National Child Welfare Association

Technical Assistance

family - photo by Derrick Pereira

Contact

ConnieBear King Connie Bear King Email

Director of Community Development

(503) 222-4044, ext. 128

The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) provides technical assistance (TA) services based on its Relational Worldview model. This model is designed to enhance the level and quality of child welfare and related services delivered to American Indian children and families by their tribes or urban Indian organizations.

NICWA provides TA services in the following areas:

Our Practices

NICWA assigns a community development specialist to each project receiving its TA services. Specialists work with communities to achieve the following goals:

  1. Focus on organizational balance
  2. Alignment of services with community needs and resources
  3. Expanded vision of strengths/needs
  4. Allies outside of tribal communities
  5. Cross-system relationships
  6. Parent/professional partnerships

Community development specialists are responsible for:

  1. Facilitating strategic TA plans
  2. Contributing resources and expertise
  3. Providing and arranging on-site TA
  4. Respecting each community as unique
  5. Building ongoing relationships
  6. Being trustworthy
  7. Communicating vision
  8. Getting on "the balcony"