The Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women awarded the Pauma Band of Mission Indians $700,000 on April 1, 2026, under the Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program (CFDA 16.590) to improve the criminal justice response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
The project, which runs through March 31, 2029, supports five categories of activity: legal assistance for victims; timely and trauma-informed medical forensic exams for sexual assault victims; development of a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) including tribal Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner protocols and training materials; trainings for law enforcement, prosecutors, and court personnel on trauma-informed interviewing, evidence collection, working with underserved populations, and federal jurisdiction; and community outreach. Performance takes place in Pauma Valley, California.