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

The Rape/Domestic Abuse Program of North Platte, Inc. received a $747,980 Project Grant award under the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women's Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589). This 36-month award supports the implementation of a multi-disciplinary team victim services project in Lincoln County, Nebraska. Key project activities include:

1. Auditing law enforcement responses to domestic violence incidents and identifying service gaps; 2) Strengthening risk assessment and pretrial monitoring protocols for high-lethality cases; 3) Developing a survivor advisory group to inform program policies and engagement strategies; 4) Establishing a peer education program for youth on dating violence, sexual assault, and related issues; 5) Creating culturally-specific outreach and prevention education for underserved populations; and 6) Engaging community leaders on social change and racial equity initiatives. The program partners with local law enforcement, healthcare providers, legal advocates, and other organizations to deliver comprehensive victim services across the rural region.

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, the rape/domestic abuse program of north platte, INC, in partnership with bridge of hope child advocacy center, hispanic organization for prosperity and empowerment esperanza; north platte police department; lincoln county sherriffs office; lincoln county detention center; district 9 probation; great plains health; lincoln county attorneys office; lincoln county victims/witness unit; and north platte 911 center, will implement a multi-disciplinary team victim services project for the nebraska county of lincoln. Specific activities will include: 1) facilitating an initial and annual auditing process to review all criminal justice agency responses to domestic violence incidents to monitor compliance with policies and procedures and identify gaps; 2) examining and strengthening the comprehensive response to risk and danger through high-risk case review; 3) developing a survivors equity advisory group to provide a review of, and perspective into, the development of blueprint policies and encouraging new victim engagement strategies; 4) monitoring high lethality cases and discuss and implementing pretrial monitoring in such cases; 5) establishing a peer advocacy group of youth ages 15 to 20, who will be trained to identify and understand the issues of dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and domestic violence; 6) creating culturally specific outreach and educational opportunities in the community; 7) developing standards of education, awareness and prevention strategies for underserved population and the changing demographics of the community; and 8) engaging community leaders to take a stand against violence to engage in social change and racial equity, through community-wide presentations and training. Deliverables will include printed copies of the completed lincoln county blueprint for safety policy book; the community mobilization partnership for racial equity plans and models; standardized education, outreach, and awareness materials; and victim services information and forms translated into spanish. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.