This document outlines the development of a sexual assault (SA) protocol for a tribe. It discusses key components of an effective protocol, including having a victim-centered approach, guidelines for case processing, and interagency coordination. The protocol aims to provide clear steps and roles for immediate responders to SA victims. It will map out the response, cover applicable laws and jurisdictions, and ensure a streamlined and culturally sensitive process. Implementation will involve training agencies, obtaining formal agreements, and monitoring the protocol's effectiveness over time.

1. SA Protocol
development
Vicki Ybanez
Red Wind Consulting, Inc.
www.red-wind.net
ybanez@red-wind.net

2. POLICY AND PROTOCOL
Policy
Protocol
• Rules
• Practice
• Guidance
• Action
• Steps

3. PROTOCOL COVERS
a) What to do under specified circumstances
b) Guidelines to put cases into appropriate levels
of response
c) Methods to ensure practitioner compliance
(tracking)
d) Guidelines for making exceptions to the policy
e) How to document actions
f) How and with whom to share information on a
case

4. VICTIM CENTERED APPROACH
•
Consider the victim first
•
Promote victim self-agency
•
Coordinate and collaborate in the victim’s
interest
•
Ensure victim-safety
•
Seek just solutions
•
Hold self and others accountable

5. PROTOCOL WRITING
The intent and rationale for the policy
Guidelines for processing cases
a) what should practitioner do and under what
circumstances
b) using procedures, forms, etc.
c) what, when, and how information should be shared
with others
d) applicable laws, definitions, authority
Supervision/monitoring
a) how will policy be monitored by agency
b) record sharing for external monitoring (how, with
whom)

6. PROTOCOL PURPOSE
• What is the goal of the protocol?
• What is its scope?
• Explain its victim-centered, coordinated
approach.
• How are the tribe’s beliefs and practices
reflected in the protocol?

7. PROTOCOL ELEMENTS
• Applicable laws, definitions of sex offenses,
reporting requirements, etc.
• Jurisdiction for sex offenses that occur in the
community—tribal and federal/state agencies
• Immediate responders to sexual assault victims
- roles in response
• Agency coordination of their interventions
(streamlined, timely, victim-centered, culturally
appropriate and sensitive)
• Why guidelines are needed for multi-
disciplinary, multi-agency coordination

8. OVERARCHING ISSUES
• Coordinated Team Approach
• Jurisdictional Issues
• Victim-Centered Care
• Informed Consent
• Confidentiality
• Reporting
• Call Out
• Examination Payment

9. OPERATIONAL ISSUES
• Advocacy
• Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner
• Law Enforcement
• Prosecutor

10. 10
mapping
Mapping the Response

11. CASE PROCESSING
 Steps involved at each point of intervention
 Who intervenes and when
 Who takes what actions
 The sequence of actions at the point of
intervention
 Variations of response

12. SAMPLE
PROTOCOL
MAP

13. STEPS IN CASE PROCESSING
Anchor your chart in real people;
keep victims/survivors of sexual
assault at the center.
What are the steps at this point of
intervention?
Who intervenes, where and when?
What is the sequence of the
actions?
What steps should we include?

14. Protocol Focus
Areas

15. IMPLEMENTATION AND
INSTITUTIONALIZATION
• Develop and/or renew interagency agreements
• Secure approval from Tribal leadership
• Secure approval from department management or
supervisor
• Distribute the protocol
• Train other SA Team agencies staff on the
protocol:
− Identify who will train
− Identify the materials needed, and
− Plan for when the trainings will occur
• Train additional professionals for each agency

16. INTERAGENCY AGREEMENTS
Obtain formal acceptance of protocols by team
members:
• Describes and affirms each member’s
commitment to the SA Team.
• Details the member agency commitment to
adopt SA protocols.
• Describes the SA member agency roles
and responsibilities.

17. AGENCY TRAINING
Ensuring implementation of the protocol with quality
trained agencies & programs on the protocol.
Protocol Training:
•Establishes a training committee when needed
•Identifies who will train each of the participating
agencies on their specific protocol.
•Describes how the SART trains on each protocol.

18. EFFECTIVENESS OF
RESPONSE
Determine the extent to which the protocols are
being implemented then identify any problem
areas in the protocol.
Monitoring Protocol Within Agencies:
•Designs a process to measure the application &
implementation of the protocol.
•Determines the extent to which the protocols are
being implemented.
•Identifies problem areas in the protocol.