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

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, columbus regional shelter for victims of domestic violence DBA turning point domestic violence services here after referred to as turning point (TP), inpartnershipwith SU casa, will implement therural jackson county program. This victim service project will addresspurpose AREAS1-3B for theentirely rural countyof jackson county (JC), indiana. Specific activities include:1)collaboratingin a number of ways including formalizing roles and responsibilities within existing staff as well as new staff members hired for this project, assessing current direct service programming and systems, reviewing and enhancing mutual referral processes, and provide TA support for each other in direct service provision; 2)enhancingawareness, outreach, prevention education, and training efforts in the community to address the complex needs and barriers for the local JC latino population; and 3)evaluatingand adjusting programming on a regular basis through survey results and other forms of community/participant feedback. The project will fully address the following priority areas:priority area 1: advance equity. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.