Now that you're familiar with what technical assistance is, we'll take you through a scenario of what a typical request for technical assistance looks like and where you might come in. But before we get started, here are some quick definitions of some terms we'll be using. Technology Transfer Specialist The Technology Transfer Specialist, or TTS, is an ORN staff member who is responsible for supervising the technical assistance request. Requester The Requester is an individual who put in the technical assistance request, holding intimate knowledge of the organization and community in need. Consultant The Consultant, that's you, is someone with experience in the field who is able to provide training and guidance to others. Feel free to reference your ORN Glossary of Terms PDF if you need additional information about these roles. But for now, you're ready for a use case scenario. The technical assistance request process is carried out in a few simple steps. To demonstrate, we've enlisted some help. This is Lizzie. Lizzie is a health professional who requires technical assistance. Lizzie's first step is to submit a request through the designated form on the ORN website. Now say hello to Steven. Steven is a Technology Transfer Specialist, or TTS, who has received Lizzie's technical assistance request. As a dedicated ORN TTS, it is Steven's job to use his expertise to transfer knowledge on the prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery of substance use disorders. Steven will then contact Lizzie within one business day to gather the necessary information from her to make a detailed assessment of her specific needs. The next step is for Steven to match Lizzie with a consultant from ORN's consultant pool. That's where you might come in. If Steven determines that your expertise and proximity is relevant to Lizzie's request, he would bring you in to help address it. If you're the right fit, Steven will arrange a meeting for himself, you, and Lizzie. Together, the three of you will then collaborate on a plan to develop and deliver the technical assistance that Lizzie requested. The technical assistance you provide will equip the requester, in this case Lizzie, with the necessary skills and knowledge to help their community. Thanks to your guidance, Lizzie and her colleagues are prepared to apply what they've learned and address the specific needs of their community. Once this process is complete, you can submit an invoice for your services and receive payment. More on that process later. Finally, Lizzie and the other participants will complete a survey sharing their feedback with ORN and SAMHSA. Completing the survey and providing feedback is a requirement and essential to improving our efforts. Hopefully, this gave you an idea of how the request system works. The specifics of your particular case may vary, but the outline and the process will be the same. Please take the upcoming quiz to see how well you understand the material.

technical assistance

ORN framework

Technology Transfer Specialist

consultant collaboration

community empowerment