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's Office on Violence Against Women has awarded a $500,000 Project Grant under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) to H.O.P.E. (Helping Ourselves Prevent Emergencies), a non-profit organization based in Craig, Alaska. The 24-month grant will fund activities to expand victim services and collaborative efforts across 12 rural communities on Prince of Wales Island. Key project objectives include: 1) enhancing joint investigations and prosecutions of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking incidents; 2) expanding advocacy services for victims of interpersonal violence; and 3) strengthening collaboration among the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) partners. The grant will enable H.O.P.E. to provide comprehensive, trauma-informed support to adult and minor victims, as well as develop prevention strategies tailored to the unique needs of these remote and geographically isolated communities.

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 continuation OVW rural program project, H.O.P.E. (helping ourselves prevent emergencies), in partnership with the organized village of kasaan, will implement the continuation of rural program victim services on prince of wales island, alaska project. This victim service project addresses the following purpose areas: 1, 2, and 3 for the twelve communities located on prince of wales island, alaska. Specific activities will include: 1) expanding joint efforts among all rural community service providers to investigate and prosecute incidents of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, to effectively prevent recidivism by offenders through development of a stand-alone battering intervention program; 2) expanding advocacy services to victims of interpersonal violence; and 3) continuing encouraging and strengthening collaboration among partners on the sexual assault response team (SART). The timing for performance of this award is 24 months.