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Shelly Shills reports SARP biennial review: more medical access, prior staffing gaps
Summary
Shelly Shills, executive director of the Grace and Crisis Center, presented Grayson County’s biennial sexual-assault response team report covering 2023–24, reporting 67 coordinated survivor responses, expansion from one to four capable medical locations, and a prior 14‑month nurse shortage that required cross-county coordination for 21 victims.
Shelly Shills, executive director of the Grace and Crisis Center, presented Grayson County’s biennial sexual-assault response team (SARP) report to Commissioners Court on Dec. 9, covering Jan. 1, 2023–Dec. 31, 2024.
Shills said the purpose of the report is a countywide systems update, not a performance critique, and that it was compiled with input from five counties and 13 law‑enforcement agencies. "The biennial report ensures counting every side of survivor access, forensic, medical availability, and inter‑agency alignment," she said.
The presentation cited 67 coordinated survivor responses countywide during the reporting term and said the county expanded capable medical locations from one (TMC) to four: TMC, Sherman Medical Center and two freestanding emergency departments. The team also onboarded Texas forensic nurse examiners to reduce routing challenges and improve access to forensic care.
Shills told the court there was a 14‑month period during the reporting window when the county lacked trained nurses to perform forensic exams; during that gap, 21 victims received coordinated responses that required medical support from another county while advocacy and legal follow‑up continued locally. "I’m excited that that is no longer what we're talking about," she said, while also noting the staffing gap is reflected in the report.
Shills highlighted meeting‑participation strain in 2024 and called for restoring SARP meeting quorums and countywide coordination so survivors receive predictable care and access to justice. She said the report will be transmitted by the county to the state as required and that her team is available to provide further clarification or data.
The court did not take formal action on the report but commissioners thanked Shills and encouraged continued collaboration among law enforcement, medical providers and advocates. The report is part of the county’s statutory biennial SARP reporting obligations.
