Susan Moen

2006 Finalist – Social Category
Age: 40
Hometown: Ashland, OR
Nominated by: Judith Rosen, sister

When Susan Moen became a mother, she felt a deep need to address the problem of sexual assault to protect not only her children but children everywhere. She first became a volunteer crisis counselor, helping victims through their healing.

Convinced that effective reform has to be collaborative and statewide, Moen founded the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), a program that has been adopted in numerous states. In a SART program, specially-trained nurses, police officers and victim advocates approach each case as a team. They track the progress of each victim's case and work to mitigate victims' traumas, by putting their needs first. Studies show that with better care available, far more victims come forward. And with better evidence collection, conviction rates rise and average sentences lengthen, benefiting and safeguarding the whole community.

In creating SART, Moen has worked tirelessly for five years to get the program fully operational -- recruiting members from local police departments, hospitals, colleges and community service programs and providing extensive training so that members understand each other's operations and learn more about the traumas of sexual assault. Together, Moen and her organization have helped redesign agency protocols and created a seamless, more effective, victim-centered response program.

Moen's drive and dedication in creating SART make her community a safer place.

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