Pictured: Danielle Hughes, CPT Team Coordinator and CPC’s PAWS Pet Advocate Dog, Cracker . Photo courtesy of CPC.

Danielle Hughes, Team Coordinator of the Child Protection Team (CPT) at the Child Protection Center (CPC), has been named next year’s co-chair of Sarasota County’s Sexual Abuse Response Team (SART). This will be Danielle’s second time serving as a chair for SART. Danielle has served as a child abuse expert for 17 years at the Child Protection Center, where she leads the Child Protection Team in coordinating and providing intervention services in cases of children who are suspected victims of sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect. Services include medical exams, forensic interviews, psychological and psychosocial assessments, and court testimony. CPT is a legislatively mandated program and the only provider authorized by the state to perform these intervention services in Sarasota County. Danielle’s additional contributions to improving the welfare and safety of victims include her founding of the PAWS (Pet Advocates Working in the Suncoast) pet therapy program, her service on the Department of Health’s Quality Assurance Team, member of the Critical Incident Rapid Response Team, member of the Child Death Review, member of the Child Interview Advisory Committee, and Supervisor of the VOCA Victim Advocate/Administrative Duties. Danielle’s expertise has also been utilized in training Child Protection Team Case Coordinators across Florida. The Child Protection Center’s mission is the Prevention, Intervention, & Treatment of Child Abuse, as the organization envisions a community where children are safe from abuse and free to thrive. For over 40 years, CPC has been serving Sarasota and DeSoto Counties in the State of Florida, and is accredited by the National Children’s Alliance. For more information on CPC, visit www.cpcsarasota.org or call 941-365-1277.

Pictured: Danielle Hughes, CPT Team Coordinator and CPC’s PAWS Pet Advocate Dog, Cracker . Photo courtesy of CPC.