Monthly check-in ticket for the second half of 2019.
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Sent monthly check-in email to MN DPS: I hope this email finds you well. I am reaching out for our monthly check-in on your progress and to ask if there are any training and technical assistance needs that you have at this time. Jess, Chris and Jude, it was very nice meeting you in person last week at the Grantees Meeting! I hope you were able to get as much out of it as I did and look forward to hearing your feedback.
As part of this check-in, I wanted to follow up with you regarding the following:
SAKI Grantees Meeting
Do you have any comments or feedback that you would like to provide?
Are there any topics that you would like to receive more information on? I would like to start looking at specific training and/or technical needs that you are interested in for your site visit, which is schedule for the week of August 5th.
Have you had any recent success stories that you would like to share with BJA or the SAKI TTA team? This could include any specific achievements, goals, milestones or challenges addressed that you would consider successes under the SAKI project as well as news stories on arrests or convictions.
Response from Chris Johnson:
I was very happy with the Grantee meeting and took good information away. I really like the case studies and seeing how different agencies work together to achieve results. As a new SAKI grant I would like to have a breakout session or two to help with the groundwork type issues such as reporting and tracking. I know every site is at different places so it would have to be in a breakout session.
I would like some advice on case review and bringing them to the MDT. I am reviewing a ton of cases right now just to determine if testing should be performed or not. At this point I only want to bring cases to the MDT that I don’t want to send for testing to get a consensus. I will bring the cases back to the MDT after results are available for a deeper dive. Does that seem proper?
We are moving forward on cases and we submitted our first 59 SAK to the BCA on 6/10/19!! We have all in position now and Vanessa Ellingson started working out of the Sheriffs office today as her background is done and office ready. I feel things will start moving rapidly now.
Jess Webber also responded:
As far as our SAKI success stories:
We have had 1 MDT meeting and have another scheduled for next week.
We have had a subcommittee meeting on kit submission and have a subcommittee meeting on victim notification scheduled.
The first 59 kits were submitted to the lab and testing has begun!
Lisa is verifying with Crystal/Dawn on Chris's comment about submitting cases to the MDT. Lisa sent their success to Amanda and Peyton for social media and added the requests for TTA to the site visit tracking sheet as well as sent all current SAKI TTA resources back to him via email.
Lisa sent site visit check-in email:
I hope this email finds you well. I am reaching out for our monthly check-in on your progress and to ask if there are any training and technical assistance needs that you have at this time. I understand we have our site visit next week however, I wanted to keep the theme of our monthly check-in emails for our records.
Have you had any recent success stories that you would like to share with BJA or the SAKI TTA team? This could include any specific achievements, goals, milestones or challenges addressed that you would consider successes under the SAKI project as well as news stories on arrests or convictions.
Site Visit
Our site visit is next week on Wednesday and Thursday and the MN BCA. I have attached the agenda to our calendar invite and have attached it to this email as well. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. We look forward to seeing you all next week!
Upcoming Training
In addition, I would like to remind everyone of the upcoming 2019 Statewide Sexual Assault Reform in SAKI Workshop, Research Triangle Park, NC, September 17-18, 2019. This is the only opportunity state sites have to come together and learn from each other on the unique challenge’s states have in implementing their initiatives. The agenda is designed to provide ample opportunity for discussion and networking, and it is driven by what state sites are doing. We your site to send attendees that are working on local agency engagement or developing state level policies.
If you have any questions or concerns or would like to request additional training or technical assistance, please let me know!
Jess responded with the following:
We are still working on testing the kits. As of a few weeks ago we had 60 kits tested.
A draft protocol for victim notification has been written and we are continuing to work out the details of that.
We have a case review system in place for identifying cases that would be suitable for testing.
Jess also confirmed that they will send someone from their team to the Statewide Workshop in September and also someone to the Assembly of Cities meeting.
Sent monthly check-in email:
I hope this email finds you well. I am reaching out for our monthly check-in on your progress and to ask if there are any training and technical assistance needs that you have at this time. These check-ins are an effort to facilitate regular communication and make sure that your site is receiving the training and technical assistance you need.
Have you had any recent success stories that you would like to share with BJA or the SAKI TTA team? This could include any specific achievements, goals, milestones or challenges addressed that you would consider successes under the SAKI project as well as news stories on arrests or convictions.
I also wanted to let you know what I will be out of the office from 9/2 – 9/6 and that you can contact Crystal Day at cdaye@rti.org in my absence if you need anything.
If you have any questions or concerns or would like to request additional training or technical assistance, please let me know!
Response from Jess Weber:
Everything is going well, nothing too exciting to report. We have another MDT meeting scheduled in a few weeks.
We actually are not going to be able to make it to the statewide workshop this year. L Bummed, but it just didn’t work out in time.
Lisa's response:
Thank you for the response. Please do let me know if you need anything! I will be in touch soon regarding the rest of the follow up items from our site visit, as well as information about the Development Plan.
Hope you have a great rest of your week!
Sent monthly check-in email to MN DPS.
Detective Chris Johnson responded with the following: We are doing well and are pretty established in our work flow now. We have opened several case for investigation but none sent to the county attorney yet. We have been getting a bunch of media inquiries so we are working on having a big joint news conference in the next few weeks.
Vanessa Ellingson (Victim Advocate) responded with the following: We have started with victim notification, and feel that is an exciting milestone! I have had contact with 4 victim survivors with one planning to meet with myself and Chris later this month and another we went out and met with in person last week. Thank you everyone for everything you each did to get our MDT and project to this point!
Held monthly check-in call with Jess, Vanessa, Chris, Jude and Pattie.
Development Plan – MN DPS
Victim notification protocol – Anoka County – January 2020 (new date for Development plan)
SAKI TTA will review the victim notification protocol – Vanessa will send it to Lisa once complete
Statewide victim notification protocol – March 2020 (tentative date for Development plan)
SAKI TTA can connect with other sites on their protocols, share with this site, engage other sites for discussion if necessary
Inventory update - MN DPS
300 SAKs have been sent to BCA and have been tested or in the process of being tested, 196 to be reviewed (at least 150 will need to be tested)
BCA has received 250 SAKs right now – reviewed and sent and determined that they don’t need testing
There are 38 cases that MN SAKI decided to open and go forward with victim notification, Vanessa is working on 19 cases, and she and Detective Johnson have made contact with 11 victims, 3 have decided to talk with Detective Johnson and Vanessa (huge success!) Some of the victims have chosen to not move forward however they have expressed that they are still thankful for the notification
MN DPS Website Update – MN DPS
Published as of December 2019
Training Inquiry: Overcoming the Consent Defense – SAKI TTA Resources
Lisa will let MN DPS know of all upcoming training opportunities
SAKI TTA offers training to address this specifically at the Cold Case Workshop and Regional Training
Lisa will send current resources from SAKI TTA regarding Overcoming the Consent Defense
Cold Case workshop is a 2-day event, recommend MN DPS send an investigator and a prosecutor to attend (Detective Johnson will push for this training)
Keep this on the TTA Development plan and Lisa will let MN DPS know as soon as the date is set
Lisa and Pattie will make a note that MN DPS would like someone from AEquitas to come out and talk about this
SAKI FY20 Solicitation will be coming out soon and MN DPS could always put in an application for additional funding to help close these gaps. Lisa to provide the link to the RFP when it is out
Inventory for City of Minneapolis SAKs (Suzanne)
Don’t have the final number from Minneapolis, waiting to hear back from them before moving forward
Partially tested SAKs – Duluth (Suzanne)
Lisa will follow up with Suzanne directly
Please respond to the Performance Metrics below. The Performance Metrics questions are based on the TTA Type indicated in the General Information section of the TTA.
Please submit a signed letter of support from your agency’s executive or other senior staff member. The letter can be emailed to or uploaded with this request. The letter should be submitted on official letterhead and include the following information:
- General information regarding the request for TTA services, i.e., the who, what, where, when, and why.
- The organizational and/or community needs specific to the request for TTA services.
- The benefits or anticipated outcomes from the receipt of TTA services.
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