Organizing the Work of SARTS: A
Webinar Presentation
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
This project is supported, in part, by Grant No. 2007-TA-AX-K011 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this program are those of the trainers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. Points of view or opinions expressed are those of the authors. "
Presenters
Leah Lutz
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
During Today’s Webinar, We will….
Briefly look at the current landscape for teams
Introduce the Protocol Development Cycle as a strategy toorganize the work of the team
Explore other Strategies for Organizing Around the Work
Consider Roles/Responsibilities
Give Strategies for Developing Communication Linkages
Explore some Effective Team Processes
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Who Is SVJI?Who Is SVJI?Sexual Violence Justice Institute (SVJI) is a project of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault. We are:
Dedicated to promoting justice for victims of sexual violence through multidisciplinary collaboration, leadership and resources.
Lafayette SART
Salt Lake SART
12 Minnesota Teams
S(M)ART Collaboration
Deming, New Mexico
Core ProjectsCore ProjectsNational TA Project—OVW TA Provider
• Intensive TA Project
• General TA to Grantees
• National Institute for SART Leaders
• Pilot Project to State Level Team Leaders
MN Based Projects:
• SMART Collaboration Project
• Forensic Compliance Project
• Enhancing Connections Between Prosecutors and Medical
• Legal Resources Project
WHY A TEAM?
2010. Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA
Views of the ‘System Response’
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
A Variety of TeamsA Variety of Teams……
• CCRs—Coordinated Community Response
• SARTs—Sexual Assault Response Teams
• MDTs—Multidisciplinary Response Teams
• Others?
What kind of team do you have?
Distinctive Organizing FactorsDistinctive Organizing Factors• Membership
• Funding
• Coordination/Leadership
• Setting—urban, rural, tribal, college, SANE‐affiliated, etc.
• Nature of the work
• Frequency of Meetings
• Types of cases—adult/child, sa/dv/stalking/etc.
Domestic ViolenceDomestic Violence
Sexual ViolenceSexual Violence Child AbuseChild Abuse
What are they addressing?What are they addressing?
Two Recent SurveysTwo Recent Surveys• NSVRC 2009
• Useful sample of 257 responses
• Found sample through direct emails and list serv posts
• SVJI 2011
• Sample of 74 responses
• Found sample through direct emails and list serv posts
• 28 questions
Common ObservationsCommon Observations
1. Community Advocacy & SANE programs are most common places teams are ‘housed’
2. 39% of teams receive no funding (NSVRC, 2009)
3. Significant number of responding teams have some kind of paid coordination*
Membership Membership (NSVRC, 2009)(NSVRC, 2009)
Nat
iona
l SA
RT
Sur
vey
2009
NS
VR
C
National Institute Questionnaire 2011 by SVJI @ MNCASA 2011.
Coordination/Leadership Coordination/Leadership (SVJI, 2011)(SVJI, 2011)
Funding Sources Funding Sources (NSVRC, 2009)(NSVRC, 2009)
Nat
iona
l SA
RT
Sur
vey
2009
NS
VR
C
SettingSetting‐‐‐‐‐‐Varies By SurveyVaries By Survey
NSVRC (2009)
SVJI (2011)
National Institute Questionnaire 2011 by SVJI @ MNCASA 2011.
Nature of the Work Nature of the Work (SVJI, 2011)(SVJI, 2011)
SART Team Business SART Team Business (NSVRC, 2009)(NSVRC, 2009)
• List includes—holding meetings reviewing cases, attending training, developing materials to support and guide their work as a SART.
• Review cases: 25% review regularly, 34% as issues arise. 25% indicated that their teams do not review cases.
National Institute Questionnaire 2011 by SVJI @ MNCASA 2011.
Team Age Team Age (SVJI, 2011)(SVJI, 2011)
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Organizing for the Work
Making ChangeMaking Change……....
2009. Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA
Example Pros Cons
Individual case advocacy Advocate reminds medical provider to provide options around emergency contraception
Can be immediate feedback, specific to individual
May/may not affect lasting change, not always transferable to others
System advocacy—agency to agency
Advocacy agency notices LE requesting polygraphs of several victims—asks to meet with investigative supervisor
Notice patterns, can affect policies, can get at mid-level structural issues that affect practice
Direct learning limited to the 2 agencies involved
System change—via interagency team
Team researches problems, designs, trains, and evaluates proposed changes
Way to get at deeper structures,Move toward self-correcting/adapting behaviorsJoint learning can create new thinking
Requires long-term commitment, heavy investment, turnover of team members inevitable
From surface sym
ptoms to deep structures
Protocol Development Cycle: A Cyclical Process
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Step 2.Victim experience
survey
Step 3.Community needs
assessment
Step 4.Writing protocol
Step 5.Renew interagency
agreements
Step 6.Training
Step 1.Inventory of
existing services
Step 7.Monitoring
Step 8.Evaluation
Feedback
Improving Community Response to Crime Victims (Boles & Patterson, 1997)
Steps 1‐3: Assessing the Status Quo
Steps 4‐6: Making Change
Steps 7‐8: Measuring Success
Overview of the Protocol Development Cycle
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Beyond Convening!• Intervention Goals: Victim-agency, victim-
centered response, offender accountability, and system/community change
• Overall Team Goal: Promote adaptive action that is victim-centered with attention to good case outcomes; foster a self-correcting system.
The 3 Ps
• Protocol Development is designed around a purpose, process and product.
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Understanding the Victim and Community Experience (Steps 1‐3)
(bringing current situation into focus)
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Step 1: Inventory of Existing ServicesStep 1: Inventory of Existing Services
• Create an understanding of resources currently used to help sexual assault victims.
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Step 2: Victim Experience SurveyStep 2: Victim Experience Survey
• Obtain feedback from sexual assault victims about how well their needs were met by agencies and organizations.
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Step 3: Community Needs AssessmentStep 3: Community Needs Assessment
• Examine how well the existing system meets the needs of sexual assault victims and identify unmet needs.
• Teams Identify Key Questions
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Victim Experience
Medical
Advocacy
Law Enforcement
Prosecution
Corrections
Making Change
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Step 4: Write ProtocolStep 4: Write Protocol
• Written Guidelines for the System Response
• Written after critical analysis of current response, promising practices, research and an exploration of a victim-centered response
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Organization of protocol
• By discipline
• By type of sexual assault (Key Considerations)
– Intimate partner
– Non‐stranger
– Stranger
– Drug and alcohol‐facilitated
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Team Examples of Products and Outcomes
• SHYIP List of Ten Questions• Patrol Checklist• Core Messages• Accountability Measures• Warrant Check Policies• Alcohol and Drug Use Polices• Multiple Reporting Options
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Common additions & addendums
• Local resources
• Statutes (VAWA Compliance)
• Cultural considerations
• Acronyms
• Commonly‐used forms (i.e. consent forms)
• Flow charts
• Core messages
• Disclaimers
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Step 5: Renew Interagency AgreementsStep 5: Renew Interagency Agreements
• Obtain formal acceptance of the protocol and expand the work of the team if necessary.
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Step 6: TrainingStep 6: Training• Develop protocol-based training program for all
personnel affected by the protocol.
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Is it working?
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Step 7: MonitoringStep 7: Monitoring
• Determine the extent to which the protocols are being implemented and to identify any problem areas in the protocol.
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Step 8: EvaluationStep 8: Evaluation
• Determine the impact of the team and the protocol implementation on sexual assault victims and on system performance.
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Roles and Responsibilities of Team Members
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Common Team Roles
• Team members• Participating Agencies• Chairperson• Site Coordinator• Fiscal Agent/supervising agency• Ex‐officio members• Advisory members• Founding members/history keepers
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Role of Team Members
• Attend meetings regularly
• Actively participate
• Bring information from your agency
• Take information back to your agency
• Develop and remember the big picture
• Keep the team mission in mind
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Role of Participating Agencies
• Commit to the work of the SART• Give authority to the team representative to speak for the agency
• Ask for updates of the work the SART does• Give feedback to the SART as its opinions • Keep the work of the SART on the forefront of the agency agenda
• Act to be important communication loops
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Role of Chairperson
• Co‐chairs selected by the SART team• Co‐chairs share the responsibility for managing the monthly meetings
• Co‐chairs work with the Site Coordinator• Co‐chairs are representatives for the SART at civic meetings
• Co‐chairs are resources for assisting the team with conflict resolution
• Co‐chairs can act as resources for the team
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Role of Site Coordinator/Team Leader
• Facilitator
• Not a representative of one agency or another but ensures that all voices are heard
• Leads problem solving as necessary
• Monitors for smooth flow of activity
• Cheerleads
• Orient new members
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Other Roles
• Fiscal Agent/supervising agency
• Ex‐officio members
• Advisory members
• Founding members/history keepers
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Strategies for Sharing Information• Consider having each discipline share protocol information and updates at staff meetings
• Hold a separate “ex‐officio” meeting for department heads to: present protocol drafts, priority areas, provide an update on team progress and to give others an opportunity for feedback and review
• Invite co‐sponsoring agencies to review protocol drafts
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
What contributions can each discipline bring?
• Sharing of roles, responsibilities and perspectives• Directly link to protocol their specific roles and responsibilities
• Learn (with team members) what is victim‐centered
• Develop strategies designed to acknowledge different discipline roles, while still advancing the team’s overall vision and mission
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Strategies to bridge and acknowledge discipline roles
• Share stories – From the perspective of a team member– As a representative of a specific discipline
• Develop team and group norms• Agency introductions at team meetings• Have fun exploring differences and similarities!
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Designing Effective Team Meetings
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
• Car—How can the team attend to the needs of the individual responder?
• Van—What elements will help make the team process more meaningful for members?
• Bus—What processes can the team develop that will help attend and hold the bigger picture?
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Sample Meeting Agenda and StructureReview and approve current agenda.
Introductions
Agency Updates (Announcements/Trainings/Roles/Responsibilities)
Organizing for the Work
Monitoring and Evaluation (Key Question)
What would we like to know about the impact of B‐SART in each agency?
Emergent Issues/Trends
System Consultation (Key Questions)
What are we learning (See Example)
Victim Disclosure
Sexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012
Team Readiness FactorsTeam Readiness Factors• Team composition
• Team commitment
• Current understanding of sexual assault
• Fit with existing efforts and community goals
• General team preparation
Created at http://www.wordle.netSexual Violence Justice Institute @ MNCASA 2012