INTENSIVE TA
Strengthening Systems Together
Engage in deep, on-the-ground technical assistance with the National Center’s team of subject matter experts and lived experience leaders. Our approach centers lived experience at every stage, ensuring that the voices of youth and families guide and shape system change efforts.
Intensive TA is a Collaborative Approach to Lasting Change
Together, we support cross-system collaboration by strengthening relationships between child welfare and mental health systems, advising on team composition, and developing tailored technical assistance (TA) plans grounded in proven strategies.
Each engagement is customized to meet the needs of states, tribes, and territories (STTs) and may include targeted training and ongoing support. Delivered over 12–24 months, our four-phase TA model ensures sustained progress while keeping lived experience voices central throughout the process.
How Adoption Competency Creates Change
- Tailored and responsive to the site, the local community, and their strengths
- Focused on developing a unique and custom Implementation Plan
- With multi-level engagement in TA
- Including robust evaluation of plan implementation and outcomes
- By strategically selecting a TA team with varied expertise to support site needs
The National Center is currently collaborating with:
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Navajo Nation
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
Five Key Outcomes for Technical Assistance
Increased Collaboration
Building bridges and alliances between CW and MH systems.
Increased Use of Training
Use of existing state-of-the-art adoption competent training for MH practitioners.
Improved Access to Services
Accessibility and delivery of adoption competent MH services to youth with lived experience.
Sustainability
Sustained collaboration, use of training, and expanded access to adoption competent MH services to youth and families with lived child welfare experience.
Enhanced Youth Outcomes
Improved well-being, stability, permanency, and behavioral health of youth.
Our State, Tribes, and territories partners are advancing adoption competence by:
- Building shared structures for cross-system collaboration to support joint planning and implementation beyond single-agency training and improve access to care for youth and families.
- Investing in sustained adoption competent workforce development that includes coaching, consultation, and peer learning
- Embedding adoption competency in structures that support sustainability such as provider contracts and employee onboarding
- Advancing Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) site development efforts in Illinois and Rhode Island to build local training capacity and support continuation beyond direct National Center TA
- Advancing strategies to connect families with adoption competent services:
- Increasing the number of providers in the National Directory
- Piloting a 14-tablet lending program in Illinois to reduce technology and geographic barriers to care
Supporting Sustainability
Sustainability must be a focus from the beginning
- How will adoption competence be embedded into the state system?
- How will the training of mental health providers be maintained?
- How will the STT ensure that ongoing adoption competency training is available and accessible?
Development of sustainability strategies
- Collaboration structures
- Data collection, cross-system data sharing, and utilization of data outcomes
- Funding
Showcase of progress of cross-system collaborations
- Celebrate successes
- Plan for how to replicate what has worked
Adoption Competent Resources,
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