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

This $700,000 federal Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) will fund the Rural Forensic Services Program project delivered by Norton Sound Health Corporation (NSHC) in partnership with Kawerak Child Advocacy Center. The project aims to: 1) increase access to forensically trained providers in the emergency department and child advocacy center, 2) hire a full-time sexual assault examiner for education, training, and patient care, 3) train clinic and emergency department staff on trauma-informed and culturally competent care for sexual assault patients, 4) develop protocols for patient care, testing, and follow-up, and 5) provide community education and training of providers in 15 surrounding villages. The 36-month project will address equity, tribal sovereignty, and the prevention of sexual assault in Alaska Native communities in the Nome 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 by encouraging collaboration among victim service providers, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, other criminal justice service providers, human and community service providers, educational institutions, and health care providers; 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. Through this new OVW rural program project, norton sound health corporation (NSHC), in partnership with kawerak child advocacy center, will implement the rural forensic services program project. This sane project addresses the following purpose areas: 1, 2, 3, and 4 for nome, alaska. Specifically, this projectaims to: 1) increase access to forensically trained providers in the emergency department at norton sound health corporation and the kawerak child advocacy center; 2) hire full-time sexual assault examiner for education, training, and patient care; 3) train primary care clinic staff and emergency department staff in the care of the sexual assault patients and key points of trauma informed/culturally competent care; 4) develop an overview of care for sexual assault patients including medications, testing and follow up; 5) collaborate with kawerak child advocacy center staff on education for providers regarding pediatric sexual abuse/physical abuse/mandatory reporting/signs and symptoms; 6) increase access to forensically trained providers in the 15 surrounding villages; 7) facilitate education of children, families, and community members on sexual assault resources, after assault care and procedures, signs and symptoms of child abuse and what to do if they or a loved one are a victim of sexual violence; 8) provide training to the community health aides on providing after assault care in the event the patient is not able to reach nome in a timely manner; and 9) increase services in the villages with community education and training of providers and case management. The project will address the following priority areas: priority area 1: advance equity and tribal sovereignty; and priority area 2: prevent and end sexual assault. This project targets alaska native communities. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.