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 Partners For Peace $460,000 under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) effective October 1, 2025. The award funds victim identification, assessment, and response services for child, youth, and adult victims in rural communities; expansion of victim services including treatment, counseling, advocacy, and legal assistance; community education and prevention strategies; and development or improvement of sexual assault forensic medical examination or sexual assault nurse examiner programs. Performance runs through September 30, 2028, with place of performance in Bangor, Maine. Partners For Peace, a tax-exempt nonprofit based in Bangor dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking throughout rural Maine, partners with the Piscataquis County Sheriff's Office to deliver services. The award is categorized as a Project Grant, an assistance type.

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, partners for peace, in partnership with the piscataquis county sheriffs office (pcso), 5TH prosecutorial district attorneys office, lincoln police department (LPD), rape response services (RRS), penquis, and health access network (HAN), will implement the partners for peace rural advocacy and outreach program. This victim services project addresses the following purpose areas: 1 and 2 for piscataquis and penobscot counties in maine. Specific activities will include:1) hiring and training two rural outreach advocates to provide trauma-informed, mobile support for at least 300 victims annually; 2) providing trauma-informed safety planning, 24/7 helpline support, and individualized advocacy for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 3) partnering with law enforcement and prosecutors to improve victim outreach, support victims with protection from abuse orders, and enhance safety within the criminal and civil justice systems; 4) CO-coordinating the piscataquis county coordinated community response to violence team with RRS to strengthen multidisciplinary response to domestic and sexual violence and prevent domestic violence homicide, with active participation from pcso and the DAS office; 5) embedding advocates within rural healthcare settings in partnership with HAN to improve victim access to healthcare, mental healthcare, and domestic violence services; 6) supporting victims in navigating behavioral health services in partnership with the penquis behavioral health navigator; 7) connecting victims to transportation through the penquis lynx program; and 8) providing flexible financial assistance to reduce barriers to safety, including housing, transportation, legal needs, and basic expenses.