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 Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc., $548,025 on November 1, 2025, under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) to implement a victim services project for the Alaska Cook Inlet region. The award supports identification, assessment, and response to child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural Alaskan communities, with services delivered from Anchorage, Alaska. The period of performance runs through September 30, 2026. Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit tribal government organization serving Alaska Native and American Indian communities in Southcentral Alaska, operates as a comprehensive social services provider with prior federal grant experience across behavioral health, education, family services, and workforce development. The Rural Program funds grantees to establish and expand victim services, increase safety and well-being through direct response and prevention strategies, and develop or improve sexual assault forensic medical examination or sexual assault nurse examiner programs, using cooperative efforts among law enforcement, prosecutors, victim service providers, treatment and counseling, education and prevention strategies, or programs targeting remote and geographically isolated 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. Cook inlet tribal council, INC., will implement a victim services project for the alaska cook inlet region and will include rural alaskans seeking help in anchorage. Specific activities will include: 1) facilitating sessions with stakeholders; 2) developing and delivering culturally relevant, trauma informed trainings; 3) conducting outreach to increase access to victim services in rural alaska communities; and 4) delivering culturally appropriate victim services, informed prevention, and awareness resources.