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

Through a $750,000 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women, SOS, Inc. will implement a 36-month victim service project to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in east central Kansas. The project will provide direct advocacy services including 24-hour crisis response, emergency shelter, counseling, legal assistance, and transportation for underserved populations such as non-English speakers, the elderly, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with mental or physical disabilities. SOS, Inc. will also strengthen community collaboration through training events and expand school-based prevention programs to reduce these forms of violence in rural 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, SOS, INC., in partnership with chase, coffey, lyon, morris and osage county sheriffs offices, the 4TH, 5TH, and 8TH judicial district courts, the kansas coalition against sexual and domestic violence (kcsdv), the lyon county coordinated community response team/sexual assault response team (lyon county ccrt/sart), and newman regional health, will implement the SOS crisis services rural outreach project. This victim service project addresses the following purpose areas: 1, 2, 3, and 4 for chase, coffey, lyon, morris, and osage counties in east central kansas. Specific activities will include: 1) providing direct advocacy services including assistance with immigration matters, transportation, emergency shelter, individual or group counseling, therapy, protection order assistance, court accompaniment, and referrals for legal and immigration matters, including 24-hour response to survivors, police, or hospitals via the SOS 24-hour helpline; 2) strengthening and expanding community collaboration through training events for MOU professionals and the community at large on relevant topics and available services; and 3) providing school prevention programs designed to reduce the incidence of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. This project targets the following underserved populations: non-english speakers, the elderly, lgbtq+ victims, and those with mental or physical disabilities. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.