B- SMART is comprised of various agencies who respond
to incidents of sexual assault.
These agencies include:
The collaborative effort began in 2005, when the Sexual Assault Program (now known as Support Within Reach) received funding to look at services and gaps within the criminal justice system. With the assistance of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA)–Sexual Violence Justice Institute (SVJI) B-SMART followed an eight step process in order to develop guidelines to assist those who respond to sexual assault cases in Beltrami County. Those who respond to incidents of sexual assault are working together in a way that is making a difference. Victims are reporting more positive experiences with each agency they come into contact with than before the guideline project began. Victims are now getting more involved in the criminal justice process and feel supported through that process.
Recent projects include re-examining and updating the existing guidelines for Beltrami County. Coordinating a trauma informed conference for service providers at Leech Lake Tribal College and being selected as a pilot site for guideline evaluation through SVJI at MNCASA.
The Beltrami County Sexual Assault Multidisciplinary Action Response team and protocol project are hosted by SWR. Technical assistance provided by the Sexual Violence Justice Institute, a program of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Project funding provided by Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Office of Justice Programs, a division of Department of Public Safety.
