FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 22, 2014

CONTACT: Peter Van Delft
(617) 704-6682

SHERIFF TOMPKINS TOURS CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER OF SUFFOLK COUNTY

Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins (far right) with CAC Family Advocate and Forensic Interviewer Emily Rivera–Nunez (4th from right), MTC Coordinator and CAC Forensic Interviewer Alexandra Horan (3rd from right), and members of the tour group.

Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins recently visited the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County to tour the facility and learn more about the organization.

The mission of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County (CAC) is to unite public, private and community partners to promote safety, healing and justice for child victims and their families. Together, the CAC works with police, prosecutors, social workers, advocates, medical and mental health professionals and others to provide high–quality, specialized services for abused children and their families. They also deliver many services in the comfort and convenience of the child–friendly area within the facility.

By law, a number of agencies must investigate all reports of alleged abuse. Often agencies act independently of each other and children may be interviewed by many different people about the alleged abuse. The CAC helps abused children and their families with an approach that addresses the physical, emotional and legal dimensions of abuse and provides a coordinated response from expert professionals to reduce stress throughout the investigation and intervention process.

Touring the CAC’s child and teen interview rooms and clinical examination office with a group interested participants, Sheriff Tompkins listened to information provided by Family Advocate and Forensic Interviewer Emily Rivera–Nunez and later heard from Executive Director Susan Goldfarb and other members of the CAC team.

“The abuse and exploitation of children is both abhorrent and unconscionable,” said Sheriff Tompkins. “But, the sad fact of reality is that both occur far too often in our society. In my jurisdiction as Sheriff, it’s not uncommon to see the perpetrators of these crimes come through our doors, but, sadly, I also see some of the victims come into our facilities as a result of their struggles with trauma that may not have been properly addressed years earlier. The need for organizations like the CAC and the work that they do cannot be overstated. They’re essential to the healing and wellbeing of the families they serve and to the communities they live in.”

For more information about the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County, visit: www.suffolkcac.org.

| return to Press Release index |