SARTs and Their Areas of Impact: Systems Procedures and Interagency Collaboration

The final areas of impact for this month are some of the more intangible/bigger ones. When we are talking about Sexual Assault Reponses Teams (SARTs) making change to systems procedures, it’s really about how all related agencies that create a single system operate. So, this moves us from a single agency to review how all related agencies work together to ensure similar access to quality services for victims/survivors. Think of multiple law enforcement jurisdictions or several hospital systems, maybe there are 2 advocacy centers serving a similar area—that’s systems procedures. Interagency collaboration is so closely connected to all of the areas of impact, but especially to systems procedures.

When teams are focused on changes in these areas of impact, they can be working on some pretty big and very crucial changes. Maybe there are some agencies with long standing grudges against one another and they need to work together to provide better service. Maybe there is a great relationship between law enforcement jurisdictions, but each are handling alcohol facilitated cases a little differently. These are excellent places to do systems change work and focus on an area of impact that no one else in the community can as easily influence! As always, keep those three questions in mind: What is going well? What isn’t going well? How do we take action on our knowledge?

As you and your team move through systems change and work to select projects or goals, come back to the areas of impact! You can help your team see their important and unique role in supporting healing and justice for victims/survivors by understanding where we can have the most impact.

Have ideas or suggestions for others? Have an example you’d like to share? Write it in the comment section below!