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 Office on Violence Against Women awarded Camai Community Health Center, Inc. $700,000 through the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) on October 1, 2025.

The award funds victim identification, assessment, and response services for child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities; expansion of victim services in rural areas; safety and well-being initiatives for women and children; and development of sexual assault forensic medical examination or sexual assault nurse examiner programs. Camai Community Health Center implements the project in partnership with Safe and Fear Free Environment (SAFE) and the Bristol Bay area.

Performance occurs in Naknek, Alaska, with a period of performance extending from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028. Camai Community Health Center, Inc., a tax-exempt nonprofit based in Naknek, has been registered to receive federal awards since 2006 and operates a community health center serving residents of Naknek and surrounding areas, including populations that increase substantially during commercial fishing and tourism seasons. This assistance type is a Project Grant.

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; 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, camai community health center, in partnership with SAFE and fear free environment (SAFE) and the bristol BAY borough police department (BBBPD), will implement SAFE response: expanding victim services and forensic capacity in rural bristol BAY borough project. This victim service and sane/sart project addresses the following purpose areas: 3 and 4 for the bristol BAY region of southwest alaska, including king salmon, naknek, kvichak BAY, and the upper peninsula subregions. Specific activities will include: 1) establishing the regions first local sane program to provide trauma-informed medical forensic exams; 2) coordinating a regional sart to improve multidisciplinary response and case handling; 3) expanding legal advocacy services for survivors navigating protection orders and the justice system; 4) delivering culturally grounded education and prevention efforts tailored to alaska native and rural communities; and 5) conducting cross-sector training for law enforcement, healthcare staff, and advocates. During the project, the recipient will develop the following products: outreach toolkit and multi-media campaign, sane protocol manual, and sart standard operating procedures.