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

The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes was awarded a $750,000 Project Grant by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589). This 36-month grant will fund the Shoshone-Paiute Rural Victims Project, which aims to: 1) provide emergency short and long-term client assistance and supportive services to at least 20 survivors per year; 2) support victims with appropriate counseling services; 3) conduct community-wide awareness and prevention activities, including a public education campaign and outreach events; 4) provide specialized local trainings for law enforcement, judicial staff, medical providers, and other service providers on issues surrounding domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking; and 5) utilize Shoshoni and Paiute language materials, cultural healing ceremonies, and other culturally appropriate practices to support victims on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Idaho and Nevada. The project will focus on improving outreach, services, and justice responses for the underserved Shoshone-Paiute Tribes and residents of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation.

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, the shoshone-paiute tribes, in partnership with the owyhee community health department and the shoshone-paiute tribal court, social services program, and vocational rehabilitation programs, will implement the shoshone-paiute rural victims project. This victim service project addresses the following purpose areas: 2 and 3 for the duck valley indian reservation in idaho and nevada. Specific activities will include: 1) providing emergency short and long-term client assistance and supportive services to a minimum of 20 survivors per year; 2) supporting victims with appropriate counseling services; 3) providing community-wide awareness and prevention activities, including a public education campaign and developing an outreach calendar to inform community of local events; 4) providing three annual specialized local trainings for law enforcement on current issues surrounding domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking; 5) providing five specialized local trainings for judicial staff, medical providers, and other service providers on current issues surrounding domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking; 6) using shoshoni and paiute language materials and cultural healing ceremonies as well as other culturally appropriate practices to support victims; and 7) developing culturally appropriate brochures and posters to advertise the educational activities and promote awareness. The project will address priority area 1: advance equity and tribal sovereignty as essential components of ending sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking by improving outreach, services, civil and criminal justice responses, prevention, support for survivors from historically marginalized and underserved communities, and justice and safety. This project targets the following underserved populations: the people of the shoshone-paiute tribes as well as residents of the duck valley indian reservation. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.