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

The U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $750,000 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) grant to the Crisis Intervention Advocacy Center, a domestic shelter and non-profit organization in Adel, Iowa. The 36-month grant supports the center's efforts to identify, assess, and respond to child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities across central and southwestern Iowa. Key activities include: 1) creating community and sexual assault response teams, 2) providing training and education to local law enforcement, county attorneys, and hospitals, and 3) improving the health and wellbeing of rural sexual assault victims through enhanced services and coordination. The center partners with multiple county-level law enforcement agencies, attorneys' offices, and healthcare providers to implement the project and deliver comprehensive, victim-centered support.

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, crisis intervention advocacy center, in partnership with adams county sheriffs office, adams county attorney's office, CHI health mercy corning, adair police department, greenfield police department, adair county sheriffs office, adair county attorney, adair county health system, osceola police department, clarke county sheriffs office, clarke county hospital, lamoni police department, leon police department, decatur county sheriffs office, decatur county attorneys office, ringgold county sheriffs office, ringgold county hospital, ringgold county attorneys office, taylor county sheriffs office, taylor county attorneys office, creston police department, union county sheriffs office, union county attorney's office, greater regional medical center, will implement a sexual assault projectfor the iowa counties of adams, adair, clarke, decatur, guthrie, madison, ringgold, taylor, and union. Specific activities will include: 1) creating community response teams and sexual assault response teams; 2) providing training and education to local law enforcement agencies, county attorney offices, and hospitals; and 3) improving the health and wellbeing of rural sexual assault victims. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.