Access Quest
The ability of individuals and families to locate, obtain, and uses services when needed.
In the National Center’s work: Ensuring children, youth, and families, who have experienced the child welfare system, have the right support at the right time in the right way.
Access
Collaborative networks that organize and deliver coordinated services across sectors.
In the National Center’s work: NC supports existing frameworks, a coordinated network of community-based services that builds meaningful partnerships with families and youth to address cultural and linguistic needs and improve functioning at home, school, and in the community.
Systems of Care
Leads or consultants with deep knowledge in a specific field.
In the National Center’s work: The NC partners with professionals who have accumulated extensive knowledge and experience in a particular area, practice, process, or technical method. They are recognized as authorities in their field and are uniquely qualified to provide guidance and strategy.
Subject Matter Expert (SME)
Online database for tracking and reporting on all external TA activities delivered by the NC team. This database is shared with NTI and provides access to NTI activity as well.
In the National Center’s work: NC enters information to document outreach and TA activities and information on organizations and people involved in the work. NC reviews data from this to become familiar with TA activities and NTI activities within an STT to coordinate efforts and plan for next steps.
C.A.S.E.Base
A group of individuals who operationalize and carry out the strategies and tactics from the implementation plan.
In the National Center’s work:
Implementation Team
Activities are designed to strengthen skills, relationships, resources, and structures of organizations or systems to deliver effective services sustainably.
In the National Center’s work: NC delivers training, coaching, and shares best practices, toolkits and other information to STTs. The NC also sets up peer learning, to ensure that local systems can maintain and scale adoption-competent practices long after NC involvement.
Capacity Building
A four-phase implementation framework used to guide the process of introduction and long-term integration of new practices. It was created to address implementation in public sector service systems.
In the National Center’s work: NC structures TA engagements around this model.
EPIS Model
Individuals within systems who advocate for and drive the adoption of best practices.
In the National Center’s work: NC identifies people who are available to support advancing adoption competency in a variety of ways. They receive direction and support from the NC team to successfully participate in the work.
Champions
NC’s Central online repository of continually updated tools, templates, case studies, and resources.
In the National Center’s work: NC maintains this Hub so that STTs, interested individuals and NC staff can access the latest materials and share innovations across the network. This resource is designed as a companion to intensive technical assistance and can be used by STTs ongoing.
Knowledge Hub
A qualitative method where a small, purposively selected set of participants discuss specific topics to gather in-depth perspectives and insights under facilitator guidance.
In the National Center’s work:
Focus Group
Refers to broadly accessible resources and services that are available to all jurisdictions (states, tribes, and territories) without the need for a formal request or application.
In the National Center’s work: This fosters a shared baseline of knowledge across child welfare and behavioral health professionals, encouraging cross-system dialogue and a common language for prevention and early support.
Universal Technical Assistance
A structured discussion among diverse participants to explore issues, exchange ideas, and develop recommendations.
In the National Center’s work: Convene STT participants from child welfare, behavioral health, education, justice, and other systems across STTs to co-create solutions, share lessons learned, and guide policy recommendations. These can be geared to leadership or other audiences.
Roundtables
A voluntary, peer-led collective formed around shared experiences, roles, interests, or perspectives to provide mutual support and advise on serving specific populations.
In the National Center’s work: They provide a supportive space to share concerns, ideas, and skills. As the group expands, newcomers will have the benefit of ‘onboarding’ and access to mentors/role models for their work in the STTs.
Affinity Group
The site-specific version guides daily TA delivery. Detailed blueprint for how strategies and tactics will be executed at a site.
In the National Center’s work: NC and STT leads co-create a living document at project kick-off, assign tasks to NC staff and STT members, and update it regularly to track progress. This plan breaks down high-level objectives into discrete action items, responsible staff, and measurable indicators.
TA Implementation Workplan
A team composed of individuals who serve as an intermediary or bridge between various committees, teams, and external partners. They maintain regular contact among leadership bodies, operational teams, and external partners to coordinate resources, identify cross-functional issues, and ensure organizational unity.
In the National Center’s work:
Site Liaisons
Funded by the Children’s Bureau and delivers standardized free online training modules to build adoption competence among child welfare and mental health professionals.
In the National Center’s work: NC incorporates this curriculum into universal and intensive TA offerings, tracks completion through the LMS, and leverages trained staff as local champions.
NTI
A network of individuals and organizations committed to shared learning, peer support, and collaborative problem-solving around a common practice domain.
In the National Center’s work: We bring together participants from multiple organizations within an STT, National Center staff, and experts to share successes, challenges, and innovative approaches in adoption-competent care.
Learning Communities
Activities aimed at engaging partners, sharing information, and inviting participation in programs or initiatives.
In the National Center’s work: NC conducts this through email campaigns, introductory webinars, and attendance at state and tribal conferences to raise awareness of TA services and recruit new STT sites. In addition, in CASEBase there is a map which delineates various phases (Active, Awareness, etc.…).
Outreach
Concise written summary of key information regarding an STT’s landscape.
In the National Center’s work: A single document summarizing all relevant data and information (e.g., strengths, challenges, and key partners) to guide planning and priority setting. The expectation is that this is populated ongoing with information inclusive of all team member’s areas of expertise and more.
Briefing Sheet
Time-limited advisory body charged with setting project goals, developing and monitoring implementation plans, aligning objectives with broader organizational aims, and providing ongoing endorsement to accountable authorities.
In the National Center’s work:
Steering Committee
A roadmap to ensure that improvements and innovations continue beyond formal involvement.
In the National Center’s work: Co-created by NC and STT leads, this plan identifies those pieces of the TA plan that will be continued by the STT. This plan identifies responsibilities and desired outcomes.
Sustainability Plan
Activities are designed to strengthen skills, relationships, resources, and structures of organizations or systems to deliver effective services sustainably.
In the National Center’s work: NC delivers training, coaching, and shares best practices, toolkits and other information to STTs. The NC also sets up peer learning, to ensure that local systems can maintain and scale adoption-competent practices long after NC involvement.
Capacity Building
Coordinated efforts among child welfare, behavioral health, education, and other service systems to deliver integrated support. Often these are formalized networks but does not have to be.
In the National Center’s work: NC uses this to advance adoption competence such as in STTs where systems of care operate.
Cross System Collaboration
Annual strategic plan outlining NC’s goals and activities for the federal fiscal year. The plan is organized by quarters with due dates and notes team members who are accountable for delivery.
In the National Center’s work: It drives NC’s internal and external priorities and aligns them with universal and intensive TA goals, needs, and lessons learned from engagement.
Yearly NC Workplan
Meaningful inclusion of current or past primary caregivers, youth, or other individuals who have navigated one or more systems for themselves or their child.
In the National Center’s work: NC embeds these representatives on Steering Committees, focus groups, and tool development teams to ensure programming reflects their insights. Utilizes information gleaned from youth voice to support STT goals, objectives, strategies and tactics.
Youth and Family Voice