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 continuation OVW rural program project, haven, in partnership with city of bozeman/bozeman police department (BPD), bozeman health, sexual assault counseling center (sacc), court appointed special advocates/guardian ad litem program (casa/GAL), and gallatin county attorneys office, and the bozeman city attorneys offices victim services program, will implement the gallatin project (project). This victim service project addresses the following purpose areas, 1, 2, 3, and 4 for gallatin county montana. Specific activities will include: 1) collaboration among service providers and criminal justice agencies to coordinate and improve response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking crimes; 2) reviewing cases through three specialized teams - the sexual assault response team, the multidisciplinary team, and the high-risk team to improve systems response to victims; 3) improving systems response to domestic violence cases through the coordination of the domestic violence response team; 4) coordinating and deliver direct services in response to cases to provide advocacy, safety planning, medical care, emergency response, and resources to survivors; 5) providing emergency needs funding, including transportation, to make services more accessible to rural communities; 6) conducting listening sessions and outreach to underserved communities to improve response and provision of services to these communities; 7) providing trainings to project partners on trauma-informed and culturally competent service provision; 8) collaborating with local housing organizations to improve access to affordable housing for survivors; and 9) providing web-based materials in english and spanish detailing how to access services and what to expect when services are provided. Products developed will include response team policies, educational materials, and multi-lingual social media/website pamphlets and postings describing available services, how to access services, and what to expect when accessing services. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.