Underserved Technical Assistance Project

Funded through the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women, ALSO’s Underserved Technical Assistance Project provides training and technical assistance to grantees of the new Outreach and Services to Underserved Grant Program to increase their capacity to develop and implement outreach strategies targeted at, and to provide victim services to, adult and youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations. In this program, underserved refers to populations who face barriers in accessing and using victim services, and includes populations underserved because of geographic location, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, underserved racial and ethnic populations, populations underserved because of special needs (such as language barriers, disabilities, alienage status, or age). This grant program prioritizes sexual assault services and training.

 

Click here for Tools and Resources

 

To provide technical assistance, ALSO will collaborate with a diverse team of consultants and subject matter experts to meet the unique and varied needs of these grantees. The technical assistance strategies for the project are guided by 8 key values: peer knowledge, survivor centered approaches, access to information, respect for diversity, strengths-based approaches, dynamic interactions to work towards change, an intersectional approach to working with diverse communities, and collaboration on mutually agreed upon goals.

The four major objectives for the Underserved Technical Assistance Project are to:

  • Provide Support and Guidance on Effectively Reaching Underserved Communities
  • Increase the Capacity of Grantees to Address Sexual Assault
  • Provide and Broker Subject Matter Expertise and TA
  • Offer Knowledge and Skill-Building Opportunities

The Project offers technical assistance through:

  • Grantee orientations
  • Web-based trainings
  • Topical meetings/institutes
  • Peer-to-peer opportunities 
  • One on one tailored technical assistance and consultation
  • Resource emails
  • Tools and Resources Page

To provide technical assistance, ALSO will collaborate with a diverse team of consultants and subject matter experts to meet the unique and varied needs of these grantees.

For more information, contact the Underserved Team at underservedtaproject@also-chicago.org.