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

This $782,436 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will fund a 36-month project implemented by S.A.R.A., Inc. (Sexual Assault Response Advocates) in partnership with multiple community organizations. The project aims to enhance services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in seven rural counties of Colorado's 13th Judicial District. Key activities include: 1) increasing multi-disciplinary and coordinated community response teams; 2) expanding mobile advocacy, SANE, and forensic interviewing services; 3) collaborating with law enforcement, hospitals, and social services to coordinate victim support; 4) enhancing SANE programs; 5) partnering with Latin@ organizations to raise awareness; 6) increasing access to trauma-informed mental health services; 7) providing emergency financial and legal assistance to survivors; and 8) expanding prevention and awareness programming. This project addresses Purpose Areas 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program.

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, S.A.R.A., INC., in partnership with prairie family center, rural communities resource center, baby bear hugs, centennial boces migrant education program, chta, and polaris partners counseling, will implement response to rural DV, dating violence, SA, and stalking 13JD. This project addresses the following purpose areas: 1, 2, 3, and 4 for seven remote rural counties of the 13TH judicial district of colorado. Specific activities will include: 1) increasing the number of multi-disciplinary (MDT) and coordinated community response (CCR) teams in rural, remote communities; 2) enhancing and expanding mobile units including advocacy, SANE, and forensic interviewing to provide specialized, confidential, culturally specific, and immediate services for survivors; 3) collaborating with law enforcement, hospitals, and DHS to coordinate services; 4) enhancing sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) programs to ensure a comprehensive approach to survivor needs; 5) partnering with latin@ organizations and community leaders to raise awareness of available services; 6) increasing access to trauma-informed mental health services throughout the district; 7) providing emergency financial and legal assistance to survivors of SA and DV, and; 8) expanding prevention and awareness programming. The project will address priority area 2: prevent and end sexual assault. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.