About
The National Technical Assistance Network for Children’s Behavioral Health (TA Network) operates the National Training and Technical Assistance Center for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC), funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Child, Adolescent and Family Branch to provide technical assistance to states, tribes, territories and communities funded by the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program (“system of care grantees”) as well as jurisdictions and entities without system of care grants, including youth and family leadership and organizations.
MISSION
To develop effective service systems and build a skilled, informed and well-prepared workforce that can expand and sustain community-based systems of care across the United States for the benefit of children and youth with behavioral health challenges and their families.
HOW WE HELP
- Grounded in real world examples and concrete strategies
- Tied to cross-cutting systems issues and reforms underway in states, tribes, territories, counties, and cities
- Connected to initiatives funded through other grant mechanisms, including through other federal agencies
- Focused on specific design and operational issues
- Encourage and support family and youth partnerships and leadership and cultural and linguistic competence
- Maintain an overarching strategy to embed system of care practices into mainstream delivery systems as a fundamental strategic approach to sustainability and expansion
OUR APPROACH
The TA Network’s technical assistance approach includes a flexible array of generalized, individualized, and intensive technical assistance (TA) options:
Generalized TA: Includes online assistance that benefits all systems of care, family- and youth-run organizations, and other system partners; includes the weekly TA Telegram (e-newsletter delivering up-to-the-minute information on resources, trainings, funding opportunities, and other news), regular webinars and distance learning opportunities, content specific publications, products, and technical assistance resources.
Individualized TA: Includes assignment of a lead consultant, available as needed, to support individualized and dynamic TA plans; this level of TA also includes our Rapid Response TA system for specific questions or requests for resource material.
Intensive TA: Focuses on sites that are in stages of development where an intensive and customized approach will accelerate their ability to advance system of care expansion and sustainability; this level of TA may include peer- exchanges and on-site TA from our Partner Organizations or Consultant Pool.
To receive the TA Telegram and other relevant information related to children’s behavioral health, subscribe by clicking here.
The Institute for Innovation and Implementation (The Institute) at the University of Maryland, School of Social Work (Michelle Zabel, Denise Sulzbach, Marlene Matarese, Suzanne Fields, Dayana Simons, Shannon Robshaw, Liz Manley, and colleagues) leads the TA Network as the coordinating entity and centralized contact, as well as co-host of the National Wraparound Implementation Center (NWIC). In addition to The Institute, the TA Network Partner Organizations for NTTAC include (in alphabetical order):
- Case Western Reserve University, Center for Innovative Practices, Rick Shepler, Mike Fox and colleagues;
- The Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc. (CHCS), Kamala Allen and colleagues;
- The Family-Run Executive Director Leadership Association (FREDLA), Jane Walker, Malisa Pearson, Millie Sweeney, Sireyia Ratliff, and colleagues;
- Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development Center (GUCCHD), Phyllis Magrab, Neal Horen and colleagues;
- Human Service Collaborative (HSC), Sheila Pires and Kathy Lazear;
- Judge Baker Children’s Center (JBCC), Christopher Bellonci and Robert Franks;
- Management & Training Innovations (MTI), Beth Stroul;
- The National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), Terry Cross, Cori Matthew and colleagues;
- Policy Research Associates (PRA), National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice (NCMHJJ), Karli Keator, Jacqui Greene and colleagues;
- Portland State University (PSU), Janet Walker, Nancy Koroloff and colleagues; co-host of the National Wraparound Initiative (NWI) and NWIC, and home to Pathways to Positive Futures and the Early Assessment and Support Alliance (EASA);
- The University of South Florida (USF), College of Community and Behavioral Science, Department of Child and Family Studies (CFS), Mario Hernandez, Kathy Lazear, Linda Callejas and colleagues, in partnership with the Center for Community Learning (Myriam Monsalve-Serna and Catalina Booth), and Selena Webster-Bass;
- The University of Washington (UW), Eric Bruns, April Sather, and colleagues; co-host of NWI and NWIC and home to the Wraparound Evaluation and Research Team and Evidence-Based Practice Institute; School Mental Health Assessment, Research, and Training (SMART) Center; and
- Youth M.O.V.E. (Motivating Others through Voices of Experience) National (YMN), Johanna Bergan, Brianne Masselli, Hannah Raiche and colleagues.
In addition to our core partners, the TA Network includes a rich, diverse group of advisors, consultants and other resource organizations. Coaching and technical assistance is provided by multiple people spread across the TA Network Partner Organizations and Consultant Pool, allowing us to maintain hubs of expertise in priority systems of care expansion and sustainability areas, including:
- Cultural and Linguistic Competence
- Family Engagement and Leadership
- Youth Engagement and Leadership
- Tribal Systems of Care Support
- Policy, System Design and Financing
- Clinical Best Practices, Wraparound and Workforce Development
- Systems Integration
TA Network Contact Information: 525 West Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201 ³ TANetwork@ssw.umaryland.edu ³ 410-706-8300
