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, valencia shelter services (VSS), in partnership with LOS lunas police department (LLPD), torrance county governors office(TCGO), santa FE dreamers project (SFDP), the coalition to stop violence against native women (CSVANW), and the new mexico coalition of sexual assault programs, will implement direct services & outreach to survivors of sexual and domestic violence in rural new mexico. This victim service project addresses the following purpose areas: 1, 2, and 3 for the counties of catron, torrance, socorro, and rural valencia county, including laguna and isleta pueblos in new mexico. Specific activities will include: 1) providing victim advocacy services; 2) reestablishing the VSS therapy program by hiring and training two child/adolescent therapists and one adult/adolescent therapist; 3) hiring and training an indigenous helper & advocate liaison to provide direct advocacy and support services; 4) hiring and training a dedicated community outreach & awareness specialist; 5) providing bilingual services & immigration referrals to survivors; and 6) providing transportation assistance to survivors. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.