The rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking program (rural program) is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 12341

This Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (CFDA 16.589 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program) provides $950,000 over 36 months to Aiding Women From Abuse & Rape Emergencies, Inc. (AWARE) in Juneau, Alaska. The grant will support AWARE's initiatives to enhance services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities in Southeast Alaska. Key activities include: 1) providing comprehensive legal representation for victims; 2) engaging community partners for outreach and cross-training; 3) implementing prevention and education programs in remote areas; and 4) offering specialized sexual assault survivor services. AWARE is collaborating with Alaska Legal Services Corporation to deliver these victim-centered services across the Juneau and Northern Southeast Alaska region.

Rural program funds are used to support programs that: 1) identify, assess, and appropriately respond to child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities; 2) establish and expand victim services in rural communities to child, youth, and adult victims; 3) increase the safety and well-being of women and children in rural communities, by (a) dealing directly and immediately with domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking; and (B) creating and implementing strategies to increase awareness and prevent these crimes; and 4) develop, expand, implement, and improve the quality of sexual assault forensic medical examination or sexual assault nurse examiner programs. Grantees must use at least one of the following strategies in implementing their projects: 1) implement, expand, and establish cooperative efforts and projects among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim service providers, and other related parties to investigate and prosecute incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 2) provide treatment, counseling, advocacy, legal assistance, and other long-term and short-term victim and population specific services to adult and minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities; 3) work in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies directed toward such issues; 4) develop, enlarge, or strengthen programs addressing sexual assault; and 5) develop programs and strategies that focus on the specific needs of victims of who reside in remote rural and geographically isolated areas. With this continuation rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking project, aiding women from rape & abuse emergencies, INC., in partnership with alaska legal services corporation, will implement a sexual assault victim services project for the juneau and northern southeast alaska region. Specific activities will include: 1) providingcomprehensive, collaborative, and holistic legal representation to victims; 2) engagingcommunity partners to disseminate information about project activities, and travel to remote communities; 3) partners attending or conducting cross-training sessions, with each partner training the others in their areas of expertise and review/refine protocols for working with shared clients; 4) combat sexual violence through prevention, education, and outreach services in remote, rural, and geographically isolated areas; and 5) offering specialized sexual assault survivor services in juneau and other remote, rural, and geographically isolated service areas. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.