Reading Between the Lines: Case File Review for SARTs

Course Description
 

Throughout our country, communities have long struggled with their response to sexual violence. In many instances, the criminal justice system has shown itself to be inadequate and has often failed those who most need it to work. From initial police reports to decisions that prosecutors make in court, the U.S. criminal justice system has a long way to go before sexual assault is treated as the violent crime that it is, offenders are held accountable for their actions, and victims of sexual assault are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.

 

In 2016, the Sexual Violence Justice Institute came out with a toolkit entitled What Do Sexual Assault Cases Look Like in Our Community? A SART Coordinator's Guidebook for Case File Review, which is a step-by-step guide for sexual assault response teams to use to look at case files to identify what is working well within their community's response as well as identify gaps as a way to create lasting systems change. Case files hold the "official" record of a survivor's experience. From the language used in capturing the experience to steps taken or not taken, case files offer great insight into frameworks responders use, the ways that their work is organized, and how the disciplines interact with each other.

 

Through the process of looking at case files, SARTs are able to look at the system as a whole to learn more about the current response to sexual violence. While case file review can present challenges, it is a powerful tool to identify and implement strategies for sexual assault cases to be more successfully investigated and documented and to evaluate current policies and practices of SART agencies.

 

From this webinar, participants should leave with a better understanding of how case file review can be used as an evaluative measure and method of systems change work as well as gain practical skills and tools to implement case file review in their community. 

 

Objectives

 

Jessica Jerney, M.Ed, Evaluation and Research Coordinatior, Sexual Violence Justice Institute, Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Saint Paul, MN

Jessica Jerney works with SVJI to support multidisciplinary teams as they evaluate and assess their response to sexual violence. She does this through training and technical assistance and works to align evaluation goals with team capacity and priorities. She is also interested in advancing the field by ensuring practice, policy and other decisions are based on the latest pertinent research.

For over fifteen years Jessica has worked with community-based organizations in urban and rural communities as an organizer, educator, and evaluator. Her passion lies in the areas of social justice, capacity building and data-driven decision-making. She has worked with numerous youth organizations, locally and internationally, to build, evaluate, and improve programs. Jessica holds a masters of education in youth development leadership and a graduate certificate in program evaluation from the University of Minnesota.

 

 

Jolene Engelking, MSW, MDiv, Project Development Specialist, Sexual Violence Justice Institute, Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Saint Paul, MN

 

Jolene Engelking is the Project Development Specialist at the Sexual Violence Justice Institute at the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault. She develops resources and trainings on a range of sexual violence topics, leads the Case File Review Project, and provides technical assistance to sexual assault responses teams in Minnesota and nationally.

 

Ms. Engelking joined SVJI@MNCASA in 2016. She has been in the anti-sexual violence movement since 2006, first as a volunteer and then working at a community based advocacy agency where she gained experience training advocates, engaging the community, and working with SARTs, particularly focusing on the needs of Native American victim/survivors.

 

In that time, Ms. Engelking was the advocacy representative on four area SARTs, including one tribal SARRT. After her time doing direct advocacy, she worked as a technical assistance provider and trainer through Praxis International's Advocacy Learning Center. She holds two master's degrees, in social work and divinity, both from Loyola University Chicago.