Attorney General's Sexual Assault Task Force

Connections                                              January  2012

In This Issue
Introducing our SATF Interns!
Planting Our Roots: Roots of Change in Review
Training for Tribal Communities: A Collaborative Effort
SANE Program Update
Getting In the Groove!
What's This "Liaison" Business??
Task Force Committee Reports

TRAINING & EVENTS


SANE Training
40-hour didactic Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner February 13-17, 8am-5pm
Oregon State Police Forensic Lab
13309 SE 84th Ave, Suite 200,
Clackamas, OR 97015
Questions? Contact Annika.
 
 
Sign up for trainings on our website! www.oregonsatf.org 
 

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CONNECTIONS

 

 Email your story idea to

[email protected]

 

SAVE THE DATES

 

 TASK FORCE MEETING DATES

   

February 9, 2012
May 10, 2012
August 9, 2012
November 8, 2012 

 

 

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Staff Contact List 

  
Task Force Office Phone 
503-990-6541 (Salem)

Christine Herrman
Executive Director

Ashley Maier
Prevention Program Coordinator
[email protected]

Jennifer Ditter
SANE Program Coordinator


Jenna Harper 

Training Coordinator

[email protected]

 

Annika Baldwin

Training Specialist
 
Judy Hays
Membership Specialist
[email protected]rg

Denise Schott

Bookkeeper

SATF logo 

Welcome to the ORSATF's Winter Newsletter  

Christine Herrman, ORSATF Executive Director 

Happy 2012, everyone! We have a lot to look forward to here at the ORSATF. The articles below give some idea of what's in store for the year -- it's all very exciting!
     In addition to those things, the ORSATF is working on our second round of funding from the Office on Violence Against Women to do training and technical assistance to law enforcement officers nationwide. We anticipate taking SATI law enforcement instructors to 14 states over the next three years to share our training model.
     Working with the Oregon Department of Justice's Domestic Violence Resource Prosecutor, Erin Greenawald, the ORSATF is exploring ways to expand our forensic nurse training and certification to include assessment and treatment of strangulation and interpersonal violence victims. The ORSATF's Medical Forensic Subcommittee will be very involved with this exciting process -- stay tuned for more information!
     The 2012 legislative session is currently underway. Unfortunately, the ORSATF's bill, for a civil sexual assault protection order, won't be going forward this session. We have plans to work on making a few tweaks to the proposed legislation over the interim, and will reintroduce it in 2013. Funding for victim services at the DA-based victim assistance programs and the community-based non-profit DV/SA programs remains a high priority for the ORSATF and allies, and we will work hard to do what we can to preserve this vital money this session.
    
     I want to take a moment to recognize the outstanding contributions of the ORSATF staff. You all see much of what they do, but let me assure you, there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes. The ORSATF is incredibly fortunate to have such a vibrant group of experts, including our new interns (see below), working on these issues every day. The passion and dedication of these folks is a constant source of inspiration to me, and I have enormous respect for them. Thank you to Judy, Ashley, Jenna, Denise, Jennifer, and Annika, as well as Shervin, Jonathan, and Zoe -- you all are amazing. And, it is an added bonus that you're all pretty darn funny. It makes it fun to come to work!

      

 

 

 Judy laughingJenna Silly

  Ashley TitanicAnnika Silly

 

 

 

 

SATF logo

 

 

 

                  Introducing our New SATF Interns!

Shervin
Shervin Sima
I'm Shervin and I was born and raised in Portland and attended Central Catholic High School. My senior service project was at Raphael House of Portland where I not only helped with the daycare, but was a teen ambassador. I attend Linfield College and will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. During my sophomore year I held two internships--one with Henderson House and the other with Lutheran Community Services NW.  At Henderson House I gained more experience working with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault by working on the crisis line, as well as helping with children's camps. At Lutheran Community Services I gained experience on the other end of the spectrum by helping with the batterer intervention program working with the men's group and then with the women's.  After graduation I hope to attend law school 

 

Jonathan
Jonathan Gates

Greetings! My name is Jonathan Gates, and I'm excited to be working with the Task Force as an intern this spring. My internship is focused primarily on the Task Force's engaging men efforts, including the work of the Men's Engagement Committee and the Oregon Men Against Violence Initiative. I am currently in my 4th year attending Willamette University, working toward a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in American Ethnic Studies. I am also co-chair of Willamette University's Men Against Violence student group (WUMAV). After graduating from Willamette this spring, I hope to continue working to engage men through antiviolence education and advocacy, either in higher education or in a nonprofit community-based setting.

Zoey
Zoe Larmer

 

My name is Zoe Larmer and I am a senior Women's and Gender Studies major at Willamette University.  I am very excited to be interning with the Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force. I learned about ORSATF about their impressive work during a research project I did this summer. In particular I will be working with the Campus Subcommittee and will assist Jenna Harper with curricula updates for sexual assault awareness trainings. 

 

 

 

 

Planting our Roots: Roots of Change in Review  

Ashley Maier, ORSATF Prevention Coordinator 

 

 

ROC 2011 speakers and staffFrom November 2-4, 2011, nearly 200 professionals, activists, and community members from across the nation planted roots in Portland for the 3rd Biennial Roots of Change Conference, Roots of Change: Social Justice and Media. Speakers such as Jessica Valenti, Jaclyn Friedman, and Rachel Griffin powerfully critiqued media and its role in perpetuating gendered violence. But beyond mere critiques, speakers and presenters challenged the audiences to expand our prevention lenses, teaching us all how to become solutionaries for a peaceful, healthy, and just world.

 

"Fabulous presenters; truly moving experience; spirit of feminism was profoundly present; thank you for this incredible experience." - Conference Attendee

 

Workshops, offered by conference speakers, national leaders such as Men Can Stop Rape and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, and local experts, covered a range of topics including engaging men, prevention work with and within oppressed communities, technology, campus-based prevention efforts, media advocacy, and much more. Visit the Roots of Change webpage to view the conference program.

 

"There is an engaged and excited atmosphere in this conference that I haven't noticed at other conferences." - Conference Attendee  

 

Together, Roots of Change 2011 participants built a community of preventionists. Each day brought relationship building, connections, and collaboration opportunities. In fact, during Jessica Valenti's talk, the audience requested a listserv be set up so participants could continue the conversations that began there. This is exactly the purpose of the Roots of Change conference - we want not only to address the roots causes of gendered violence but also to build community to further our work.

 

"Love, love, love this conference! It always re-motivates me and enhances my progressive thinking and learning. I've learned many things I can take back and use in my prevention education and work to engage men. I also think I have a list of resources that may just take me a year to get through, but I'm very excited to examine these new resources! Thanks for all the hard work to put on this wonderful conference!" - Conference Attendee

 

Roots of Change: Social Justice and Media built on the momentum of past Roots of Change conferences, moving us forward towards sustainable social change, to communities free from sexual violence. Attendees are the real reason for its success - their dedication to prevention, learning, teaching, and community building in a time of competing priorities creates the spirit of sharing, learning, and growing that has become the hallmark of Roots of Change. We look forward to Roots of Change 2013 and hope you will join the community.

 

Visit our PictureHealing page for exclusive photo's from Roots of Change: Social Justice and Media!

 

       

 

Training for Tribal Communities: A Collaborative Effort

   

Jenna Harper, ORSATF Training Coordinator 

 

Jenna in Spain!
Jenna in Spain! (no, this was not a work trip!)

 

 As you may know, the Task Force was awarded a National Institutes of Justice grant (NIJ) in partnership with the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) to provide Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Training and Sexual Assault Response & Resource Circle (SARRC -- tribal-based SARTs) Training to the tribes in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.  Amnesty International reports that Native American and Alaskan Native women are 2.5 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than other women in the US. Sexual assault in Indian country has been called "a hidden epidemic," as it is severely underreported. It is our hope that this project can assist Tribes in forming community specific groups that will address the problem of sexual assault and help change these grim numbers. 

 

 

As part of this project, we will be training nurses, and community members that address sexual assault in the 43 federally recognized Tribes in the three states. In modifying our existing SANE and SART curricula to be Tribal specific, we called upon a wonderful group of experts from Tribal communities in the tri-state area to form a curriculum review board. We came together in December to review our existing curriculum and discuss modifications and additions. We learned so much and have a great start for our trainings. I am very excited to be coordinating this project and would like to thank Carrie Sampson, the NPAIHB, and our amazing group of curriculum review board members who have given us their time and expertise to guide this project towards success!

 

 

If you are a Tribal member who works within the field of sexual assault and are interested in obtaining training for your community, please contact me.  We are also recruiting law enforcement, SANE, and advocate Tribal instructors to assist in the trainings.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send me an email or give me a call!  

 

 SANE Logo      

 

                        SANE Program Update               

  

 

    Jennifer Ditter, SANE Program Coordinator  

Jennifer Ditter

 

It as been a very busy couple of months getting to   know the ins and outs of this organization and getting myself adjusted to this new role. My background is that I have been an Oregon SANE since 2005 and helped create a SANE program at Silverton Hospital where I am still employed full time in the emergency room. I also have been a SATI instructor for the past two years. I took this position not only because I am passionate about this field of nursing but because I also value the holistic and team approach that we take in providing services to this specific population and I want to be a part of the ongoing development of these services.

  

There are many exciting things in the works. The next event to take place is our SANE training February 13-17, 2012. I look forward to getting to know these new potential SANE nurses. We are also actively working on getting SART and SANE trainings out to tribal communities through the NIJ grant. There is also a lot going on surrounding the topic of strangulation. With the passing of House Bill 2940 last session, there has become more of a focus on strangulation and therefore we need to increase our knowledge and understanding, which includes training and better assessments. Look for many exciting things to come!

         

              Getting In The Groove!   

 

                       

                      Annika Baldwin,

           ORSATF Training Specialist

 
Annika

I am so thrilled to be a part of such a dynamic team here at the Task Force. Each day I learn more and more about the incredible work that goes on that wouldn't be possible without all of our support in not only our own community and the entire state of Oregon, but also across the nation. These past couple months have been busy, trying to learn the ins and outs of each of our programs, and I still have a ways to go. I am working specifically with the SATI program coordinating training logistics and assisting staff administrative tasks. I have been able to participate in The Roots of Change Conference during my first week on the job, head to Washington D.C. for training on our OVW-TA grant, sit in for the last day of prosecutor training, participate in a Task Force Meeting, help out with our Curriculum Review Board Meeting at the NW Portland Area Indian Health Board, and observe a training at the DPSST. My background and passion is in working with victims of sexual violence and this position is providing me with the opportunity to further my understanding of the multidisciplinary response to sexual assault.

 

I am currently working on putting together logistics for our upcoming SANE training that will be held February 13th-17th and a SART Training on March 28th and 29th. I have had the privilege to participate in our final agency strategic planning meeting, and I am excited to see what new challenges and accomplishments that 2012 brings for the Task Force.

Question Mark             

        

  WHAT'S THIS "Liaison" BUSINESS??

      

                                                                    Judy Hays, Task Force Membership Specialist   

Judy2

  

Let's talk about Subcommittee Liaisons. Who are they and what's their purpose?

 

Who?? A subcommittee liaison is a member of one particular TF subcommittee who is responsible for staying current about the agendas, minutes and work plan of another TF subcommittee. There are eight standing subcommittees and each subcommittee selects a total of seven liaisons, or one person for each of the other subcommittees. The SATF staff will be sure each liaison is added to the e-mail list for the subcommittee to which they are liaison. 

 

What? Each liaison reads the e-mails, minutes, agendas and work plans of the subcommittee to which they are liaison. Every subcommittee meeting includes time for each liaison to update their subcommittee on the other subcommittee's activities.

 

Example: The Prevention Education Subcommittee (PEC) identifies Jane Doe as their Campus Subcommittee (CC) liaison. Jane informs the SATF staff person, who ensures she is signed up to receive CC e-mails. Jane reads the CC e-mails, meeting agendas and minutes, and stays current with the CC work plan. She briefly updates the PEC on CC activity at each PEC meeting, and the PEC decides whether there is anything to follow up on.

 

Here's status on four of our eight subcommittees:

 

Liaisons to the Campus Subcommittee:

J. Carey representing CJC

K. Trenholm representing MFC

L. Sanders representing VRC

M. Garvin representing LPPC

NEED liaisons from PEC, OMC, MEC

 

Liaisons to the Criminal Justice Subcommittee:

K. Larson representing VRC

N. Greenman representing PEC
S. Yokoma representing MFC

S. Rorick representing OMC

J. Friedman representing LPPC

NEED liaisons from MEC, CC

 

Liaisons to the Legislative and Public Policy Subcommittee:

M. Byrum representing MFC

V. Beatty representing OMC

L. Piper representing PEC

NEED liaisons from MEC, CJC, CC, VRC

 

Liaisons to the Medical Forensic Subcommittee:

B. Ostrom representing CJC

M. Morales representing VRC

K. Casebier representing OMC

NEED liaisons from MEC, PEC, CC, LPPC

 

Subcommittee Reports
 
Campus Subcommittee (CC)

The Campus subcommittee continues to work towards the creation of a Campus SART Handbook and engage in discussion around the "Dear Colleague Letter" from the Department of Education. We have also begun discussion around the creation of a position paper on balancing the responsibility of universities to be accountable for safety on campus while being victim-centered.

  

Criminal Justice Subcommittee (CJC) 

The Criminal Justice subcommittee is working on several position papers, and is developing an action plan for 2012.  

   

Legislative and Public Policy Subcommittee (LPPC)

The Legislative and Public Policy Subcommittee will have its next meeting after the February legislative session is concluded. We expect to begin working on ideas for legislation in 2013 at that time. If you have ideas for legislation, please contact one of the LPPC members! 

  

Medical Forensics Subcommittee (MFC)

The Medical Forensic Committee reviewed Steering Committee feedback to the Genital Photography Position Paper. Minor changes were incorporated, and the paper is awaiting final approval by the Steering Committee. Additionally, the MFC began preliminary work on an Unconscious Victims position paper that will guide providers in how and when to collect forensic evidence when the victim is unconscious. Finally, the MFC continues to work on Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault Guidelines and the SART Protocol Guidelines.

 
Men's Engagement Subcommittee (MEC)

The Men's Engagement subcommittee has identified its areas of focus for the next year as collaboration, train the trainer, media, and best practices. We are now setting 6- and 12-month objectives for each area, as well as working on a men's engagement handbook.   

 

Offender Management Subcommittee (OMC)

At our last meeting we reviewed our Purpose Statement and considered some questions for our specialized portion of the committee application, updated our action plan, and made changes to our website pages.  Our position paper on Sex Offender Discharge Treatment Outcomes for Adults was approved by the Steering Committee and published on the SATF website. Committee members that work with juvenile offenders are working on a parallel paper for juveniles.  

  

Prevention and Education Subcommittee (PEC) 

Roots of Change:

The PEC highlights peaked early with the fantastic Roots of Change Social Media & Justice Conference from November 2-4. Speakers and attendees came from across the US; memorable moments included keynotes by Dr. Rachel Griffin and Jaclyn Friedman, and an evening with Jessica Valenti. Three days of workshops included a round table with the six Oregon organizations receiving Rape Prevention Education funding. Ideas that came from the conference for consideration by PEC included: hosting a youth-led presentation about social media; assessing the use of social media in Oregon's prevention efforts; and writing a position paper on social media and prevention. 

 

Articulating our Beliefs: As part of the ORSATF reorganization, PEC has also drafted an 8-point statement of Beliefs and Values which were approved by the Steering Committee in January. The first point sets the tone:

"We believe that it is possible for Oregonians to successfully address and prevent sexual violence in our institutions, communities and relationship and to promote a peaceful, safe and healthy environment in which all Oregonians can live and thrive."

You can find the full statement on the ORSATF website.

 

Position Papers & Prevention Profiles. We've also begun working on three position papers on the intersection of oppression and sexual violence, social media and prevention, as well as a vision of sexual health that ORSATF members and partners can share.  Last but by no means least, we are actively gathering "prevention profiles," summaries of prevention work being done around the state, to be included in an interactive map that we hope will provide a valuable resource for communities looking for models and an inspiration for us all.

 

Victim Response Subcommittee (VRC) 
The Victim Response subcommittee is continuing to work on refining the paper addressing serving underserved survivors. We finalized the first draft of the mandatory reporting paper at the last meeting and have forwarded it on to the LPP subcommittee to review and provide feedback. We've renewed the discussion about updating the Oregon Voices DVD and will be exploring options, financial and otherwise, that would enable us to begin this task. Finally, the subcommittee agreed to review and update the SATI curricula.  

 

The SATF was formed in 1999 by Attorney General Hardy Myers at the request of a group of advocates and multidisciplinary responders in order to organize statewide efforts to address adolescent and adult sexual assault in Oregon. The SATF incorporated into a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-governmental corporation in 2003. 

 

The mission of the Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force is the effective prevention of and response to sexual violence through collaborative, comprehensive, survivor-centered strategies.

 

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