Title
Approve and authorize the Director of Health or Assistant Director of Health to execute an Operational Agreement between Monterey County Health Department's Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and Monterey County Rape Crisis Center (MCRCC), agreeing to work together toward the mutual goal of providing maximum available assistance for crime victims residing in Monterey County, for the term October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2025.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Approve and authorize the Director of Health or Assistant Director of Health to execute an Operational Agreement between Monterey County Health Department's Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and Monterey County Rape Crisis Center (MCRCC), agreeing to work together toward the mutual goal of providing maximum available assistance for crime victims residing in Monterey County, for the term October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2025.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The acronym "SART" (Sexual Assault Response Team) is used to identify the multidisciplinary team (MDT) comprised of trained sexual assault counselors, responding law enforcement agents, and sexual assault forensic examiners (SAFE) when an evidentiary exam is requested for suspected sexual assault or abuse. The health care sector of SART is currently under the administration of Monterey County Health Department (MCHD). MCHD contracts with a private physician-owned medical group that employs the SAFEs who conduct the evidentiary exams.
In August of 1998, Monterey County implemented the first multidisciplinary SART. The sexual assault forensic examiners were provided by other agencies until July of 2007, when MCHD became the program administrator. MCRCC and the current SAFE team have continued to work cooperatively since that time. MCRCC's sexual assault counselors respond to evidentiary exams along with the SAFEs to offer legally mandated advocacy services for victims who report sexual assault. MCRCC respo...
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