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

The Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women has awarded a $750,000 Project Grant under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) to Domestic And Sexual Violence Services of Carbon County (DSVS), a non-profit organization based in Red Lodge, Montana. Over 36 months, this grant will enable DSVS and its partners to: 1) provide core victim services and financial/transportation assistance to underserved victims in Carbon and Stillwater Counties; 2) increase services for victims with disabilities and older adults; 3) offer advocacy and transport for sexual assault victims to receive SANE exams; 4) conduct trainings for EMTs, the community, and educators on domestic/sexual violence dynamics, prevalence, and resources; and 5) lead outreach and prevention education in local schools. The project aims to enhance the safety and well-being of women and children in these rural communities by improving collaborative responses and expanding access to victim services and violence prevention programs.

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, domestic and sexual violence services of carbon county (dsvs), in partnership with carbon county victim/witness coordinator, red lodge fire rescue, columbus fire rescue, city of red lodge police department, city of bridger police department, carbon county sheriffs office, city of columbus police department, stillwater county sheriffs office, and red lodge area community foundation, will implement the rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking program (rural program). This victim services project addresses the following purpose areas: 1, 2, 3 for carbon and stillwater counties in montana. Specific activities will include: 1) providing core services to underserved victims and financial assistance and transportation assistance to survivors; 2) increasing number of victims with a disability served; 3) increasing number of older adults (65+) served; 4) providing advocacy accompaniment and transport for victims of sexual assault to sane exams; 5) providing annual refresher training to EMT professionals involved in the sane transport program; 6) working with MOU partners to increase awareness of and improve response to victims with intersecting marginalizations; 7) providing training to the community on the dynamics and prevalence of stalking and resources available to victims; 8) providing training and highlight resources to the community on the dynamics and prevalence of DV/SA abuse among our rural populations that also have added marginalizations (those with a disability, bipoc & LGBTQIA2S+ communities, and the elderly); 9) providing referrals to red lodge area community foundation staff who will assist survivors with applying for federal, state, and local financial and social services; and 10) leading outreach and violence prevention education delivery within area schools; 11) providing violence prevention trainings to educators in the service area. Deliverables will include outreach materials including helpline tear-off sheets, safety cards, brochures, radio ADS, and a billboard sign in the service area. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.