Capacity Talk

Metro TeenAIDS offers free capacity building assistance (CBA) to youth-serving organizations in Washington, D.C. Capacity building generally refers to a process to increase the skills, infrastructure, and resources of individuals, organizations and communities. Capacity building is a key strategy for the promotion, delivery and sustainability of HIV prevention programs. As a result of capacity building on HIV prevention programs, the programs will (1) operate optimally and (2) increase their capacity to effectively deliver evidence-based interventions and core public health strategies for HIV prevention.

Click here to request training.

CBA is designed to assist in implementing and sustaining science-based and culturally proficient HIV prevention behavioral interventions and HIV prevention strategies through 4 ways.

1. Technology transfer – the process by which innovations are diffused among HIV prevention providers to improve how intervention effectiveness and scientific research is translated into programs and practice.

2. Technical assistance – the provision and/or facilitation of culturally relevant and expert programmatic, scientific, and technical advice (mentoring/coaching) and support. CBA providers assist partner organizations in areas such as organizational infrastructure development, program implementation, adaptation and tailoring of behavioral interventions, and evaluation.

3. Training – curricula development, delivery of curricula and coordination of training activities to increase the knowledge, skills and abilities of trainers, educators and service providers. Training focuses on the delivery of effective HIV prevention interventions and strategies, such as prevention counseling, prevention case management and implementation of HIV testing. Training activities also include facilitation skills, recruitment strategies, adaptation and tailoring guidance that increases knowledge, skills, and abilities required to implement HIV prevention interventions, and programs and services. Trainings are provided directly to service providers for implementation or to educators/trainers in a Train-the-Trainer (TOT) format for further dissemination.

4. Information dissemination – distribution and sharing of relevant and current HIV prevention information (reviewed by peer materials review committees prior to dissemination) through print materials, presentations, websites, and mass media.

For more information about MTA’s Capacity Building Assistance (CBA), please contact Leandrea Gillam at [email protected] or 202.543.0094.