Ashland, Oregon – The year was 2001 when a group of local law enforcement officers, nurses and health care providers got together to look at how they could better help sexual assault survivors: they formed Jackson County Sexual Assault Response Team, aka Jackson County SART.
It’s estimated that more than 60 percent of all sexual assaults are not reported to the police, and experts from organizations like SART say there are many reasons why sexual assaults go underreported: fear of not being believed, fear of revictimization, and something as simple as fearing a medical bill the assault survivor can’t pay.
From day one, SART set about to make easy – or at least more comfortable – to report an assault. The group wanted to change the long waiting time in busy emergency rooms, get better at collecting and storing evidence and provide better aftercare for sexual assault survivors. In 2001, SART estimated only one in ten sexual assault survivors reported the crime.
Today those stats look a lot different in Jackson County. More than double the number of sexual assaults are reported to the police, compared to when the program began, and the three major Jackson County hospitals all work with SART on how to best support sexual assault victims. Local law enforcement reports that evidence collection is now more frequent and more reliable. That in turn means more assailants end up behind bars.
The SART Response Team program now sends specially trained nurses, victim advocates and detectives to talk to the sexual assault survivor and respond to each individual case as a team. There are many advantages to the team approach, including that the victim doesn’t have to endlessly retell their story.
The programs operated by SART were used as a model when the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 557 requiring every county in Oregon to establish similar programs.
The non-profit raises money locally and via grants, including a recent grant from the Avista Foundation. For every dollar donated, 90 percent goes to the program services and just six percent to administration.
At Avista, we recognize our unique position gives us the chance to contribute in an impactful way and make a real difference in people’s lives. Since 2002, the Avista Foundation has made grants totaling over $13 million to organizations that support vulnerable and limited income populations, education, and economic and cultural vitality. The foundation is a separate, non-profit organization established by Avista Corp., and does not receive funding from Avista Utilities’ customers through rates. For more information on grant applications and geographical areas covered, please visit avistafoundation.com.