Dr. Goodall’s House honors 2025 team member of the year: ADA Jamie Petruzzi
Dr. Goodall’s House, the local Children’s Advocacy Center, announced this morning, Monday, Feb. 23, that the 2025 Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Member of the Year for Stephens County is Jamie Petruzzi, assistant district attorney for Stephens County.
The award recognizes one MDT partner each year who demonstrates exceptional leadership, collaboration, and dedication to justice for child victims. Petruzzi embodies all these qualities and more, Dr. Goodall’s House staff said in a news release.
The Multi-Disciplinary Team model is a nationally recognized best-practice model for responding to child abuse. The team approach brings together key professionals to coordinate investigations, reduce trauma for children, and pursue justice efficiently and effectively. MDT members include prosecutors, law enforcement, Child Protective Services, forensic interviewers, therapists and mental-health clinicians, medical professionals and SANE (sexual assault nurse examiner) nurses, and victim advocates. By sharing information and working as one unified team, MDT members aim to ensure that every case is handled thoroughly, respectfully, and with the child’s best interest at the center.
Petruzzi has shown exceptional commitment to the MDT process in Stephens County. She approaches each case with professionalism, preparedness, and a trauma-informed mindset, ensuring that victims’ voices are heard and that cases are pursued with integrity and strength, according to the news release.
Her colleagues often describe her as:
- “She is unfailingly kind, treating colleagues, witnesses, and victims with respect and compassion.”
- “Consistently offers insightful and practical guidance,” and
- “She knows our cases thoroughly, mastering facts and law to build strong, effective prosecutions.”
Petruzzi consistently fosters open communication, values the expertise of each MDT partner, and brings clarity and purpose to the pursuit of justice for children and families, the staff said, adding that they are proud to recognize her with the award.
Cutline, top photo: Jamie Petruzzi, assistant district attorney for Stephens County, left, was honored as Dr. Goodall’s House’s 2025 Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Member of the Year. She is pictured with Tina Byrd, right, the MDT coordinator and forensic interviewer for Dr. Goodall’s House in Breckenridge and Virginia’s House in Graham. (Courtesy Photo)
