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 $500,000 to Sandhills Crisis Intervention Program, Inc. on October 1, 2025, under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589). The award funds services and response mechanisms for child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities served by SCIP in partnership with the Keith County Attorney and Garden County. Work is performed in Ogallala, Nebraska, with a period of performance through September 30, 2028. The program authorizes victim services including counseling, advocacy, legal assistance, and long-term support; identification and assessment of victims; and development or expansion of sexual assault forensic medical examination or nurse examiner programs. Grantees must employ at least one of five specified strategies: cooperative efforts among law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim service providers; provision of direct victim services; community-based education and prevention; sexual assault program development; or services targeting victims in remote or 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 new OVW rural program project, sandhills crisis intervention program (scip), in partnership with the keith county attorney, garden county attorney, and ogallala police department will implement the enhanced training, response, and assistance for victims project. This victim service, law enforcement, and prosecution project addresses the following purpose areas: 1, 2, and 3 for arthur, deuel, garden, grant, keith, and perkins counties. Specific activities will include: 1) providing counseling; 2) supporting costs for emergency shelter; 3) collaborating with law enforcement, prosecution, medical personnel, and victim service agencies to improve investigation and prosecution; and 4) training for professionals who work with victims in rural communities. During the project, the recipient will develop the following products: informational pamphlets and materials for non-english speakers.