Define the SART's Jurisdiction

A SART jurisdiction may be a local community, state, territory, tribal land, campus, military installation, national park, or multicity, multicounty, multistate, or multi-SART region. When defining your SART's jurisdiction, consider the specific problems victims may encounter when navigating multiple service areas, identify jurisdictional concerns for interagency collaborators, and assess the legal considerations for incorporating local, state, and federal regulations into a SART model.

Without intentional consideration of jurisdictional issues, uncertainty about an appropriate SART response may arise and lead to delays in services for victims and stalled criminal investigations. Proactively address complex issues before they arise by assessing state laws, creating local and regional multidisciplinary protocols and guidelines, and establishing regional partnerships with medical, legal, and advocacy agencies that victims may contact.

Generally, SARTs are created within specific geographic regions based on political or economic conditions, available resources, and multijurisdictional considerations; other jurisdictional issues can come into play as well. This section reviews these issues:

• Political conditions.
• Available resources.
• Multijurisdictional considerations.
• Other jurisdictional issues.