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

The Office on Violence Against Women awarded the Tri-County Family Justice Center of Northeast New Mexico Inc. a $616,950 Project Grant under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589). The 36-month award will support a victim services project for the rural New Mexico counties of Guadalupe, San Miguel, and Mora. Key activities include: 1) providing counseling, advocacy, and culturally sensitive services to victims of domestic violence, teen dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault; 2) delivering violence prevention education to high school students; 3) implementing community education on domestic/dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault; and 4) promoting rural outreach, referrals, and victim services. The project involves partnerships with the San Miguel Sheriff's Office, Amistad y Resolana, NMHU CARES, Northern New Mexico Children's Advocacy Center, and other local agencies.

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 TRI-county family justice center, in partnership with SAN miguel sheriffs office, amistad Y resolana, nmhu cares, northern new mexico childrens advocacy center, santa rosa police department, santa rosa consolidated schools, new mexico behavioral health institute, alta vista reginal hospital, new mexico legal aid, and LAS vegas city schools, will implement a victim services project for the rural new mexico counties of guadalupe, SAN miguel, and mora. Specific activities will include: 1) providing counseling, advocacy, and culturally sensitive services to victims of domestic violence, teen dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault; 2) delivering violence prevention education on domestic and teen dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault to high school students; 3) implementing domestic violence, teen dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault education in the communities; and 4) promoting and expanding rural outreach, referrals, and victim services. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.