T his is the first newsletter for the Nancy J. Cotterman Center (NJCC), Broward County’s 24 hour rape crisis center and child advocacy center for the prevention of child abuse. We anticipate

that our newsletter will evolve over time and provide our community with knowledge of the important work that we do. We aim to keep you informed of our efforts to protect and treat victims of sexual violence and child abuse.

NJCC is located at 400 NE 4th Street in Fort Lauderdale and is comprised of three main units: The Crisis Unit assists victims of sexual assault and provides community outreach to raise awareness of sexual violence. The Child Protection Team (CPT) provides advocacy services to protect children from physical and sexual abuse. The Counseling Unit provides therapeutic services to victims of physical and sexual abuse and violence. All services are free to victims and their non-offending family members.

We are proud to share our most recent agency accomplishments from the first half 2015. It has been a challenging time for our staff and for our facility, which is undergoing repair and enhancement. Look for future newsletters and read about the latest happenings!

Newsletter Vol.1 No.1

NANCY J. COTTERMAN CENTER

Human Services DepartmentCommunity Partnerships Division

Nancy J. Cotterman Center

400 N.E. 4th Street Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

954-357-5775

Broward.org/HumanServices

October, 2015

THE CRISIS UNIT:The Crisis Intervention Unit has been actively involved in community outreach projects this year. NJCC recently visited Village Elementary to educate school staff about the dynamics of sexual violence within the school environment.

On June 19th, Maggie Marcellus and NJCC’s Sandra Vazquez Crisis Unit Supervisor participated in World Refugee Day at Broward College. The two representatives provided information about our Center’s services.

Student volunteer assists NJCC’s Maggie Marcellus.

Kim Perez (left) and Ladez Watkins spread the word about NJCC programs and services.

In early May, Ladez Watkins and Kimberly Perez represented NJCC at the Walk Aware event held at Sunland Park. The team provided community outreach and Kim gave a presentation on sexual violence awareness.

The Crisis Intervention Unit recently collected donations of school supplies for the upcoming school year and presented them on August 1st at the Back to School Family Health Fair at the Lauderdale Manors Resource Center.

Broward County’s Children’s Advocacy Center and Certified Rape Crisis Center

NANCY J. COTTERMAN CENTERNewsletter Vol. 1. No.1

CHILD PROTECTION UNIT:The Child Protection Team (CPT) would like to give a big welcome to our newest member, Stacy Senior Bromfield, MSW. Stacy joined the team in February 2015. Her contagious smile and positive attitude inspire us and we are lucky to have her!

The CPT Medical Director, Dr. John Wright recently received the Superior Public Service Award from the Broward County Crime Commission for his participation in the Building Bridges Mental Health Conference Series: Child on Child Sexual Abuse. Way to go DW!

CPT also wishes to extend a big congratulations to team member, Patrice Raffington who is expecting a “little guy” any day now! We wish Patrice the very best in her new role as mom!

COUNSELING UNIT:Due to remodeling and repairs in the main building, the Counseling Unit has temporarily relocated to an

interim facility at 624 NW 15th Way, Fort Lauderdale.

Counseling services are free and are offered in English, Spanish, Creole and French. If you need counseling services related to physical or sexual abuse or violence, please contact us at 954-357-5775.

Each year, April is designated nationally as Sexual Assault Awareness and Child Abuse Prevention Month. The Broward County Commission issued a proclamation designating Tuesday, April 14, 2015 as Denim Day, a day of observance dedicated to awareness of sexual violence. For more information on Denim Day, please visit Denimdayinfo.org.

Throughout April, the Counseling Unit displayed an exhibit in the Governmental Center lobby to increase awareness about sexual violence and Denim Day. This year, we constructed a tree of denim leaves with messages of hope and inspiration written on each leaf. The public participated by creating messages on leaves and and placing them on the tree. Soon the tree was overflowing with foliage!

As Director of the Community Partnerships Division that oversees the Center, I am excited to share this inaugural newsletter and invite you to discover the great things that are happening at NJCC. Given the current use of social media, we know more than ever about the topic of child abuse and sexual assault, with well-publicized examples of college rapes and athletic coaches abusing children. No longer are these topics hidden and the value of prevention education and trauma focused intervention are well accepted. What you may not know is the long term commitment of the County to ensure that our community has access to a 24/7 rape crisis and child advocacy center. Yes, as the old African proverb states, “It takes a village.” Since 1977, many hard working and highly talented staff, advocates and volunteers have ensured that child abuse and sexual assault victims and their non-offending family members should have a safe and welcoming place to go for services.

The common thread is compassion for our fellow human beings who have been traumatized through no fault of their own. I invite you to read this newsletter and learn about the range of free, high quality trauma and forensic services offered at NJCC, meet our dedicated hard-working staff, and better appreciate the positive and meaningful difference that they make on a daily basis.

With gratitude,

Mandy Wells, Community Partnerships Division Director

Mandy Wells Community Partnerships Division Director

GET INvOLvED –vOLUNTEER

The Nancy J. Cotterman Center Auxiliary Board is looking for volunteers who wish to make a difference in the lives of victims of child physical and sexual abuse. The Board is a registered non-profit Organization 501(c) 3 and advocates for the Nancy J. Cotterman Center and the importance of community involvement in the prevention and treatment of physical and sexual abuse. Our Board members are professionals who are passionate about making a difference in their community and enjoy developing relationships with individuals, businesses and community organizations and advocating for our agency and clients. The Board meets once every three months at 400 NE 4th Street, Fort Lauderdale from 6-7PM. For more information on how you can get involved, contact Miriam Firpo-Jimenez, Section Manager at 954-357-5775 or email mfjimenez@broward.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

A SERVICE OF THE BROWARD COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERSAn equal opportunity employer and provider of services. 500 copies of this public document were promulgated at a cost of $295.00 or $0.59 per copy, to inform the public about the Sexual Assault Treatment Center.

Read it. Share it. Forward it. Share the Nancy J. Cotterman Center Newsletter with family and friends by forwarding it to others who would benefit from knowing the latest NJCC news. Subscribe today via email at sseeley@broward.org