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, HI-lines help for abused spouses, in partnership with chief padilla, conrad police department, reverend eric munson, faith based advocate and angela meyers, lcpc, will implement a victim services project for the north central montana rural counties of liberty, toole, glacier, pondera, teton, chouteau, and northwestern lewis and clark. Specific activities will include: 1) providing holistic services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking; 2) improving collaboration among victim service providers, law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts; 3) developing and implement the coordinated community response with project partners and area agencies through reciprocating referrals and responding immediately in crisis situations; 4) offering educational presentations and/or curriculum to area schools, youth groups, civic groups, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, human and community service and health providers on healthy relationships, stalking, domestic violence, dating violence and sexual assault; and 5) developing cross training materials to assist all staff through in-services to better respond to victims of sexual assault. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.