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 Doves Program, doing business as Spouse Abuse Crisis Line, $949,999 under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) on October 1, 2025.

The award funds comprehensive victim services in rural western Nebraska communities through September 30, 2028. The Doves Program will identify, assess, and respond to child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking; expand victim services; enhance safety and well-being through immediate response and prevention strategies; and develop or improve sexual assault forensic medical examination and sexual assault nurse examiner programs. The organization operates across a nine-county service area spanning Scotts Bluff, Cheyenne, Morrill, Kimball, Banner, Box Butte, Dawes, Sheridan, and Sioux counties, with administrative and performance operations in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

The Doves Program, a tax-exempt nonprofit, implements the project in partnership with Camp Scott and Independence Rising. The award represents a continuation grant under the Rural Program, which funds strategies including cooperative efforts among law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim service providers; treatment and advocacy services; community education and prevention initiatives; sexual assault program development; and targeted outreach to victims in remote and geographically isolated rural 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, the doves program, in partnership with camp scott, independence rising, and the cheyenne county chamber of commerce, will implement rural roots project. This victim service project addresses the following purpose areas: 1, 2, and 3 in scotts bluff, cheyenne, morrill, kimball, banner, box butte, dawes, sheridan and sioux counties. Specific activities will include: 1) providing 24/7 crisis response, legal accompaniment, individualized safety planning, emergency shelter, housing support, and advocacy; 2) supporting mobile advocacy; 3) delivering outreach and education sessions, community engagement and awareness events, and distribution of culturally and linguistically relevant materials; 4) providing campus-based prevention events in partnership with two area colleges; and 5) launching hands 4 growing, a prevention and healing initiative for youth and adults. During the project, the recipient will develop the following products: awareness and prevention materials, brochures, safety planning tools, and partnership protocols.