The mission of the Lyon County Sexual Assault Multidisciplinary Action Response Team (SMART) is to create and implement a victim centered multi-agency response to meet the specific needs of individuals who experience sexual assault and to better achieve justice and healing.
In April of 2009, the Lyon County SMART formed upon receiving a Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) S.T.O.P. grant. This funding is designated for programs that combat violence against women. Five core disciplines were required to participate to receive funding: Law Enforcement, Medical, Advocacy, Prosecution and Probation. Fortunately, sixteen different disciplines in Lyon County came together to begin working on a unified response to sexual assault in Lyon County. The primary focus of SMART is to create a victim-centered response to sexual assault from all disciplines responding directly and indirectly to this crime.
The Lyon County SMART is following an eight-step model to develop and write this victim-centered protocol, with the premise of shifting from a case-centered approach to a victim-centered approach. According to the Minnesota Model Sexual Assault Response Protocol, when a victim makes a decision that is respected by SMART, the victim then can move forward from crisis to healing. With the help of victims, professionals, advocates and other invested community members, SMART will advance the coordinated response to sexual assault crimes in Lyon County.
