Background
In 1996, Victim Services in Rochester Minnesota received a STOP Violence Against Women Grant to develop a model protocol for the state of Minnesota. What grew out of that project was the determination that one model cannot fit all jurisdictions in Minnesota. Instead, the project offered a model that counties in Minnesota could replicate in order to design a local response that is victim-centered and that meets the specific needs and resources of Minnesota counties. The resulting model is based on the work of Anita Boles and John Patterson and contained in the book Improving Response to Crime Victims: An 8 Step Model for Developing Protocol (available from Sage Publications).

In July, 2001, the protocol process work transferred to the MN Coalition Against Sexual Assault. To date, 12 Minnesota counties and one Indian reservation have worked in-depth with the 8-step process.

The Process
Each site supports a team consisting of at least law enforcement, prosecution, emergency medical providers, corrections and advocacy. Most teams also include membership from local human and social service organizations representing the diversity and unique nature of the community. Each team receives training and ongoing support and consultation from the staff of the SVJI.

The Eight Step Cycle:

• Inventory of Existing Services: What agencies or organizations are providing services to victims/survivors of sexual assault? What are their services?

• Victim Experience Survey: Who are victims/survivors talking to about their experience? When they reached out for help what type of response did they receive?

• Community Needs Assessment: How does the general public see the community’s response to sexual violence? How many cases occur and are reported in the community? Is there general community dialog about sexual violence and its prevention?

• Writing Protocols: Combining the findings of the first three steps, the team designs victim-centered, interdisciplinary protocols that pay particular attention to communication and collaboration across agency lines to ensure the best response for victims. Protocols should address problems identified by the community, service providers and victims.

• Renewing Interagency Agreements: Participating agencies formally adopt the written protocols and commit resource to ensure that all affected staff are fully trained in their responsibilities.

• Training: All affected agencies participate in multidisciplinary training to ensure full understanding and implementation of the agreed upon protocols.

• Monitoring: Teams design processes to gain feedback from those charged with implementing the protocols to ensure that a) they are being properly implemented and b) they are achieving the desired results.

• Evaluation: Teams design processes to measure the extent to which system problems have been eliminated, victims feel supported through the process and criminal justice professionals have increased their skills in responding to incidents of sexual assault.
This process is designed to be cyclical with the evaluation leading the team back to step one. As long as community populations change, dynamics of assault change, and victim needs change, the 8 step process should continue to function.

MN teams who are using this process are:

Beltrami and Clearwater Counties and Red Lake and Leech Lake Reservations
Carver County
Goodhue County
Isanti County
Itasca County
Lyon County
Winona County
Olmsted County
Ramsey County
Southern St. Louis County
Rice County


In past years Mille Lacs County and the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation also participated in the protocol development process.

The SVJI and all sites are funded by the Office of Justice Programs with STOP VAWA funds.

Useful Resources:

Considerations for Team Formation (PDF)

Key Project Concepts (PDF)

SVJI Core Intervention Principles (PDF)

Being Victim-Centered (PDF)
 

To contact SVJI, please email svji@mncasa.org