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

This $950,000 Project Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (CFDA 16.589 - Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program) to the Women's Resource Center of Northern Michigan will fund a 36-month initiative to expand and enhance services for survivors and prevention of sexual assault across five rural counties in Michigan. Key activities include: 1) finalizing a community collaborative response protocol among SART partners; 2) purchasing forensic medical equipment; 3) providing at least 30 forensic medical examinations; 4) supporting SANE training for up to 15 medical personnel; 5) providing education and awareness for approximately 1,000 community members; and 6) delivering inclusive, trauma-informed advocacy and licensed therapy to approximately 100 survivors of sexual assault. The project will address the unique needs of survivors in remote rural and geographically isolated areas through collaborative partnerships with local law enforcement, healthcare providers, and social service agencies.

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, womens resource center of northern michigan, in partnership with mclaren northern michigan, munson healthcare, little traverse BAY bands of odawa indians (LTBB), antrim county sheriffs office, antrim county prosecuting attorneys office, charlevoix county sheriffs office, charlevoix county prosecuting attorneys office, cheboygan county sheriffs office, cheboygan county prosecuting attorneys office, emmet county sheriffs office, emmet county prosecuting attorneys office, otsego county sheriffs office, and otsego county prosecuting attorneys office, will implement expanded and enhanced services for survivors and prevention of sexual assault. This sane/sart victim service and prevention project addresses the following purpose areas: 1, 3, and 4 for emmet, charlevoix, cheboygan, otsego, and antrim counties in michigan. Specific activities will include: 1) finalizing a policy for a community collaborative response to sexual assault among sart partners; 2) purchasing forensic medical equipment for multiple partner sites; 3) providing a minimum of 30 forensic medical examinations; 4) supporting sane training for up to fifteen medical personnel; 5) providing education and awareness for approximately 1,000 community members; 6) providing inclusive, survivor-centered, trauma-informed, empowerment-based advocacy and licensed therapy to approximately 100 survivors of sexual assault. The project will address priority area 2: prevent and end sexual assault, by focusing on the response to sexual assault across the lifespan and the unique needs of survivors of non-intimate partner sexual assault. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.