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's Office on Violence Against Women awarded Riverview Center Inc., a non-profit organization, a $700,000 Project Grant under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589). The 36-month project will provide direct services, training, and coordinated community response efforts to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities across 11 counties in Iowa and 2 counties in Illinois. Key project activities include delivering counseling, advocacy, and crisis services to rural sexual assault survivors; conducting community outreach, education, and training for professionals; facilitating cross-training and case coordination among partners; and collaborating with local Sexual Assault Response Teams. Riverview Center is partnering with Foundation 2, Elevate CCBHC, and the Latino Coalition to implement this comprehensive rural victim services program.

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 new rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking grant award, riverview center, INC., in partnership with foundation 2, elevate ccbhc and the latino coalition, will implement a sexual assault project for the iowa counties of allamakee, benton, bremer, buchanan, chickasaw, clayton, delaware, fayette, howard, jones and winneshiek and the illinois counties of JO daviess and carroll. Specific activities will include: 1) providing direct services for rural sexual assault survivors; 2) providing professional trainings, education, outreach and awareness in rural communities; 3) conducting cross trainings among partners and case coordination to meet the needs of survivors; 4) reviewing policies and practices among partners to ensure referral processes are clear; 5) providing cross training, consultation and informational packets about working with rural survivors of intimate violence and providing referrals; 6) providing consultation with about working with clients who have sexual assault/abuse, domestic violence, dating violence and/or stalking in their present or past; and 7) collaborating with local sexualassault response teams. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.