WV County Plan Overview
The SAFE Commission has identified standards for responding to victims of sexual violence and has created a series of victim-response flowcharts and templates for service protocols to assist counties in creating local service plans. Protocols for a SART or Local County Plan, Medical Forensic Protocol, Advocacy Protocol and a Transportation Protocol are included.
WV Local Boards Overview
To meet the SAFE Commission standards, each County was asked to formalize a coordinated response through the creation of a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) serving as the local board OR a local board specifically to meet the SAFE Commission's guidelines. Members of this local coordinated response collaboration can include, but are not limited to prosecution, law enforcement, advocacy (rape crisis centers), and medical/hospital personnel/SANEs. Other members that can be considered include Child Advocacy Centers, EMS, Disability Organizations and Adult/Child Protective Services (APS/CPS).
Medical Forensic Protocol Overview
All sexual assault victims need to have access to specialized medical evaluation and crisis intervention. The SAFE Commission has outlined Best Practice Training Recommendations for providing medical forensic examinations.
Each county is required to provide a Medical Forensic Protocol, which outlines how a victim from that county would access a medical forensic exam. If SANEs/qualified medical providers are not available to conduct medical forensic exams, the hospital is required to have negotiated a letter of agreement with a medical facility from another county to provide the service.
Advocacy Protocol Overview
A victim advocate provides free, confidential, and non-judgmental emotional support, information, social service referrals, and guidance following a sexual assault. A victim advocate's involvement will begin at the time the victim reports the sexual assault and extend beyond the point when other agencies have terminated their involvement. A victim advocate offers the victim the support needed to understand what is happening and make informed decisions.
Advocacy services can only be provided by trained advocates who have received a minimum of 32 hours of specific sexual assault advocacy training that meets the training standards established by the West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services at http://www.fris.org.
The following seven advocacy services meet core standards as outlined by the WV SAFE Commission:
- 24/7 advocacy, support, and accompaniment during the medical forensic exam, law enforcement investigations, and court proceedings
- Information for victims about reporting/not reporting to law enforcement
- Crisis intervention and/or emotional support to victims' and their families
- Referrals and coordinated services with other agencies
- Support for victims through the criminal justice system
- Replacement clothing for victims after medical forensic exams, if needed
- Protection of victim privacy and confidentiality
Transportation Protocol Overview
The transportation protocol will be activated when a victim of sexual assault requires a medical forensic exam and cannot transport himself/herself to and from a facility that provides that care. Each county will have a responsive service system that will provide transportation services to victims of sexual assault.
The SAFE Commission requires that the transportation protocol include the following four core components:
- Accessible transportation, including the ability to transport victims with disabilities
- Transportation to and from the medical forensic exam regardless of the victim's ability to pay
- Plan for victim confidentiality
- Plan to return the victim to his or her point of origin (or an agreed upon safe place) after the medical forensic examination