Title: Baltimore Collaborative Technical Assistance /Capacity Building (TA/CB) Project
Project Period: September 1, 2005 - August 31, 2008
Project Amount Funded (FY 2005): $278,250
Project Director: Richard W. Matens

The Baltimore Collaborative TA/CB Project reaches an average of 20 minority-serving, community-based organizations each year, for a total of 60 by the end of the project. While most organizations serve the African American community, at least five targeted organizations have the Latino community as their service population.

The project strategy consists of two components. The Community-Based Intervention System (CBIS) is a systemic strategy to enhance the capacity of minority-serving CBOs in Baltimore City and Baltimore County to identify and share HIV resources. The CBIS uses the internet and matchmaking technologies in developing a web based registry of CBOs, includes a case management system to trace individual cases through the continuum of services, and provides online access to complete step-by-step guidance for HIV/STD prevention interventions. A mapping component of the CBIS allows users to identify specific census blocks where interventions are conducted, while mapping relevant demographic and epidemiological data. The project integrates the use of the CBIS with a series of ongoing workshops that train each CBO on the complete life-cycle of a real intervention program, versus hypothetical examples. Participants unable to attend workshops may access an online tutorial providing an overview of objectives of the system and content relevant to each phase of the intervention life-cycle. The second component is an individualized approach that assesses the needs of minority-serving CBOs and tailors specific technical assistance and capacity building initiatives to meet those needs. Individual technical assistance is provided in areas such as board training, collaboration, staff development, management skill building, and grant writing skills. Organizations complete a capacity assessment tool to determine needs, strengths, and challenges. A series of trainings are also provided on specific topics, based on identified CBO needs. Partnering organizations in this project include the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore Pediatric HIV Program, and Sisters Together and Reaching.

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