Technical Assistance and Mentorship Infrastructure (TAMI) for Parent-and- Self Advocate- Led Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) Providing Services for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Project Description

The TAMI (Technical Assistance and Mentorship Infrastructure) project supports Parent-and-Self Advocate-Led Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) that provide services to individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD). The inter organization peer mentorship project is guided by a Community-Partnered Participatory Research and Program Development model.

Project Components

1. Outward-Facing Activities
These activities connect CBO leaders to the broader nonprofit community, both within
and outside the I/DD field. The goal is to increase access to resources, collaborations,
and funding opportunities.
2. Inward-Facing Activities: With a focus on coaching and consulting, these activities help CBO leaders expand and strengthen the programming offered by their organizations. This includes building capacity for new and existing programs, enhancing administrative and fiscal management, developing collaboration strategies, optimizing outreach, and promoting self-care.

Year 4 Achievements

• Are located in Southern California.
• Were founded by African American mothers of children with developmental
  disabilities.
• Serve historically underserved communities of color with low access to services
  (POS).

Parent-Led CBO Executive Directors

• Primarily African American mothers of children with developmental disabilities.
• Most work full-time jobs in addition to running their CBOs.

Self-Advocate-Led CBOs

• Leaders often work or volunteer full-time.
• Their nonprofits focus on legal advocacy, peer-to-peer workshops, career and
  vocational support, college application guidance, and wellness/health coaching.

Program Elements

• Needs assessments
• Nonprofit management workshops
• Bi-weekly office hours
• National Core Indicators (NCI) surveys
• One-on-one and group coaching/consulting
• Monthly support group meetings for Parent Founders/Executive Directors
• USC MPH students provide 260 practicum hours of CBO support per student
• Grant-writing workshops
• Successful Organizational Strategies workshops

Focus Areas

• Nonprofit regulatory requirements
• Fund development and readiness
• Vendorization
•  Increasing social capital and building social enterprises

Additional Information

Funding: Department of Developmental Services – Service Access and
Equity (SAE) Program. A Workforce Capacity and Development Project -
Grant # 22-C22

Project Duration: 2019 -2025

Collaborators:

• Rising Communities
• The Nonprofit Partnership
• South Central Prevention Coalition