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

The Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $950,000 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) grant to Avera Health to implement a 3-year project to improve access to sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) services and provide training for medical personnel caring for victims of interpersonal violence in rural communities across South Dakota and Minnesota. Key activities include:

1. Enhancing SANE protocols, providing resiliency training for SANE and emergency department nurses, and conducting training at new SANE sites to improve access to SANE services, including via telehealth.

2. Developing a SANE preceptorship program and providing trauma-specific training to mental health professionals to strengthen the availability of mental health support for victims of interpersonal violence in the project's service area.

The grant period of performance runs from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2026.

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, avera health, in partnership with avera health, avera mckennan hospital & university health center, the compass center, the center for the prevention of child maltreatment (CPCM), avera queen of peace hospital, avera ST. Marys hospital, avera ST. Lukes hospital, avera marshall regional medical center, and avera sacred heart, will implement a victim services project for the following 6 sites in south dakota and minnesota: sioux falls, SD (MINNEHAHA), YANKTON, SD (YANKTON), mitchell, SD (DAVISON), (pierre, SD (HUGHES), aberdeen, SD (BROWN), and marshall, MN (LYON). Specific activities will include: 1) improving access to trained sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE) for victims of interpersonal violence, both in-person and via telehealth, by:a) conducting a strategic review of current SANE staffing in project geography; B) reviewing, enhancing, and establishing documented SANE protocols to ensure timely response for victims presenting at SANE sites; C) conducting resiliency training with partner compass center for SANE and ED RNS annually; and D) conducting training sessions at new SANE sites; and 2) providing access to training for medical personnel who care for interpersonal violence victims and those who want to become forensic nurse examiners. Funding will also support developing a SANE preceptorship program at the mckennan hospital to increase access of mental health support, and providing resources to victims of interpersonal violence by providing trauma-specific training to mental health professionals so that they are better equipped to respond therapeutically. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.