My Aunties’ House—FOX 13 Dream Team Honors Domestic Violence Heroes

Thanks to Martha Burkett-Fallis and Jana C. Fulmer, Salt Lake City, Utah, is now home to an innovative approach to ending domestic violence. Together they founded My Aunties’ House, the only facility of its kind in the U.S.

My Aunties’ House is a one-of-a-kind, immersive treatment center for men who have used violence in their relationships. It helps them work find a path forward, while allowing their families to stay safe and comfortable in their own homes.

Here therapists use evaluations to create treatment plans for each resident. The men stay for about four to six months, take care of the house and pay a third of their income for rent. They also work on understanding why they turned to violence, holding themselves accountable.

Martha explained, “We were seeing people who came to us and said, ‘This isn’t who I am. This is not what I wanted to do with my life. It’s not how I wanted to treat my family. I love my family. I want to stay with my family. How do I make it better? How do I make it right?’”

Jana and Martha believe that personalized treatment works better than a one-size-fits-all approach. By finding the root causes of violence, they aim to stop the cycle and prevent further trauma. In the short time since opening, none of the men in the program have relapsed into violence. Jana and Martha hope to expand these successful results to other communities in Utah.

Not surprisingly, their tireless efforts caught the attention of the FOX 13 Dream Team. In collaboration with Mountain America Credit Union and Master AutoTech, they honored these unsung heroes for their remarkable work.

Watch the video above to learn more about My Aunties’ House.