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

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 grant award, project hope of gunnison valley, in partnership with gunnison valley mentors, gunnison county substance abuse prevention program, and gunnison county department health and human services, will implement a victim service project addressing purpose areas 1, 2, & 3 and statutory strategies 2, 3, & 5 for the counties of gunnison and hinsdale in colorado. The project will address priority area 1. Specific activities for the spanish speaking community will include: 1) hiring a second bilingual advocate to help provide an increase in spanish language outreach and field a higher volume of spanish speaking clients; 2) creating culturally specific educational materials about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 3) meeting with hospital forensic exam nurses to establish protocols for forensic exam patients; 4) participating in community collaborative efforts to provide comprehensive wraparound advocacy services; and 5) providing educational presentations about healthy relationships and consent to youth and students throughout the service area. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.