The Department is pleased to announce the launch of the new "SAPR Source" webpage. The webpage serves as an authoritative, one-stop shop for SARCs, SAPR VAs, and other SAPR professionals to access timely updates on victim assistance and prevention efforts, activities and events, tools and guidance, and important program and policy updates. SAPR Source is updated monthly or as-needed with key information and resources. Check out the new SAPR Source!

The DoD Retaliation Prevention and Response Strategy: Regarding Sexual Assault and Harassment Reports outlined five issue areas that identified how the Department and the Military Services will prevent and respond to retaliation related to reports of sexual assault or complaints of sexual harassment.

The Department recently released the accompanying DoD Retaliation Prevention and Response Implementation Plan, which details how DoD and the Military Services, to include the National Guard Bureau (NGB), will execute tasks in the identified issue areas and institutionalize a comprehensive and consistent approach to retaliation prevention and response across the Department related to reports of sexual assault and complaints of sexual harassment. Moving forward, the Military Services will align their Service retaliation prevention and response strategic policies and plans with the RPRS and this implementation plan.

In order to provide men with a confidential and anonymous space to talk and get peer support from other survivors, the DoD Safe Helpline will be hosting Safe HelpRoom sessions for military men in February. The Safe HelpRoom is a 24/7 online, secure, moderated, anonymous and confidential group chat service where military sexual assault survivors can connect with each other for peer support. To accommodate different time zones, the sessions will be hosted on the following dates:

• Feb 1 - 1000-1200
• Feb 8 - 1900-2100
• Feb 15 - 0100-0300
• Feb 22 - 0700-0900

For more information and to join the sessions, please visit https://www.safehelpline.org/about-safe-helproom. Also, download the official flyer here.

Sexual assault destroys unit cohesion and threatens the readiness of our troops by eroding bonds of trust that make our military strong and effective. The Department has released the DoD Plan to Prevent and Respond to Sexual Assault of Military Men to ensure its existing programs and services meet the needs of all Service members. View the Plan here.

DoD announced the recipients of the 2016 Sexual Assault Prevention Innovation Award. The award honors groups and individuals from each military component who contributed an innovative idea or approach to positively affect sexual assault prevention. The goal of the award is to spark creativity and incentivize efforts to address sexual assault prevention. Check out the DoD News article for the list of this year's awardees.

The Department issued its congressionally mandated Fiscal Year 2015 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military on May 5, 2016. Find the FY15 Annual Report here.

The Department announced the release of its "Retaliation Prevention and Response Strategy: Regarding Sexual Assault and Harassment Reports." Find the strategy here.

The Department announced the release of its Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies for Academic Program Year 2014-2015. Find the report here.

Safe Helpline now provides users with the option to receive follow-up support, connecting them with additional resources to aid in their recovery. Follow-up support is entirely optional and available to those who have not yet filed a report or connected with their SARC or Victim Advocate. A phone number is the only personally identifying information (PII) that is required. Find more information here.