Technical Assistance and Consultation

NICWA provides technical assistance (TA) in systems development and improvement for American Indian/Alaska Native child welfare and children’s mental health services. We emphasize empowering tribal programs and increasing their capacity. TA services are adapted to meet the individual needs of both Indian and non-Indian organizations.

Our Model

Based on the Relational Worldview Model (RWM), our TA is designed to enhance the level and quality of child welfare and related services delivered to children and families. The RWM reflects the Native concept of balance as the basis for health for individuals, families, organizations, and communities.

Our Practices

Our community development specialists will work with your community to:

• Align services with community needs and resources
• Ally your community with other tribal communities and service providers
• Grow cross-system relationships
• Deepen parent–professional partnerships

Through close collaboration, we’ll bring our expertise to facilitate the development of strategic TA plans and arrange onsite TA tailored to that meet the goals of that plan.

Technical Assistance Project & Opportunity

Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network

Thanks to a federal cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living (ACL) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Generations United, the National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, USAging, Zero to Three, Child Trends, and a roster of the nation’s top kinship experts are offering a new way for government agencies and nonprofit organizations to collaborate and work across jurisdictional and systemic boundaries—all to improve supports and services for grandfamilies and kinship families.

To address the needs of Native families, American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments as well as urban American Indian and Alaska Native nonprofits and state government programs serving Native families and children will be invited to participate in virtual regional convenings and webinars, peer learning collaborative calls, toolkits to replicate exemplary practices and programs, and intensive technical assistance—all for free—over the next five years.

To learn more and join the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network, the first-ever national technical assistance center for those who serve grandfamilies and kinship families, please contact Dallas Archuleta at dallas@nicwa.org and visit this page: https://www.gu.org/projects/ntac-on-grandfamilies-and-kinship-families/. 

Technical Assistance Philosophy

We apply a culturally competent, strengths-based social work model to our work that:

• Reflects NICWA’s TA principles
• Applies the Relational Worldview Model
• Enhances local natural helping systems
• Honors diversity among Native people
• Respects each community’s unique culture and strengths
• Builds an ongoing relationship with communities