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About Our Community

What is the Children's Advocacy Center?
It truly takes a village. The CAC is a collection of leaders, professionals, advocates & a community of caring individuals who believe in the mission of the CAC.

The Children’s Advocacy Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable agency. The CAC is funded by private donations and grants. Children and their families are never charged a fee; and our services are offered at no cost to our multi-disciplinary partners.

At the CAC, we give children and their families who have been affected by violence a safe space to start their healing. Our team cultivates a comfortable, calming and inviting environment. Through proven and successful approaches, our forensic interviewers work to reduce additional trauma through an investigative interview process that empowers children and provides law enforcement with detailed information to strengthen their cases for potential prosecution and prevention of further abuse to those at risk.

Meet Our Board

CAC Co-Founder
Deputy District Attorney, Retired
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office

Kathleen Cady began her career as a prosecutor in 1989 and retired in 2019. Most recently, she served as special assistant to the director of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Bureau of Victim Services. She is a founding board member of the Children’s Advocacy Center. She also sits on the board of directors for the Child Advocacy Centers of California (CACC) and Picture Alternatives, a nonprofit venture that uses creative media to promote the social value and effectiveness of alternatives to violence. She also is an honorary board member of Justice for Homicide Victims.

Ms. Cady previously served on the board of Project Sister Family Services, a rape crisis center. She is actively involved in groups that assist victims of human trafficking. She also is a member of the California Children’s Justice Act Task Force. She has lectured extensively to law enforcement, prosecutors, victim advocates and community groups on prosecuting crimes, Victims’ Rights, Victim services, restitution and victims with disabilities.

Deputy District Attorney
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office

Frank Dunnick has been a criminal prosecutor since 2001. He has specialized in cases of family violence, child and sexual abuse since 2007. He has supervised the Victim Impact Program and the Family Violence Division for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Frank is married and has two sons.

 

CAC Co-Founder
Director, Forensic Nurse Specialists, Inc.

Malinda is the owner and director of a private practice called Forensic Nurse Specialists, Inc. in Los Alamitos, Ca. This is a professional corporation with multiple forensic nurse examination sites in Orange County and Los Angeles County where forensic evidentiary examinations are conducted 24 hours per day to victims of sexual assault, child sexual abuse and domestic violence. She has been in this field for over 30 years. Malinda is also a co-founder of the Children’s Advocacy Center and has been on the board since inception. She has also been a forensic interviewer over the years providing expertise for our child victims.

Regional Administrator
Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services

Program Manager of the California Clinical Forensic Medical Training Center (CCFMTC)
Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner

Destine Teves Borrego is the Program Manager of the California Clinical Forensic Medical Training Center (CCFMTC). The CCFMTC was established by state law in 1995 and outlined in California Penal Code 13823.93, with a goal to increase access of victims of interpersonal violence and abuse to specially trained healthcare professionals who can not only address medical and emotional needs but also the forensic needs of the criminal justice system. 

Destine is a sexual assault nurse examiner and worked for a high-volume Sexual Assault Forensic Exam (SAFE) team serving the counties of Los Angeles and Orange. In addition to her role on the SAFE team, she has served as the HIV PEP Coordinator, becoming an expert in access to HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and funding options for sexual assault victims in California. Destine has conducted numerous trainings on HIV PEP access for assault survivors and actively collaborates with exam teams to develop protocols aimed at expanding access to HIV prevention medications and removing barriers. 

Previously, Destine was the Legislative Director for the California Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners Association (CalSAFE), where she advised the board on legislative and public policy issues related to sexual assault and other forms of interpersonal violence. Before her nursing career, she worked as the Program Manager for the Health Education Department at Planned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino Counties, overseeing several programs funded by the California Department of Healthcare Services, Office of Family Planning. 

Passionate about advocacy, Destine continues to write policy briefings for various organizations, striving to create meaningful social and policy changes to address health inequities and improve access to quality healthcare, including sexual assault forensic exams. She holds a Master’s Degree in Nursing with a focus on Clinical Systems Leadership from the University of Arizona and is a board-certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner for both adults/adolescents (SANE-A) and pediatrics (SANE-P) through the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN).

Directors at Large

CAC Co-Founder
Detective, Pomona Police Department, Retired

John Pomroy retired as a Detective with Pomona PD after 25 years of service.  During that time, he served as a board member for Project Sister Family Services, the rape crisis agency for the east end of LA County.  He helped create the SART program in Pomona, which serves agencies in the east end of Los Angeles County, attended SART meetings, and was involved in the beginning stages of forming the CAC.  He served as the Board President of CAC for several years.

John was on the Building and Grounds committee when the CAC was looking to expand and he is the one who had the idea to move to the Masonic Homes.  He worked on that proposal for two years making sure all aspects were covered in the move, which was completed when John was serving as the CAC’s Executive Director. After serving as the Executive Director of the CAC for several years, John returned to service as a regular board member for the agency.

Senior Director
Masonic Center for Youth and Families

Lisa is a licensed clinical social worker with 33 years of experience providing direct practice and program management in non-profit organizations serving low income children, youth, and families. Her professional calling is to help distressed children and families lead lives of dignity and improved health.

Lisa has specialized in family preservation services, maternal and child health, and children’s intensive community services to severely emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children. As a Program Director at Pacific Clinics for the last 11 years, she has delivered creative, innovative leadership supporting the provision of effective, evidence based treatment for families experiencing the painful impact of trauma.

She also served for eight years as a leadership consultant at Pacific Clinics Training Institute coaching managers and teams toward improved skills, greater effectiveness, enhanced productivity, and higher morale. She has served for five years on the board of directors of the National Alliance on Mental Illness where she was a passionate advocate for the rights of those living with mental illness.

Education:

  • Master of Social Work from University of Washington, Seattle, WA
  • Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Bethel University, St. Paul, MN

License:

  • California Board of Behavioral Sciences, Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Former Educator

Captain
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Richard Ruiz is a Lieutenant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department where he has served for over 27 years.  He has investigated hundreds of child abuse cases as a Investigator and a Sergeant in the Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Bureau and most recently as an Investigator in the Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau.  He has extensive knowledge and expertise in the investigation of both physical and sexual abuse of children, as well as investigating child death investigations.  Lieutenant Ruiz has been a member of a Federal Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Taskforce and was cross-designated as a United States Marshal through the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).  He is a recognized expert on child abuse and commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC).

In 2012, he participated in a multi-disciplinary Human Trafficking Symposium aimed at providing national guidelines on Human Trafficking Investigations for first responders.  Lieutenant Ruiz has provided training to law enforcement officers on child abuse and sexual abuse investigations and as been a panelist at the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services academy for newly assigned case workers.  He is an active member of the California Children’s Justice Act Taskforce and many other multi-disciplinary committees.  Lieutenant Ruiz is an avid supporter of the multi-discipllinary approach to child abuse investigations where child welfare agencies work together in a collaborative and information sharing setting to protect children.

Emeritus Board Members

Asst. Lab Director, Retired
California Department of Justice

Steve Secofsky was a criminalist working for the California Department of Justice (DOJ) Crime Lab in Riverside until he retired in 2012, after 34 years. In 1991, Steve was promoted to Assistant Laboratory Director and was involved in training, personnel, policy and program development, accreditation, quality assurance and grant management.

Steve also had the opportunity to participate in the development and growth of Riverside County’s Sexual Assault Response Teams (SART) and the Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDT) that worked cooperatively in the evidence collection, analysis, investigation and prosecution of sexual assault cases, as well as, advocating for the victims of sexual assault.

Recently, Steve and his dog, Glee, have become a therapy dog team working at sites within Orange and Los Angeles counties, including this Children’s Advocacy Center, giving comfort and companionship to children and adults.

Steve graduated from the University of Southern California with a BA in chemistry, as well as, playing in the Trojan Marching Band…Fight On!

Attorney

Ralph J Shapira graduated from Oberlin College (1968) and U.C Berkeley Law School (Boalt Hall 1975), and practiced law as a business litigator and partner at O’Melveny & Myers LLP for 27 years, retiring in 2004.  He then served as outside general counsel for the San Diego Chargers NFL team and counseled other corporate clients in crisis management.  He was a Board member and Chairman of Shoes that Fit, a nonprofit in the business of providing free shoes to needy schoolchildren, before joining the Board of the Children’s Advocacy Center.  He also currently sits on the Board of MEND poverty (Meet Each Need With Dignity) in the northeast San Fernando Valley.

Meet Our Staff

Daniel Castaneda joined the Children’s Advocacy Center in 2023 as the Executive Director. Daniel oversees all organizational operations and works closely with both leadership and staff to implement high quality care, programming, and services for child victims and their families.

Prior to the CAC, Daniel has led Boards, Executive Leadership, Management Teams, and staff through organizational pivots, mission changes, strategic planning, and growth opportunities in a number of fields in the nonprofit sector, including afterschool care, domestic violence & rape crisis centers, enrichment programming, and supplemental school services. His adaptability and ability to connect with others makes him a steady guide for the CAC’s mission as it continues to grow and provide evidence-based care for the community it serves.

Johnny Vallejo joined the CAC Family as the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Coordinator on February 14, 2022. Johnny graduated from the University of La Verne and received his Bachelor of Science in Criminology. He has over 10 years of experience in providing direct and indirect services to foster children, elderly adults and their families in various non-profit healthcare and mental health agencies. Johnny enjoys going to concerts, attending Horror-genre-related conventions and traveling internationally. 

Deborah joined the CAC as a volunteer in 2018 and is now part of the advocate team. She has since served hundreds of families and trained most of our wonderful volunteers. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biopsychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Deborah also has experience working with children in a variety of settings including cultural and language education, art and speech therapy, and direct services for children with special needs. Deborah is passionate about language access, as she speaks Cantonese and Mandarin. In her free time, Deborah enjoys making crochet amigurumis, watching Asian dramas, and going to the beach.

Sydney has been at the CAC for over 2 years and graduated from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Los Angeles with a Master of Arts degree in Forensic Psychology. Sydney also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN. She has 2+ years of clinical experience as a therapist and has provided mental health treatment to individuals of all ages. She is currently pursuing her licensure as a therapist and is excited to serve clients in various forensic settings. Sydney has enjoyed offering resources and support for the families at the CAC and providing therapy to child victims. Sydney is passionate about helping children and appreciates the CAC for ensuring a trauma-informed approach to protect children who are experiencing crisis. Her favorite things about the CAC are the staff and volunteers, and the dedication the team has to fulfill the mission. Sydney enjoys hiking, running on the beach, watching reality TV, drinking coffee, and spending time with her friends.

Aracely joined the CAC as an intern in February 2024 and has since transitioned to staff member. She is enrolled at the University of La Verne pursuing a double major in psychology and criminal justice. With a background in Special Education providing one on one support for students with autism ranging from ages 5-22 years old, Aracely continues to provide guidance to children in the system. Her passion to uplift others fuels her as a direct service provider to children and caregivers affected by abuse and violence. She advocates in their best interest by helping them navigate their emotional and physical needs through education, resources, and a listening ear. Spanish speaking families are comforted and cared for because of her bilingual abilities. In her downtime, Aracely enjoys attending concerts and community events, eating good food, and spending quality time with friends and family. One of her favorite hobbies is working on her self-built 1995 Miata. 

Pattsi Goclowski has been a registered nurse for 36 years. She has worked in the specialty of pediatric and maternal/child health. For the past 9 years, she has worked with Forensic Nurse Specialists serving as a certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner for adults, adolescents and pediatrics. She has conducted over 900 exams on men, women and children of all ages. After 8 years as a forensic interviewer, she has conducted over 900 interviews. Additionally, she has testified as an expert witness as both a forensic nurse and interviewer for Los Angeles, Orange and Clark County. Pattsi has also trained multidisciplinary teams for CalSAFE and CCFMTC. Currently in the midst of her post-graduate studies, Pattsi is pursuing her Master’s degree to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. In her free time, Pattsi enjoys hiking with her husband and two dogs and road trips with her adult children exploring new culinary experiences.

Daria has worked in sex crimes for over 7 years. She has prior experience as a rape crisis advocate in hospitals, a child advocate at a CAC, and an office manager for forensic nurses.  In her role as forensic interviewer, young children are drawn to her openness and sweetness, while teens feel like she is a “big sister”, encouraging them to trust her with their trauma. Bringing awareness to and combating internet crimes against children (ICAC) is a driving force for Daria. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, watching movies with green tea ice cream, and exploring new coffee shops.  

Adriana Jaurigui is a retired Sex Crimes detective from the Long Beach Police Department. Her assignments varied throughout her 23 ½ year career working as a patrol officer, field training officer for new police officers, recruit academy instructor and backgrounds screener for new applicants. As a detective, she worked in the following department details: Youth Services, Domestic Violence and Sex Crimes, assisting in Child Abuse investigations, as well. Adriana is also fluent in Spanish. She enjoys traveling and people with a sense of humor. 

Carla joined the CAC as a volunteer advocate in August of 2023 and has now become part of our staff as an Advocate. She attends the California State University of Fullerton majoring in Sociology. From her experience volunteering at our center, Carla has advocated for many families and continues to do so in her position. She possesses great communication skills and devotes her time listening empathetically to the parents and caregivers we provide resources to. Her ability to deliver emotional support to the children we see at our center is very admirable. She is grounded in her respect and sensitivity towards the individuals she is advocating for. Carla also values the goals of the CAC and cares deeply about her peers and our partners’ experiences in our facility.  On her free time, she enjoys spending time with her loved ones, reading, and going to concerts.

Ashlee joined the CAC as an intern through a partnership with the University of La Verne in 2024. Since then, she has become a staff member, joining the Family Advocate team. She is currently in her last year at the University of La Verne where she is pursuing a bachelor’s in psychology with a minor in child development. As a registered behavior technician (RBT) she has been able to implement strategies to better accommodate children with special needs that visit the center. As a native Spanish speaker, she assists in communicating with Spanish speaking families and providing them with support and resources needed. She has a passion for working with children of all ages and for providing support/advocacy in times of need. During her free time, Ashlee enjoys trying new foods, spending time with friends and family, and traveling, she frequently visits Guatemala and Morocco.

Helping Hearts Internship Program

+ Learn the tools needed to become a Family Advocate or Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Coordinator

+ Receive training on how to manage interactions with families and child victims 

+ Get hands-on experience in communicating effectively with law enforcement, social workers, and DDAs

+ Gain knowledge on the justice system process in relation to child abuse

+ Learn professional and collaborative skills through teamwork with CAC staff and aid with completion of center projects

 

Meet our Interns:

MDT coordinator intern: Angelina Alvarez, University of La Verne
Family advocate intern: Cindy Hernandez, University of La Verne