Take I-95 to Broward Boulevard, go east on Broward Boulevard to U.S. 1, north on U.S. 1 to N.E. 4th Street, and west to 400 N.E. 4th Street. Parking is on the east side of the building.

The Sexual Assault Treatment Center (SATC) provides a safe, non-threatening environment for victims and supportive family members. Services are intended to assist in matters of public safety, to help families understand what has happened and to aid in their recovery. It is the mission of SATC to improve and enhance the quality of life for victims of sexual assault and child abuse through effective interventions, implemented by professionals specializing in the fields of sexual assault and child abuse. This is accomplished through a Crisis Unit, Counseling Unit, and Child Protection Teams.

The Crisis Intake Unit (CIU) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provides hotline and immediate crisis counseling to victims of sexual assault and adult survivors of childhood abuse. Referrals for crisis counseling are accepted from any source.

The CIU also provides the forensic medical examinations of Sexual Assault/Abuse victims for the collection of evidence for sexual assault and child abuse reported to law enforcement and completes intakes for other SATC services. The forensic medical examinations are performed by Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners in compliance with the protocols established by the Office of the Attorney General. Referrals for a forensic medical exam are only accepted from law enforcement agencies.

In 1978, Child Protection Teams (CPT) were created by Florida Statutes based on the premise that the causes, identification, and treatment of child abuse are complex and require the expertise of many professionals.

CPT is operated through the Broward County Community Partnerships Division and consists of a medical director, a team coordinator, a psychologist, nurse practitioners, a clinical supervisor, and nine masters level mental health professionals. The Team are local consultants to the Broward Sheriff’s Office Child Protective Investigations Section (CPIS) and assists CPIS in their investigations of child abuse.

CPT receives referrals from Law Enforcement and CPIS on children who allegedly been abused and reported to the Florida Abuse Registry. Services provided include:

• medical examinations
• medical consultations (review of medical records)
• family assessments
• specialized interviews of children and/or their parents
• psychological evaluations
• consultations
• staffing (sharing of information among professionals involved in the case)

When a case is referred to CPT, the CPIS investigator and/or the law enforcement officer remains in charge of the case. CPT will tell the CPIS investigator and/or the law enforcement officer what was found in the examination. CPT will also provide the CPIS investigator and law enforcement officers with recommendations after the case is reviewed.

When a referral is made to the Florida Abuse Registry, CPIS is required by law to investigate the allegation and decide if abuse or neglect has occurred. Sometimes, but not always, a medical examination can help in deciding this. In certain types of allegations, the CPIS investigator is required to have the child examined by a doctor or nurse practitioner.

The CPT medical examination is only one part of the investigation. The doctor or nurse practitioner who will do the medical examination is a highly trained professional. This person is a pediatrician, family practice physician, or Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner. CPT examiners receive special training in the identification of findings in child physical abuse and neglect. The medical findings will be considered along with other parts of the investigation when the CPIS investigator and/or the law enforcement officer decides what to do next with the case.

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