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

This $950,000 federal Project Grant award, made by 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 enable Family Crisis Center Inc. to implement a comprehensive victim service and SANE/SART project in the rural counties of Clark, Fremont, Jefferson, and Madison in Idaho. The project aims to enhance collaborative response to victims, expand victim services, address violence in rural areas, create prevention and awareness strategies, and strengthen the sexual assault response team (SART) and response to sexual assault across the lifespan. The 36-month grant period runs from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2027 and will support Family Crisis Center Inc.'s work in partnership with the Community Council of Idaho, Upper Valley Child Advocacy Center, and various law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies in the target 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 continuation OVW rural program project, family crisis center (FCC) INC., in partnership with community council of idaho (CCI), upper valley child advocacy center (uvcac), jefferson county sheriffs office, rigby police department, madison county sheriffs office, rexburg police department, fremont county sheriffs office, ST. Anthony city police department, ashton city police department, clark county sheriffs office, madison county prosecutor, jefferson county prosecutor, fremont county prosecutor and the upper valley task force against sexual and domestic violence, will implement family crisis center crisis response and community collaboration for survivor wellbeing. This victim service and sane/sart project addresses the following purpose areas: 1, 2, 3, and 4 for rural clark, fremont, jefferson, and madison counties in idaho. Specific activities will include: 1) enhancing collaborative response to victims; 2) implementing and expanding victim services in rural communities; 3) dealing directly and immediately with violence in rural areas; 4) creating and implementing prevention and awareness strategies; and 5) strengthening the sexual assault response team (sart) and response to sexual assault across the lifespan. 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 the following underserved populations: geographically rural populations, hispanic populations, and populations underserved due to language barriers and alienage status. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.