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 Violence Free Crisis Line Inc. (doing business as Abbie Shelter) $500,000 under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) on October 1, 2025.

In partnership with Montana Legal Services Association, Violence Free Crisis Line Inc. will implement comprehensive programs to identify, assess, and respond to child, youth, and adult victims of interpersonal violence in rural communities through October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2028. The project will establish cooperative efforts among law enforcement, prosecutors, victim service providers, and related parties to investigate and prosecute domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking incidents. The award funds direct victim services including counseling, legal assistance, and long-term and short-term support; community education and prevention strategies directed toward violence prevention; and development or expansion of sexual assault forensic examination programs. The project addresses the specific needs of victims in remote rural and geographically isolated areas.

Performance occurs in Kalispell, Montana.

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, violence free crisis line INC, in partnership with montana legal services association, will implement the rural survivors legal project. This victim services project addresses the following purposes areas: 2 and 3 for flathead county and surrounding rural communities, including the blackfeet reservation in glacier county montana. Specific activities will include: 1) hiring a community outreach, education advocate, and court advocate provide direct victim advocacy services to survivors; 2) hiring a 0.75 FTE domestic violence attorney based in kalispell, montana, who will provide civil legal services to survivors throughout the rural service area; 3) support violence free crisis line INC for legal services; 4) providing a legal assistant for direct intake and referral services; and 5) conducting training, outreach, and education activities throughout the rural service area.