Training
Notice of Federal Funding and Federal Disclaimer
Investigating Sexual Assault two (2) day sixteen (16) hour comprehensive course for all responders of sexual assault including law enforcement, advocates, prosecutors, medical 
professionals, and first responders. Currently, officers may receive POST credits, prosecutors may receive CLE credits, and first responders may receive additional credits.
To view upcoming Investigating Sexual Assault training hosted by the Montana Department of Justice, please click the following link: the Montana Law Enforcement Academy’s Professional Programs Schedule.
Due to COVID-19, all field trainings are suspended until further notice.
Sexual crimes are complicated and usually involve a team of professionals. To effectively and appropriately respond to victims of sexual assault, it is important to have the training and foundation to be confident in the response. Your training may consist of survivor-centered best practices and a trauma-informed approach. In addition, responders of sexual crimes need to be aware of the importance of teamwork. A multidisciplinary team may significantly increase the effectiveness of the overall response to the victim and public safety. Furthermore, the best practice guidelines all contain common threads to be considered when updating policy that increases the effectiveness in response to sexual assault. Guidelines of best practices contain—but are not limited to—the following: survivor-first methods, trauma-informed care, multidisciplinary actions and procedures, well-trained and/or staff specifically hired to deal with sexual assault, continuing education of rape myths and sexual trauma, and access to sexual assault specific resources to all staff, responding officers, survivors, and advocates. (PERF, 2018; IACP, 2015; WHO, 2013).
To learn more about teamwork, please visit: Benefits of a Coordinated Community Response to Sexual Violence Issues
PREPARATION
A survivor-centered, trauma informed response to sexual assault starts with being open to learning knew techniques, training, and using tools to execute an appropriate response.
Click on the link to learn more about each item below:
| ITEM | DESCRIPTION | DOWNLOADABLE PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Investigating Sexual Assault: A Field Guide for Law Enforcement Officers | Best practices for responding to, and investigating sexual assault crimes | Investigating Sexual Assault Field Guide |
| Cultural Awareness | Cultural considerations when responding to, and investigating sexual assault crimes | Coming soon |
| Community and System Based Advocates | The different roles and responsibilities of advocates | Community and Systems Based Advocacy |
| Victim or Survivor Terminology | A resource from SAKI TTA outlining important considerations about when to use victim or survivor terminology | Victim or Survivor Terminology from Investigation Through Prosecution |
| Sexual Assault Kit Tracking System Advocate Information Release Agreement | A consent form for advocates to use when sharing confidential sexual assault kit tracking information. | Coming Soon |
| Active Listening Terms | Ways to practice active listening | Active Listening Terms |
| Kit Tracker Instructions | Step by step instructions to process kits in the kit tracking system | DOJ Montana Kit Track Law Enforcement Portal Guide |
| Attorney General Memo | Sexual Assault Kit Tracking System Memo from the Attorney General’s Office | SAK Kit Tracking System memo |
AWARENESS
Communities are diverse and constantly evolving. It is important to understand the citizens who represent your community. Awareness is recognizing your actions and words have power. This means responding to each survivor of sexual assault with respect, care, and empathy.
Below are a few links to get you started: