Training and Technical Assistance Project To Expand Children’s Advocacy Centers Serving American Indian/Alaska Native Communities

This program furthers the Department's mission by providing cooperative agreements for enhancement and expansion of Children's Advocacy Centers (CACs) to organizations that OJJDP designates. The purpose of this program is to increase the capacity of tribal CACs and CACs serving in American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities to effectively investigate, prosecute, and intervene in child abuse cases involving AI/AN children and their families. The National Native Children’s Trauma Center proposes to develop a national TTA center with a goal of increasing the capacity of tribal CACs and CACs serving AI/AN youth to effectively investigate, prosecute, and intervene in child abuse cases. TTA will be provided in a tiered fashion (universal, targeted, and tailored) based on the needs of tribes and grantees. The project’s three objectives and associated activities correspond to these service tiers. Objective 1 is to deliver universal TTA that increases the knowledge and skills of the tribal and tribal-serving CAC and MDT workforce across the 10 standards of National Children’s Alliance (NCA) accreditation, with an emphasis on cultural relevance and a trauma-informed approach. Activities related to this objective include the development of virtual learning products, development of resources, and adaptation of existing nontribal resources. Objective 2 is to deliver targeted TTA to affinity groups of grantees and tribes based on common project interests and on common stages of MDT/CAC development, with a focus on achieving NCA accreditation via culturally appropriate programming. Activities related to this objective include the development of two peer-to-peer learning groups to meet virtually on a quarterly basis, the development of three communities of practice to interact on online platforms on an ongoing basis, in-person trainings, and the development of resources based on group input. Objective 3 is to deliver tailored TTA to grantees and tribes in need of specialized or in depth support in their development of a sustainable, trauma-informed, culturally responsive child advocacy model responsive to the particular needs of their communities. Activities related to this objective include intensive virtual and onsite TTA, as well as the development of tailored resources.CA/NCF