Alaska Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Training

March 14-17, 2023, in-person in Anchorage, Alaska

APPLY TODAY! Deadline is January 20, 2023

IF YOU WERE ACCEPTED INTO THE NOVEMBER 2022 TRAINING YOU DO NOT NEED TO REAPPLY

ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION: You will be notified of the status of your application by January 27, 2023.

THERE IS NO REGISTRATION FEE FOR THIS TRAINING AND TRAVEL FOR ATTENDEES COMING FROM 50+ MILES AWAY WILL BE COVERED

Sponsored by the Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in partnership with Alaska State Troopers, State of Alaska Department of Law, the Alaska Nurses Association, the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, and the Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center.

For questions about SART Training, please contact:

Lorraine Willis
ANDVSA Sexual Assault Response Specialist
(907)465-7702
lwillis@andvsa.org

TRAINING LOCATION: Anchorage, AK – Airfare and lodging will be covered for attendees traveling from 50 miles away or more. Ground transportation (to/from airport or driving to Anchorage from over 50 miles away) is reimbursable with submission of receipts. Deviations from the minimum itinerary are allowable, however travel and lodging will be reimbursed at minimum itinerary rates with submission of receipts. State employees book travel through their departments. Non-state employees will be contacted by Northwest Strategies (once applications are approved) to make arrangements. NOTE: ANY FEES INCURRED DUE TO CHANGE OR CANCELLATION OF TRAVEL AFTER BOOKING WILL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ATTENDEE OR THEIR ORGANIZATION. Also, CDVSA does not offer per diem for this training.

TRAINING CREDIT: (CME) Continuing Medical Education credits and (APSC) Alaska Police Standards Council credits will be offered with full participation.

The Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault partners with the Alaska Nurses Association (AaNA) to offer continuing nursing education. AaNA is approved as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the Montana Nurses Association, an accredited approver with distinction by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

WHAT IS SART?

A Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) is a multidisciplinary interagency team generally consisting of victim advocates, law enforcement officers, forensic examiners (such as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners), crime lab personnel, and prosecutors. These team members provide a coordinated, efficient, and supportive response to adults who have been sexually assaulted while focusing on the victim’s needs and choices. The team’s response is designed to reduce the trauma of a sexual assault by providing victim-centered advocacy, care, and services, and to increase the likelihood that assaults can be successfully prosecuted.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND THIS SART TRAINING?

Members of active SAR Teams (advocates, nurses/forensic examiners, law enforcement, prosecutors, and paralegals) across the state of Alaska including those who may not have a full team in their community but who respond to sexual assault reports and coordinate with teams in other communities to provide a full continuum of care to victims.

SAR TEAM TRAINING DAYS, March 14-17, 2023

This is a 4-day course that provides an overview of sexual assault response using the SART model, including each team member’s role and how to proceed through a call-out in a trauma-informed, person-centered manner. Training includes multi-disciplinary sessions as well as discipline-specific sessions.

SART TRAINING OBJECTIVES ARE:

• Learn to treat victims/survivors with dignity, respect, and empathy.
• Learn the roles of each of the disciplines in the SAR Team and how to work effectively within that team.
• Learn about Sexual Assault Response options and processes, including anonymous reporting, criminal justice processes, and resources for healing.
• Learn discipline-related skills for responding to a SART call.
• Team-building: Connecting with individuals from the other disciplines on a team to lay the foundation for effective working relationships.

DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC CONTENT:

Sexual Assault Investigation for Law Enforcement and Prosecutors: Criminal justice professionals are provided additional training on the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault crimes including role-specific information on victim and witness interviews, documenting corroborating evidence, and the suspect interview.  Corroborating evidence includes scene investigation, background and records, crime lab analysis, and search warrants including “glass” warrants.  The training also covers legal issues surrounding these topics.

Sexual Assault Examinations for the SANE/SAFE: Sexual Assault Nurses/Forensic Examiners are provided with more advanced training regarding the care of patients reporting sexual assault. The discipline-specific training sessions cover information in more depth than is covered in the multi-disciplinary sessions including examination techniques, assessment, documentation, evidence collection, expert testimony, collaboration, and peer review.

Advocacy for Sexual Assault Survivors through the SART Process: Discipline-specific training for advocates goes more in depth on topics related to SART advocacy and legal advocacy, including supporting the other members of a SAR team, long term healing for victims, and navigating the criminal justice system. Some of the topics will be determined in response to particular needs and interests of participants.