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

The Office on Violence Against Women awarded TU Casa Inc. $815,068 on October 1, 2025, under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589).

TU Casa Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Alamosa, Colorado, delivers direct victim services including treatment, counseling, advocacy, legal assistance, and support to adult and minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities. The organization operates in partnership with the 12th Judicial District Attorney's Office and implements education and prevention strategies while strengthening sexual assault programs in the San Luis Valley region.

The award covers a 36-month period of performance from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2028, with place of performance in Alamosa, Colorado. The Rural Program funds organizations that identify, assess, and respond to victims of interpersonal violence in rural communities; establish and expand victim services; increase safety and well-being through direct response and crime prevention; and develop or improve sexual assault forensic medical examination and nurse examiner programs. Grantees must employ at least one of five specified strategies, including cooperative efforts among law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim service providers; direct victim services; community-based education and prevention; sexual assault program development; or programs addressing the specific needs of victims in remote and geographically isolated areas.

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 continuation OVW rural program project, TU casa, INC., in partnership with the 12THJUDICIAL district attorneys office, the departments of social/human services of alamosa, saguache, conejos, costilla, and RIO grande/ mineral counties, the alamosa, conejos, costilla, mineral, and RIO grande sheriffs offices and law enforcement victim advocates, the alamosa, adams state university, center, monte vista, southfork, blanca, and manassa police departments, the SAN luis valley behavioral health group, and the SAN luis valley immigrant resource center will implement the TU casa, INC. Rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking prevention program. This victim service project addresses the following purpose areas: 1, 2, and 3 for alamosa, conejos, costilla, mineral, RIO grande, and saguache counties in colorado. Specific activities will include: 1) ongoing community and professional consultation and training; 2) onsite crisis intervention, safety planning, referral to outside services for victims; 3) collaboration with other victim advocates; 4) strengthening and enhancing systemic multidisciplinary response to victimizations in the SAN luis valley (SLV) by promoting increased training, support and collaboration within the greater community of the SLV; and 5) working with the forensic interviewer, community partners, victims, sart/MDT members, and advocates to ensure that victim services are completed in a timely and ethical manner.