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

This $500,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) will support Advocates of Lake County, Inc. in implementing strategies to enhance collaboration among victim-serving agencies in Lake County, Colorado. Key activities include monthly meetings of the Lake County Violence Prevention Team, expanding the resource and referral network, providing independent agency training, conducting community outreach events, and participating in consultant trainings and national conferences. This 36-month grant aims to reduce violence rates and better meet the needs of victims in this rural community through a comprehensive, collaborative approach involving law enforcement, prosecutors, victim service providers, and other local partners.

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, advocates of lake county, INC., in partnership with colorado fifth judicial district attorneys offices sexual assault response team, lake county sheriffs office, probation department, lake county school district, full circle of lake county, treetop child advocacy center, solvista health, ST. Anthonys summit hospital forensic nurse examiner program, alpine springs counseling, and ST. Vincents health, will implement increasing collaboration among victim serving agencies in lake country, colorado to reduce rates of violence and better meet victims needs. This victim service project addresss purpose area 1 for lake county, colorado. Specific activities will include: 1) monthly meetings of the lake county violence prevention team (VPT) comprising full and steering committee meetings; 2) development and expansion of resources to expand resource and referral network to ensure maximum service utilization; 3) independent agency training on addressing topics such as sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, etc.; 4) planning, implementing, and participation in community outreach events relating to violence prevention; and 5) participation in consultant trainings and national conferences throughout the grant period for expanding and improving agency service skillsets in providing services to victims and their families. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.