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

The Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women awarded Alternative Horizons Corporation a $749,977 Project Grant under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589). Through this 3-year grant effective October 1, 2023, Alternative Horizons and its partners Rise Above Violence, Sexual Assault Services Organization, and Volunteers of America Southwest Safehouse will implement a victim services project in Colorado's 6th Judicial District. Key activities include supporting domestic violence and sexual assault response teams, developing systems to identify high-risk cases, engaging new partnerships to serve underserved victims, and advancing effective policies and procedures. The project aims to identify, assess, and respond to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities, as well as expand victim services, increase safety and well-being, and enhance sexual assault forensic programs.

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, alternative horizons corporation, in partnership with rise above violence, sexual assault services organization, and volunteers of america southwest safehouse, will implement a victim services project addressing all four purpose areas and all 5 statutory strategies for colorados 6TH judicial district (JD), which encompasses archuleta, LA plata, and SAN juan counties, located in the southwest corner of the state. Specific activities will include: 1) supporting four established domestic violence and sexual assault response teams in both LA plata and archuleta counties; 2) developing a systematic mechanism to identify and respond to high risk cases to prevent domestic and dating violence homicides; 3) engaging new partnerships centered on more effectively meeting the needs of all victims, while also focusing on those underserved due to culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability; and 4) ensuring maintenance and enhancement of established relationships to ensure policies and effective procedures continue to be followed and advanced. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.