The Heart of the Matter: Why we advocate for better systems responses
By Amy Beckius Johnson
Hello, my name is Amy Beckius Johnson, and I am one of the rural projects coordinators for the SART Technical Assistance (TA) program with SVJI at MNCASA. With over 20 years of experience in rural community-based victim/survivor services as an advocate, trainer, and director, I understand the unique challenges and opportunities that come with living and working in rural areas. SARTs play a crucial role in identifying and examining how victim/survivors access services and how providers respond in their communities.
We have all heard stories from individuals who have experienced harm due to a system’s response, causing distress, anger, or withdrawal. In addition to the trauma of victimization, a negative system response can lead to fear of systems, fear of not being believed, or fear of exposure. The heart of the work and advocating for change often comes from these experiences.
Having a SART is a commitment to providing a secure and consistent response to sexual violence and an opportunity to identify and examine how victim/survivors access services in their community. SARTs bring together those advocating for victims/survivors in their individual roles to create a unified approach. SARTs advocate for better systems response to victim/survivors of sexual violence through the following:
Responsibility and Accountability
SARTs may hesitate to address shortcomings or missteps in the victim response for a variety of reasons. By acknowledging mistakes, SART members can examine how their roles and procedures impact victim/survivors and the systems response. SARTs stay responsible and accountable to each other and the victim response through protocols, policies and procedures that ensure the victim/survivor’s experience is prioritized. SARTs further commit to being responsible and accountable by welcoming and encouraging survivor feedback and opportunities to share their experiences.
Raising Awareness and Reducing Victim Blaming
Overcoming societal attitudes that blame victims or discredit their experience is challenging. SARTs work to raise awareness and educate the community to reduce victim blaming and improve awareness of sexual violence. Centering victims and including trauma informed practices in the development of protocols and policies across disciplines can help raise awareness and reduce victim blaming.
Coordination and Collaboration
Effective collaboration among an assortment of team members from different disciplines can be difficult due to varying agency procedures, priorities, and communication styles. Limited resources can also hinder SARTs’ ability to provide comprehensive services and support. Coordination and collaboration are an ongoing journey as the needs of victim/survivors and organization capacity change.
Training and Education
Ensuring all team members are adequately trained in trauma-informed care is crucial to reducing harm. Continuous education and training are necessary to keep up with promising practices and emerging issues. Addressing barriers, such as language barriers, is essential to help victims access services and to provide a victim centered response.
Data Collection and Evaluation
Collecting and analyzing data to evaluate SARTs’ effectiveness and identify areas for improvement can be complex. Accurate data is essential for securing funding and reporting. It is important to center victim/survivors in data collection and program evaluation. Listening to survivor experiences through surveys or informational interviews allows SARTs to keep survivors at the heart of the process.
SARTs have to navigate ongoing challenges, but by prioritizing victim-centered and trauma-informed approaches a SART can be a powerful advocacy tool and strategy for supporting all survivors. If you have any questions or would like to discuss strategies for engaging in the “heart” of this work further, please contact us at [email protected].
This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-22-GK-04024-RURA awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.