The Sexual Assault Response Team Model

The SART model involves a coordinated response across professional disciplines that create an environment that minimizes trauma for the victim and enhances the community’s ability to hold perpetrators accountable. This SART concept is based on the belief that a team response can prevent the victim from reporting the account of the assault repeatedly. It also helps reduce confusion among professionals trying to meet the needs of the rape victim as she progresses through the health care and criminal justice system. When professionals work in a coordinated effort communities see an increase in reporting, better evidence collection, increases in prosecution, and increases in sentencing for offenders.

Who is on a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART)?

SART team members typically include the SANE or forensic examiner, police or sheriff, detective, prosecutor, rape crisis center advocate or counselor, and emergency department medical personnel. The makeup of the SART team will vary from area to area, depending upon the community needs and resources. The SART team may also include an expanded range of professionals who work with specific victims populations: a school counselor, a battered women’s advocate, a counselor who works with prostitutes, and any combination of representatives of programs in the community who are concerned about the problem of sexual assault.

Law Enforcement Victim Services
Advocacy		 Emergency Medical Services (SANE) Prosecution
Probation/Parole Social Services Medical Follow-up care Victim/Witness Coordinators
Corrections Colleges/Schools Mental Health Courts
Community Crime Watch Religious Organizations, Social groups Public Health Agencies Crime Victim Compensation

SART Development

Benefits of Community Participation

  • Maintains the flow of information to victims concerning the status of the case.
  • Make the views of victims known to the court on key decisions.
  • Identify and remove inconveniences for victims’ participation in cases.
  • Preserve the privacy of sexual assault victims.
  • Empowers victims.

Core agencies benefit from community response

  • Increased cooperation of victims during the investigation, prosecution and disposition of the case.
  • Increased reporting of sexual assault.
  • Reduction or elimination of duplicate services for victims.

Community Involvement Developing a Victim-Centered Community Response to Sexual Assault

1. The process is not self initiating.

  • This process will require a leader in the community.
  • This person will be responsible for launching the process, enlisting other organizations, and follow through.

2. Dealing with conflict.

  • Conflict among member agencies can be anticipated.
  • Conflict does not need to be negative.
  • A clear understanding of the role of each member will help in resolving conflict.

3. Use what resource are there.

  • Utilizing existing groups to build upon their knowledge and skills, refocusing on collaborative efforts and ways the system can be more victim-centered.
  • The individuals involved know how to fulfill their responsibilities, ie. Investigators know how to investigate. Focus efforts on working together to increase effectiveness.

4. Establish the goal for the team.

  • Recommendations for goals would include.
  • Empowerment of the victim to be informed, active participants in the process.
  • Increase the communities’ ability to prevent sexual assault and provide support to victims.

Overcoming Obstacles

  • Keeping up on training will counter the lag in time between sexual assault reports in the community. While there may not be many actual reports in which the entire process runs from initial response through to conviction, continued training and communication with members will ensure the best victim-center response when needed.
  • the cohesiveness and interconnectedness of communities.

Looking outside the box.

  • While there are many manuals and instructional booklets on how a SART should look, each community is unique and the design and workings of the SART will be unique to each communities personality and the needs of that community.
  • Look and use the resources in your community to make the team work.

Summary

For the SART program to be successful, all involved agencies must work together. It takes a coordinated community approach to deal with the multiple needs of the rape victim and to prosecute the offender. However the SART model operates the important concern is ensuring a coordinated community response with the needs of the victim as the primary focus.

 

For assistance in coordinating a SART team in your community contact NDCAWS.