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 Office on Violence Against Women awarded a $577,280 Project Grant under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) to Have Justice Will Travel, Inc. This 36-month grant will support a victim services project in Bennington and Rutland counties in southern Vermont. The project will provide comprehensive, trauma-informed legal services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking in these rural communities. Key activities include employing a full-time attorney and paralegal to offer direct legal services, providing day-of consultation and representation, conducting in-home legal consultations, and delivering legal assistance for matters related to domestic or sexual violence such as child custody, child support, divorce, separation, and eviction. This grant aims to enhance safety and access to services for rural victims who face challenges such as geographic isolation and lack of available resources.

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, have justice will travel, INC., in partnership with project against violence encounters, new story center, bennington county states attorney, and rutland county states attorney, will implement a victim services project for the counties of bennington and rutland in southern vermont. This project will provide comprehensive, victim-centered, trauma-informed, accessible legal services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking. Specific activities will include: 1) employing a full-time attorney and full-time paralegal to provide direct legal services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking; 2) providing day-of consultation and representation on hearing days; 3) providing in-home legal consultations; and 4) providing comprehensive legal services and representation for other civil legal matters related to domestic or sexual violence such as child custody, child support, divorce, separation, and eviction. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.