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The Capital Area Sexual Assault Response Team is one of many response teams across the State of Michigan and the United States. Sexual Assault Response Teams (or SARTs) are often formed for the purpose of coordinating the different intersections across various systems that a survivor may choose to engage in following a sexual assault. SARTs are typically comprised of community advocacy, medical personnel, law enforcement, and prosecutorial officials.

Community services specific to survivors of sexual violence are available, however, we acknowledge that engaging with these systems can at times be overwhelming, which is why SARTs work together to help survivors navigate these systems and improve their experiences in finding helping and healing resources. SARTs focus on prioritizing the needs of survivors and holding offenders accountable for their actions. SARTs also work to provide education on sexual violence to the communities they serve and share information on how to connect survivors with additional supports.

SARTs are tasked with building relationships amongst service providers who engage with survivors of sexual violence to gain a deeper understanding of each profession’s individual roles and responsibilities as responders. SARTs share information and resources on sexual violence and work together to identify gaps in service delivery in their community. SARTs work to increase community safety by keeping the focus of these crimes on offenders and ensuring the right and choice to report these crimes remains with the survivor.

For more information on SARTs and how they respond to sexual violence, please visit the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSRVC) at https://www.nsvrc.org/.

To meet our team of dedicated professionals working to help survivors of sexual violence in the Greater Lansing area, please visit our Meet Our Team Page.