Technical Assistance Program

The Seven Directions Tribal Opioid Technical Assistance Partner Site Map depicts the more than 20 communities that Seven Directions supported with opioid-related technical assistance between 2019 and 2024, our primary focus during that time. Reaching nearly every Indian Health Service Area, Seven Directions has connected with diverse Indigenous communities across the United States.

• Program Planning & Implementation
• Indigenous Evaluation Design & Data Collection
• Community Event Planning & Promotion

Technical Assistance (TA) refers to a wide range of supports that outside professionals can provide to program staff to support program implementation. This includes resources and ideas to help staff work through challenges, plan and implement programs, and create new tools for their community. TA is not limited to “technical” support, such as computer or IT issues.

Hover over the boxes for some examples. If you are unsure if your project is a good fit, please submit a TA Request Form and we would be happy to chat with you.

We work closely with tribal program staff to plan, create, and develop a “mini project” in service of their opioid program goals.

Examples include:

• Designing a data dashboard to track opioid use and overdose rates using tribal, state, and national data sources
• Finalizing a harm reduction strategic plan, including an updated logic model
• Developing communications materials to advertise opioid program services

We work with programs to strengthen their existing systems by developing organizational policies and building community partnerships.

Examples include:

• Public health accreditation navigation
• Supporting health centers to write questions for community needs or health assessment, including questions identifying needs for specific populations (e.g. youth, LGBTQ2S+, veterans, etc.).
• Coaching organizations to use community-based participatory approaches in research
• Connection to partners and resources that can support data modernization, informatics, and analysis goals.

We support organizations using Indigenous evaluation methods to build knowledge they can use about their opioid programs.

Examples include:

• Concrete tips for collecting data through Indigenous research methods
• Assistance in writing and piloting participant feedback surveys about program activities

Seven Directions centers Indigenous values, knowledge, and ways of working with our TA partners. In every call, we focus on your organization’s needs and work with you to figure out how we can leverage our resources, providers, and network to support you and your organization. Below are several other reasons for choosing TA with Seven Directions.

We understand that you and your team are busy, so our TA program consists of regular calls that work best for your team’s schedule.

We help teams reflect, increase creativity, and make progress on your organization’s important work and goals.

We have provided TA on substance use, mental health, and other prevention projects to over 35 tribal and Urban Indian organizations in the past four years. Through our affiliations with the University of Washington and the National Network of Public Health Institutes, we offer access to a broad array of resources and examples from peer organizations. In addition, as a trusted convenor and facilitator in Indian Country, Seven Directions weaves connections across our broad network of Indigenous public health partners who have worked on similar challenges you might be facing.

Seven Directions receives funding from federal and philanthropic partners to provide free services to Indigenous-serving organizations. Our current partners include the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NORC at the University of Chicago, National Institute of Health (NIH), National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI), Safe States Alliance, and the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation.