Intensive Training and Technical Assistance

SAMHSA's Tribal Training and Technical Assistance Center

Selected communities receive Intensive TTA to increase capacity to address and prevent mental and substance use disorders, suicide, and to promote mental health.

The Tribal TTA Center offers Intensive Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) for communities that are chosen through a community selection process.

Creating Hope Through Capacity Building

Based on need, the Tribal TTA Center invites certain American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities to receive Intensive TTA. Through the Intensive TTA process, communities apply their unique strengths to address and prevent mental and substance use disorders and suicide, and to promote mental health.

The Tribal TTA Center understands the complexities that AI/AN communities face and offers culturally appropriate TTA that creates a sense of hope and reflects each community's distinct culture.

Who Receives Intensive TTA?

Currently, three to five communities per year receive Intensive TTA. Over time, the Tribal TTA Center will invite more communities to build capacity through Intensive TTA. To date, the Tribal TTA Center’s Intensive TTA has engaged 56 AI/AN communities through Cohorts 1 through 9 and is currently engaging 5 more AI/AN communities as part of Cohort 10, for a total of 61 communities to be served through March 2024. View Benefits of Participation (PDF | 306 KB) to learn more about the TTA provided to selected AI/AN communities through Intensive TTA.

Community Engagement and Site Visits

Intensive TTA follows a community engagement process that helps communities determine next steps for bringing healing to their members. The TTA guides communities as they build prevention programs rooted in their own unique culture, strengths, and worldview. This process includes a series of site visits and virtual TTA.

Introductory Site Visit

Intensive TTA begins with a site visit. During the introductory site visit, the assigned Intensive TTA coordinator works closely with the tribal council-appointed lead contact, lead agency, and oversight panel, to prepare to engage in the Intensive TTA community engagement process. Training on conducting a community readiness assessment begins during this visit.

Virtual TTA: Community Readiness Assessment

The Community Readiness Model (CRM) assesses a community's readiness and capacity to promote wellness through the Community Readiness Assessment tool. It provides a roadmap of a community's level of awareness of issues and what the next steps need to be.

Through virtual TTA, community members learn how to conduct and score Community Readiness Assessment interviews.

GONA/GOAN and Community Mobilization and Planning Event

The Gathering of Native Americans/Gathering of Alaska Natives and Community Mobilization and Planning Event is a strategic planning event designed for the unique strengths and circumstances of AI/AN communities. It supports healing, encourages and guides community discussions about mental wellness, and helps communities build capacity.

The Community Mobilization and Planning event brings together resources for promoting mental health and prepares a community to act.

Combining the GONA/GOAN and Community Mobilization and Planning event into one event maximizes attendance. Through the event, the community develops a Community Prevention Plan/Community Sustainability Plan.

Technical Assistance Site Visit

The technical assistance site visit involves individualized training and technical assistance that focuses on prevention. This site visit may include:

  • Finalizing Community Prevention Plans/Community Sustainability Plans following the GONA/GOAN and Community Mobilization and Planning events
  • Scheduling technical assistance based on community needs
  • Securing the services of any consultants or experts needed to assist with TTA
  • Identifying which community members should participate in each training

Sustainability Site Visit

The sustainability site visit's purpose is to identify youth leaders, trained community members, programs, and participants to sustain activities included in the Community Prevention Plan/Community Sustainability Plan. Sustainability activities, which help promote long-term healing and lasting wellness, include:

  • Evaluation, to help communities gather the information they need to improve prevention efforts over time
  • Collaboration, to help a community to maximize resources and foster leadership and youth involvement

The sustainability planning approach includes:

  • Conducting a Community Readiness post-Assessment, following implementation of the Community Prevention Plan/Community Sustainability Plan
  • Reviewing successes and challenges from implementation of the Community Prevention Plan/Community Sustainability Plan
  • Adding new strategies
  • Overcoming barriers
  • Identifying new funding resources

Virtual TTA Activities

Throughout the year, communities work with TTA coordinators over the phone and virtually, through email, web conferencing, and webinars. This type of TTA occurs weekly and covers topics such as:

  • Site visit planning
  • Sustainability
  • Community needs or challenges
  • Current prevention activities
  • Requests for additional information or community-specific TTA

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