A Framework for SART Effectiveness: Part 7

Guest Blog by Katie Johnson | STOP Projects Coordinator at SVJI @MNCASA

Welcome to our seventh and final blog about SVJI’s new Framework for SART Effectiveness! Today we’ll be discussing the final two external factors that make up the framework, access to resources and networking and community support and involvement.

Access to resources and networking is particularly important for SARTs operating in rural areas because your team may have many more barriers to in-person training and collaboration opportunities than teams in other areas. By making sure that all members of the team have access to resources, training, and networks of support, SARTs can increase the flow of new information and emerging strategies into the team, heighten collaboration between the team and other organizations, and provide opportunities for team members to develop new skills and ideas. When in-person opportunities for learning and networking are unavailable or difficult to access, alternatives can often be found online, often through technical assistance providers such as SVJI’s Rural Grant Project.

The final factor that we’ll be discussing in this blog series is community support and involvement. We know that SARTs are community-based collaborative efforts, but it can sometimes feel difficult for teams to engage directly with their communities. By creating opportunities for outreach at community events, in local publications, with community leaders, etc., teams can bridge this gap and build local awareness of the team and its work. Increased community support and involvement with SART work can have the added benefits of increasing the team’s influence on local attitudes toward sexual violence, generating more direct community input about current or emerging issues that the SART should be aware of, and even leveraging community support to improve the availability of resources for victims/survivors.

Reach out to us at svji@mncasa.org.