisis hotline is just one resource at The Family Place that provides safety planning services and connects survivors to other support services that can help them on their journey to safety and healing.

Safety Planning for Adults

• Keep your phone charged and with you at all times.
• Back your car into parking places in case you need to leave quickly.
• Memorize emergency numbers, such as 911, the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233), or The Family Place Hotline (214-941-1991).
• Identify escape routes in your home and practice using them.
• Keep important documents, such as identification and financial records, in a safe place or with a trusted friend or family member.
• Have a “go bag” prepared with essentials, such as clothing, medication, and cash.
• Make a plan for where you can go and whom you can contact for help, such as a friend, family member, or domestic violence shelter.
• Share your situation with a trusted friend or family member who can support you and offer a safe place to stay if needed.
• Consider seeking legal assistance or obtaining a restraining order to protect yourself.
  

Safety Planning for Kids:

• Identify a safe place in the home where they can go if they feel scared or unsafe, such as a neighbor’s house or a specific room.
• Know emergency numbers, such as 911 or a trusted adult’s phone number, and how to use a phone to call for help.
• Understand that violence is never their fault and that they have the right to be safe.
• Practice staying calm and quiet during violent incidents.
• Have a “go bag” prepared with essentials, such as clothing, medication, and comfort items.
• Talk to a trusted adult about their situation and how they can stay safe, such as a teacher, guidance counselor, or family member.

One of the key components of our work to end family violence is our court-ordered programs that help abusers change their behavior and become better parents and future partners. We work closely with Dallas family and criminal courts to provide these services. These programs, Faith & Liberty’s Place and the Battering Intervention & Prevention Program (BIPP), provide a comprehensive approach that teaches abusers how to change their behaviors positively in all relationships. The programs now occupy opposite sides of a new facility that’s the first to combine these services in one location. The programs do not share entrances and exits, ensuring the safety and privacy of all participants, but a common employee space for shared gathering.

Faith and Liberty’s Place named for Faith and Liberty Battaglia who were murdered by their father during an unsupervised visitation, provides supervised visitation and monitored exchanges for noncustodial parents to interact with their children in a safe and supportive environment. Referrals come from family courts, primarily from child custody cases where there is a history of family violence.

Our 24-week program for batterers is a crucial part of ending family violence. Through this program, participants learn how to identify and change abusive behaviors, as well as how to have healthy relationships. By providing this program alongside Faith & Liberty’s Place, which also offers parenting classes, we are providing a comprehensive solution to the problem of family violence. Participants in both programs also have access to a range of resources and support at The Family Place, including counseling, legal aid, and case management services.

With more than 10 years of experience in teaching, Desiree Moore brings skills from various teaching genres and overseeing and directing schools with high-quality curriculums to her role as program director of our Child Development Center. Desiree has a passion for innovative thinking and creativity and works with a team of teachers and educational psychologists to make sure our Child Development Center provides high-quality care and education. Her dedication to innovation ensures that the center stays in line with the latest trends and practices in child development.

Desiree leads a team of teachers and staff members in implementing child development programs, ensuring that each child’s needs are met while maintaining compliance with all state regulations. Desiree is also responsible for developing policies and procedures that promote the highest level of care and education for our children.

Prior to this role, Desiree was the director of education at The Family Place, which allowed her to provide strategic leadership in all our education programs ensuring that they align with our mission and values. Prior to joining The Family Place, she held various leadership positions, including at The Goddard School and Children’s Lighthouse Learning Centers. She has also worked with Texas A&M on implementing programs in early childhood to create a healthy, fun way of learning for children who lack in other areas of life, such as food and shelter.

Desiree’s educational background includes a master’s of Business Administration from Texas A&M University-Commerce as well as a bachelor’s degree in General Studies and an associate’s degree in Teaching from Blinn College. Desiree’s commitment to her work and passion for children’s education and well-being have made her an invaluable member of The Family Place team. She has elevated the center’s operations, and her leadership has provided a rich environment for children to learn and grow

The Family Place’s Resale Shop is a vital part of our mission to support survivors of domestic violence. The shop accepts donations of clothing, household items, and furniture from the community, which are then provided free of charge to clients in need. The store is staffed primarily by volunteers, and all excess inventory is sold to the general public to raise funds for our programs. Our exciting, seasonally appropriate merchandise is also sold to the general public.

Located at 11722 Marsh Lane, Suite 354, at the southeast corner of the Park Forest Shopping Center, donations are accepted Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Furniture donations are only accepted on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. To ensure that donations meet the shop’s guidelines, items must be in closed containers or sealed garbage bags. Items that cannot be accepted include mattresses, office furniture, large appliances, and baby gear.

The store is open to shoppers Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Our Resale Shop is known for carrying high-quality brands such as Tory Burch, Ralph Lauren, and Lululemon, making it a popular destination for thrifty shoppers.

By donating and shopping at the Resale Shop, community members are supporting our vital work while also reducing waste and promoting sustainability. Come shop with us!

For more information, call the Resale Shop at 214-358-0381.

Our leadership and staff recently traveled to Austin to participate in Domestic Violence Advocacy Day. CEO Mimi Sterling and other representatives from the organization met with legislators to discuss the importance of continued support for survivors of domestic violence.

During the meetings, The Family Place representatives highlighted funding priorities and policy initiatives for the legislative session. These included $88M in funding for family violence program services, $5M for offender accountability, and $600,000 for lethality risk reduction. We also advocated for updating survivor service provisions, codifying virtual hearings for protective orders, increasing access to justice for stalking survivors, and reducing lethality due to firearms.

Domestic violence affects a staggering number of Texans, with 1 in 3 women and 1 in 7 men experiencing family violence. The lifesaving services provided by organizations like The Family Place are crucial to supporting survivors and ensuring their needs are met. Without funding from the state, local, and federal governments, these services would not be possible.

The Family Place operates three shelters across Dallas County, providing survivors with safety, food, clothing, transportation, legal services, counseling, and case management. The demand for these emergency services continues to increase as the community grows, making funding and support from the government more critical than ever.

Our representatives urged legislators to prioritize the safety of survivors of domestic violence and to hold offenders accountable for their actions. Our efforts at Domestic Violence Advocacy Day show our commitment to making a difference in the lives of those affected by domestic violence and our dedication to ensuring the continued support and funding necessary to provide lifesaving services to those in need.

It’s a big year at The Family Place—our 45^th anniversary—and we’re celebrating all year long with the theme of Building Brighter Futures. In this newsletter, we’ll be sharing stories about the many ways we’re doing that. Just look for the “45 Ways” heart icon to count along and learn how we’re making a difference together.

The Family Place was one of the first family violence agencies and is now one of the largest in the country. As we focus on the future, we’ve identified six priorities to keep us growing in the right direction.

The first focus is a big one—our budget for 2023 is $17 million. We have our work cut out for us to raise that much money—the largest budget in our history. To meet the needs of our clients takes a collective effort of our community coming together with their time, talent, and treasure.

Our second focus area is Program Outcomes and Enhancements. We’re transitioning our service delivery model to work more in depth with clients resulting in even more impressive outcomes. Our chief client services officer has been hard at work auditing each program. Through these evaluations, we are making changes to better serve our clients. One of those changes is through our hotline where we have increased our answer rate from 65% to over 94% in a 12-month period.

Since I joined The Family Place 18 months ago, I’ve worked to Invest in Talent & Infrastructure, which is our third 2023 focus area. We’re continuing to develop our high-performance workforce to improve our infrastructure, including a new safety alert system for the organization. In addition, we need to continue to attract and retain top talent to grow our team. In this newsletter you can read about some of the great jobs we have open, so please pass those on to candidates in your circle.

We’re continuing to Invest in Our Culture through trust, transparency, communication, fun, and better benefits. We’re also enhancing our employee value proposition to make The Family Place a premier employer of choice.

The Family Place Board of Directors has always been one of our greatest assets. In 2023, we’re working to increase board/client mentoring relationships to fully utilize the important resources we have on our side.

Finally, we’re Refreshing Our Brand with input from a diverse committee of stakeholders. The Family Place has a strong and recognizable brand, but even the best brands need a polish every once in a while!

Stay tuned for updates on these initiatives throughout the year, and, as always, thank you for your support!

With gratitude,

 

 

 

 

Mimi Sterling

CEO

Highland Dallas Foundation Has Awarded Over $2 Million to The Family Place Since 2015 

Dallas, TX (October 13, 2021) – The Family Place is pleased to announce a $1 million grant from the Highland Dallas Foundation in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This is the second $1 million grant issued by the Highland Dallas Foundation to The Family Place since 2015. The grant will be used in part to fund the ongoing rebuilding and restoration of full services to emergency shelter facilities damaged by Winter Storm Uri, which devastated North Texas in February.

The Family Place is a nonprofit organization that empowers victims of family violence by providing safe housing, counseling and skills that create independence while building community engagement and advocating for social change to stop family violence. Winter Storm Uri left 123 of The Family Place’s clients displaced after pipes in one of the agency’s three residential facilities burst, causing significant structural damage. Approximately $500,000 of the Highland Dallas Foundation’s grant will provide funding for repairs to The Family Place’s Safe Campus Emergency Shelter. The remaining funds will support The Family Place’s Enduring Promise Foundation Campaign and will help provide long-term funding for on-site medical staff who provide essential medical services to clients in two on-site clinics.

“The Family Place would like to thank the Highland Dallas Foundation for being an important part of the solution to ending family violence in our community with its long-standing support of our organization,” said Mimi Sterling, CEO of The Family Place. “Prior to this grant, the Highland Dallas Foundation provided critical funding to help build our emergency shelter medical and dental clinics, which provide vital medical and dental care to our clients. This latest grant helps ensure The Family Place can continue to serve the Dallas community for years to come helping victims become strong survivors.” 

“The support we’ve received from the Highland Dallas Foundation goes beyond these generous grants. When we asked donors to participate in our ‘Adopt A Family’ program, the Highland Dallas Foundation stepped up to adopt all the families in need, providing holiday gifts for every resident in our emergency shelter, who were so grateful to receive such an unexpected surprise. This impromptu gesture highlights the level of care and commitment for the Dallas community that drives Highland Dallas Foundation’s philanthropy. We’re grateful for the ongoing collaboration between the Highland Dallas Foundation and The Family Place, which has been instrumental in providing needed services and promoting awareness of domestic violence in our community.”

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, “Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) was launched nationwide in October 1987 as a way to connect and unite individuals and organizations working on domestic violence issues while raising awareness for those issues. Over the past 30+ years, much progress has been made to support domestic violence victims and survivors, to hold abusers accountable, and to create and update legislation to further those goals.”

About The Family Place
In 1978, a group of community volunteers organized The Family Place as one of the first family violence shelters in the state. Today, The Family Place is the largest family violence service provider in Texas, with three emergency shelters providing 177 shelter beds each night, including the state’s only shelter for men and children, and three counseling centers. The Family Place served 11,933 clients in 2020 providing 62,118 days of emergency shelter, 36,015 days of transitional housing, 18,526 hours of counseling to nonresidential clients, and 8,758 hours of counseling to batterers. All The Family Place’s services are in Spanish and in English. For more information on The Family Place, call 214.559.2170 or visit familyplace.org. 

About The Highland Dallas Foundation
The Highland Dallas Foundation was established in 2011 for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes. The Highland Dallas Foundation is a supporting organization of The Dallas Foundation, the oldest community foundation in Texas. Since its inception, the Highland Dallas Foundation has contributed tens of millions of dollars to charitable causes focusing on the following issue areas: education; support for military, veterans, and first responders; health and medical research; economic and community development initiatives; and youth and family. This charitable giving has made a tangible impact on improving the lives of Dallas residents. 

This month  Mimi Crume Sterling joined The Family Place as CEO upon the retirement of CEO Paige Flink, who has served the organization for 30 years. Paige will work closely with Mimi over the next few months to take The Family Place into the next chapter.

Mimi was most recently Vice President of Environmental Social Governance and Belonging at Neiman Marcus Group. She relocated her family to Dallas in 2014 after 15 years of working in luxury fashion and lifestyle PR, branding, and marketing in New York City. Mimi joined Neiman Marcus Group originally as Vice President of Corporate Communications and Public Relations. After five years in that role, she led Corporate Culture and Philanthropy as a part of the Neiman Marcus Group transformation team.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Mimi to lead the incredible team at The Family Place and continue the impactful legacy that Paige created,” said Harold Ginsburg, Chairman of the Board of The Family Place. “Paige has played a crucial role informing and influencing public perception of family violence and the North Texas community’s response to it. It is with great confidence that we welcome Mimi to continue to carry out our mission.”

“Mimi’s philanthropic spirit and diverse background make her the ideal fit for this role,” Paige said. “I look forward to working closely with her in the coming months as she transitions to lead an organization I love. I truly couldn’t be leaving The Family Place in better hands.”

Mimi has raised her family with a focus on service and exploration of diverse cultures.  She says philanthropy was a part of her life from a young age, starting with shadowing her mother who was active within the Indianapolis Children’s Museum Guild throughout the 1970s and 1980s. As a curious and energetic life-learner who has traveled to more than 40 countries and lived on three continents, Mimi meaningfully connects with people from many walks of life. Her happiest place is creating—building communities, solutions, and bright futures. 

“It’s with great honor and gratitude that I take the reins as the new CEO of The Family Place,” Mimi said. “I could not be more privileged to join such a critical and impactful organization, and I’m dedicated to continuing to execute and implement the laser-focused mission of The Family Place. We want to ensure bright futures for every victim of family violence, empowering them to lead lives free from abuse for generations to come.”

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The Agency Engages Victory Search Group to Find Next Generation of Leadership to Follow in Flink’s Footsteps

DALLAS (January 21, 2021)—Dallas-based family violence non-profit agency, The Family Place, is sending out a bittersweet announcement that current CEO Paige Flink, who has been with the organization in various leadership positions since 1991, is retiring in 2021 after helping to transition the new CEO. The Family Place, the largest family violence service provider in Texas, has hired Victory Search Group to lead the regional search for its next CEO to take The Family Place into the next chapter.

“Over the last 30 years, Paige has been instrumental in educating and changing public perception, including the North Texas community’s response to family violence,” shared The Family Place Board President Harold Ginsburg. “When she started with the organization, The Family Place had 38 employees and four facilities. Today it has more than 200 employees and eight facilities. She’s grown this organization into a national model, always putting the client first.”

During her time as CEO of The Family Place, Flink has created a fiscally sound organization through unique fundraisers such as Pepsi KidAround, Palm Night, and The Family Place Partners Card, which raises over a million dollars annually. Under Flink’s leadership, The Family Place has grown from an emergency shelter with 40 beds and one counseling office to three shelters providing 177 shelter beds each night—including the only shelter for men and children in the state—and three counseling offices in Dallas and Collin Counties. She led the organization as it built two state-of-the-art facilities and added innovative programming to meet client needs. After Faith and Liberty Battaglia were killed by their father during an unsupervised visitation in 2001, Flink led the charge to open Faith and Liberty’s Place Family Center. This program provided court-ordered supervised visitation and monitored exchange to prevent such tragedies. More recently, Flink has worked to coordinate shelter services with new technology that provides a real-time bed count to better serve clients seeking shelter.

“I’m excited about what The Family Place is going to do in the decades to come with the next generation of leadership in place,” Flink shared. “I’ve loved this job. I’ve worn a lot of hats in my life, but the one I’ve worn best is being an advocate for victims of domestic violence.”

In 2020, Flink won the D CEO award for Nonprofit Leadership Excellence and was honored in the Dallas Business Journal’s 2020 Women in Business awards program. She has received local and national recognition for her work on behalf of victims, including the Peace Award from the Sunshine Lady Foundation, the Women’s Advocacy Award from Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, the Texas Women’s Foundation Maura Award, and the Mosaic Family Services Champion of Human Rights.

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On June 25, 2020, The Family Place will celebrate the opening of its new Southern Dallas Counseling Center with a virtual dedication on Facebook Live at 11 a.m. This new, expanded office will provide counseling and case management service to victims of family violence in Southern Dallas. The Family Place has had an outreach office in Southern Dallas since 1997 to bring counseling and support to victims living there who have transportation and other barriers to accessing services.

 

The Southern Dallas Counseling Center will also be home to The Family Place’s new African American Domestic Violence Council (AADVC). The AADVC was established to address the high rate of domestic violence homicides among African American women in Dallas County.

 

The office dedication will include brief messages from The Family Place CEO Paige Flink and Dallas City Council Member Tennell Atkins. Theresa Little, Community Outreach Advocate at The Family Place, will also moderate a discussion with AADVC members Torrey Carroll, Founder of TNC Psychotherapy, and Maggie Cathcart, CFO/Owner of Performance Masters Career Institute. The ceremony will conclude with a blessing of the building from Pastor Bryan Carter of Concord Baptist Church and closing remarks from The Family Place Board Member Delia Jasso.

 

“At The Family Place we understand that victims of domestic violence need programs that are designed specifically for their cultural and community needs” says Flink. “Being able to expand our offices to meet the growing demand for help in an area that to date has been a ‘social services desert’ makes this an exciting day!”

 

The Family Place’s Southern Dallas Counseling Center was furnished thanks to a generous donation from Texas Capital Bank. The artwork throughout the facility was donated by local artists including The Family Place Board Member Deborah Alves, Ari Brielle, Bob Campbell, Linda Clary, Suedabeh Ewing and Kimberly Kort.

With the high reports of domestic violence during shelter-at-home orders, the resources The Family Place provides are more important than ever. A recent study led by researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas found that domestic violence incidents increased 12.5% with the shelter-at-home orders. The Family Place’s new larger office space in Southern Dallas will allow case managers and counselors to see more clients and provide expanded space for support groups and community education meetings.

Faith and Liberty Battaglia were tragically killed by their father in 2001 as their mother listened through the phone. To honor their lives, The Family Place created Faith and Liberty’s Place in 2003.

Faith and Liberty’s Place (FLP) is a safe, neutral environment for supervised visitations or monitored parent exchanges. Parents’ issues stemming from domestic violence, such as divorce or custody battles, often get in the way of a child’s safety. FLP prioritizes the safety of both children and parents to prevent any abusive behavior.

Most FLP clients are court referrals due to a history of family violence. While clients must reside in Dallas county, they do not have to be clients of The Family Place. FLP is one of the only visitation sites that is free for clients, allowing non-custodial parents to spend time with their children without any financial burdens.

The visiting and custodial parents park in separate parking lots, enter through separate entrances and arrive at different times to keep both parties safe from interacting with their partner. When the custodial parent arrives, he or she leaves the children with an FLP staff member to facilitate the visit. Once the supervised visitation concludes, the custodial parent leaves with the children and the visiting parent must wait an additional 30 minutes before leaving the premises.

In one day, there can be roughly five to six clients that use FLP for visits. Our sight supervisor, Ja’Sprie Mickens, ensures that all visitations run smoothly for our clients since the site consistently operates at capacity. With a CPS background, Ja’Sprie has always prioritized children’s safety and is glad to work more closely with families.

“My goal is to always put the child first. These children do not deserve to be caught up in grown up situations that are out of their control,” says Ja’Sprie.

Clients are so appreciative of FLP because it allows children to maintain relationships with both parents while preventing any further conflict from arising. This one-on-one supervision of visits by an FLP staff member allows families to get the most out of their time together. In providing a safe space for visits and exchanges, we can continue to make Dallas a safer community.