Rural Sexual Assault Response Teams
Rural Sexual Assault Response Teams
The Sexual Violence Justice Institute (SVJI) is a national program operating within the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA). SVJI creates long-term sustainable systems responses to sexual violence that meet the specific needs of each community. Since 2013, we have provided those awarded with OVW rural grants the support and assistance they need to improve their multi-disciplinary collaborations. We develop resources, tools, and provide one-on-one assistance that honors the strength and creativity of rural communities while also addressing the challenges that come with living in rural places.
OVW Rural grant recipients and other rural communities have access to attending SVJI events, offering in-person trainings, accessing webinars and resources, receiving one-on-one assistance, and get in-depth support to build up their response.
Through our years of experience and your expertise in your community, we will work together to craft the information and resources you need to support and sustain collaborative, multi-disciplinary teams like a Sexual Assault Response Team in your community. We look forward to being a resource as well as connecting you to other national technical assistance providers. Connect with us through the form below or you can call or email our team. Let’s do great work, together.
National Institute
The National Institute is a biannual conference designed for coordinators, team leaders, and state and territorial level leaders who coordinate or support local teams responding to sexual violence.
The Institute’s primary goal is to build the capacity of team leaders to design and facilitate effective team processes. Effective team leadership is essential to a team’s overall development, and we know that it is complex, challenging, and rewarding work. Creating social change and systems improvement requires more than knowledge of best practices—it also requires the ability to initiate processes that transform our communities and lead to improved outcomes. The Institute will help you facilitate multidisciplinary teams as they design, implement, and evaluate their community’s response to sexual violence.
Connection Calls
Our Connection Calls are monthly virtual discussions focused on addressing the current needs of sexual assault response teams (SARTs) and connecting SART leaders and coordinators nationally. Connection Calls are hosted in collaboration with the National SART TTA project.
Past topics of Connection Calls include:
- SARTs and Rural SANE Programs
- Planning for Sexual Assault Awareness Month
- Meeting Facilitation
- Onboarding New Team Members
Join us for our next call!
Rural Realities Blog Posts
Collaboration in SARTs
By Fatima Jayoma Happy Wednesday! Today’s blog will be discussing the keys to effective collaboration within a SART. From 2020-2021, SVJI staff at MNCASA conducted…
Part IV: Using Virtual Engagement in Your Work
Guest Blog by Emily Singerhouse This series displayed what virtual engagement is, the importance of using virtual engagement, and practice for Rural Grantees. You’ve (hopefully)…
Part III: Virtual Engagement at Length
Guest Blog by Emily Singerhouse When someone says, “Virtual Engagement,” what comes to mind for you? Most people think of social media or texting. While…
Featured Tools & Resources
Sexual Assault Response Team Starter Kit: A Guide for New SART Teams
Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs) play a powerful role in improving the collective response to sexual violence through increasing access to healing and justice. SART…
A Ten-Factor Framework for Sexual Assault Response Team Effectiveness
Systems-change sexual assault response teams (SARTs) are community-based multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) that work to create long-term improvements to local systems of response to sexual violence.
Sexual Assault Response Teams & Systems Change
What is a SART? A Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) is one strategy a community can use to improve their systems response to sexual violence.
Ask An Advocate: Intro to Restorative Justice: Reimagining Current Justice (Member-Hosted Event)
Currently, the criminal legal system is the only systemic accountability mechanism available for victims/survivors of sexual violence. In recent years, advocates and organizers have started…
Sexual Assault Advocates’ Call
For Partner Program Members only. Auto-captioning will be available. ASL available upon request.
Contact us for more information about rural trainings and support.
This project was supported by Grant No. 2015-TA-AX-K014 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.