A SART Coordinator’s Guidebook for Case File Review

6 hours

Publication Date: 2021

This toolkit is a step-by-step guide that leads Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Coordinators through the Sexual Violence Justice Institute's (SVJI) process of reviewing law enforcement case files. In this toolkit, you will find an effective process for identifying areas where your SART is successful in its response to victims and areas where your SART can improve. Each of the core agencies (Law Enforcement, Medical, Prosecution, Advocacy, and Probation) will learn specific information about their response that can be further developed or sustained for an optimum response to victims. Throughout the case file review process, SARTs learn about their actual response to victims versus what they believe is happening during the response. The toolkit provides insights into how to make connections that help improve the criminal justice process for victims and agencies while also helping teams discover a multitude of opportunities and best practices to explore. Case file review can provide evidence to support necessary changes in policy and practice. Designed with SART Coordinators in mind, this toolkit has nine modules that are each broken into two sections: 1) Facilitator’s Guide and 2) Lesson Plan. The Facilitator’s Guide highlights what the coordinator needs to know in order to facilitate the module, and the Lesson Plan is a guide for how to share information from the module with the SART. If a SART does not have a coordinator, this toolkit can be used by a team member who is comfortable facilitating their SART through this process. If finding a facilitator is not possible or a SART would like assistance, however, SVJI provides national technical assistance to SARTs on the Case File Review process.

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Topic(s):

Collaboration and Partnerships Documentation and Report Writing Investigations Policy/Protocol Development

VAWA Crime(s):

Sexual Assault

Role(s):

Call Centers/Dispatch Chief/Sheriff/Executive Civilian Staff Fire/Emergency Medical Services First Line Supervisor Investigator/Detective Other Role Patrol Officer/Deputy Prosecutor Special Victims Unit