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 the Women's Resource Center $497,553 on October 1, 2025, under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589).

The award funds a 36-month project through September 30, 2028, based in Dillon, Montana, to identify, assess, and appropriately respond to child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities. The Women's Resource Center, doing business as Community Support Center, implements this work in partnership with the Beaverhead County Attorney's Office and Dillon Police Department. The project expands victim services in rural areas, increases safety and well-being through direct response and prevention strategies, and develops sexual assault forensic medical examination programs. The 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, the womens resource center, in partnership with beaverhead county attorneys office, dillon police department, sarah angstman, PHD, psychologist, heidi peterson, lcpc, of pioneer counseling & wellness, and vibrant lives of montana, will implementthe expanding safety and justice for survivors: strengthening advocacy and system response in rural montana project. This victim services project addresses the following purpose areas: 2 and 3 for beaverhead and madison counties in southwest montana. Specific activities will include: 1) expanding access to comprehensive, trauma-informed services such as, crisis intervention, emergency shelter, advocacy, material resources, and licensed mental health treatment for trauma; 2) implementing training for law enforcement; 3) formalizing interagency protocols; and 4) expanding access to legal advocacy for survivors navigating the justice system. During the project, the recipient will develop the following products: brochures, interagency protocols, curricula, and a project evaluation plan.