Danette Montoya, MSW, LCSW is a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard, who has over 25 years of experience working nationally as a Certified Sexual Assault Crisis Counselor and an advocate to end sexual violence.  She owns a successful psychotherapy practice and is a senior social worker for the San Diego VA Healthcare System, Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program. Her experience spans from counseling adolescents involved in human trafficking, working and volunteering as a sexual assault crisis counselor, and serving as a child advocate and community educator bringing awareness inside schools, hospitals and correctional institutions. 

Ms. Montoya co-founded a child and family safety center, taking an active role as the family advocate and lead forensic interviewer.  She has provided expert testimony for survivors of sexual assault/abuse during legal proceedings and has instructed for the National Child Protection Training Center for Forensic Interviewers. Ms. Montoya broadened her field work by interning at the Palo Alto VA Trauma Recovery Program focusing on veterans with PTSD that experienced Military Sexual Trauma and/or Combat Trauma. Soon after transitioning to full-time employment with the San Francisco VA Healthcare System as the Military Sexual Trauma Coordinator and Senior Social Worker in the Addictions and Recovery Treatment Services for the past 10 years before her recent transfer to sunny Southern California.

Ms. Montoya received her B.S. from University of Maryland and her M.S.W. from California State University, East Bay. She is a single parent of three successful children.