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

Through the $700,000 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), Shelter From The Storm will implement the Advocacy in Response (AIR) program over 36 months in Union County, Oregon. The program will prioritize collaboration with the La Grande Police Department, Union County Sheriff's Office, and Baum Smith LLC Attorneys to provide comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities. Key activities include supporting a full-time victim advocate, a dedicated detective, and a sexual assault response team (SART) advocate, as well as offering civil legal representation, therapeutic counseling, and other direct victim support services.

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, shelter from the storm (SFS), in partnership with the LA grande police department, union county sheriffs office, and baum smith LLC attorneys at law, will implement the advocacy in response (air) program. This victim service project addresses the following purpose areas: 1, 2, 3, and 4 for union county oregon. Specific activities will include: 1) prioritizing the collaboration of an advocacy initiated response team; 2) implementing support services to victims impacted by abuse; 3) supporting one full-time advocate to respond to air calls and provide victim services; 4) supporting a full-time dedicated detective; 5) hiring a sexual assault response team (sart) advocate to assist victims of recent or historical sexual assault, complemented by a part-time dedicated detective from the sheriffs office; 6) collaborating with wyatt baum for civil legal representation; and 7) collaborating with a local counseling office for therapeutic services, offered at no cost to survivors engaged with the air program. The timing for performance of this award is 36 months.