1. Serving the Underserved: Improving Program Impact By Successfully Identifying & Assessing Needs of “Underserved” Populations
Aleese Moore-Orbih and Purvi Shah, Senior Consultants & Activists, Women of Color Network
The Women of Color Network (WOCN), a project of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV) is a national grassroots initiative dedicated to building the capacity of women of color advocates and activists responding to violence against women in communities of color. Through trainings, technical assistance, and advocacy, WOCN helps foster women of color in the advancement of their anti-violence work and leadership. The mission of the Women of Color Network (WOCN) is to provide and enhance leadership capacity and resources that promote the activities of women of color advocates and activists within the Sovereign Nations, the United States and U.S. Territories to address the elimination of violence against women and families.

2. WHO WE ARE WHY WE ARE HERE
Welcome
Introductions
Shout Out
WHO WE ARE
WHY WE ARE HERE
Opening & objectives 15 minutes
What are your expectations for today?
Participants will learn how to use the WOCN 3-Tier System, a new & innovative approach to identify “underserved” populations;
Participants will be able to expand “underserved” populations into 3-tier populations of un-served, underserved & inadequately served;
Participants will be able to better understand the resources and program needs of diverse “underserved” populations; and,
Participants will be able to list concrete action steps for enabling stronger program impact with underserved populations.

3. Objectives Learn how to use the WOCN
3-Tier System to better identify underserved” populations
Be able to expand “underserved” populations into the 3-tier populations
Better understand the resources and program needs of these diverse populations
Objectives
What are your expectations for today?
Participants will learn how to use the WOCN 3-Tier System, a new & innovative approach to identify “underserved” populations;
Participants will be able to expand “underserved” populations into 3-tier populations of un-served, underserved & inadequately served;
Participants will be able to better understand the resources and program needs of diverse “underserved” populations; and,
Participants will be able to list concrete action steps for enabling stronger program impact with underserved populations.

4. Be able to list concrete action steps for enabling stronger program impact with underserved populations
Objectives
What are your expectations for today?
Participants will learn how to use the WOCN 3-Tier System, a new & innovative approach to identify “underserved” populations;
Participants will be able to expand “underserved” populations into 3-tier populations of un-served, underserved & inadequately served;
Participants will be able to better understand the resources and program needs of diverse “underserved” populations; and,
Participants will be able to list concrete action steps for enabling stronger program impact with underserved populations.

5. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TERMINOLOGY
Terminology 5 minutes

6. Underserved Populations:
42 U.S.C (a)(33)(as amended by P.L , Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization of 2013)
VAWA DEFINITION
Geographic location, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, underserved racial and ethnic populations, special needs e.g., language barriers, disabilities, alienage status, or age…
Historically and current understanding and definition

7. Historical and Systemic Disenfranchisement Based on:
Race
Ethnicity
Immigration Status
Sovereignty/
Indigenous Status
Sexual Orientation/ Gender Identity
Cultural, Language and Low Levels of Literacy
Geographic Location (Degrees of Isolation)
Faith, Spirituality or Religious Identity
Age: Youth and Children
Age: Adults in Later Life
Mental Disabilities or other Mental Health Needs
Physical, Cognitive or Sensory Disability
People, identities and intersections are not barriers. Cookie cut solutions that also ignore specificity creates barriers

8. The 3 Tier System (3-TS)
3TS terminology 5 min

9. is innovation in Identification, Outreach and Service
Un-served,
Underserved, and
Inadequately Served
The 3-Tier System
is innovation in Identification, Outreach and Service
The term “underserved” represents a wide spectrum of needs. Expanding and enhancing our understanding and approach to include the 3-Tier definitions (Un-served, Underserved, and Inadequately Served) enables us to specify historical or emerging systemic and societal or population-based disenfranchisement, then respond more precisely to these needs and barriers with effective services and advocacy.

10. 3-TS Expands and Enhances Our Approach Based on a Spectrum of Needs
Un-served
No services available
Severe isolation
Underserved
Limited access
Moderate Isolation
Inadequately served
Over-represented
Access but limited quality

11. NO SERVCES AVAILABLE
Un-Served Populations
This category is designated for those populations who are so marginalized that they are not reached at all. This is also indicative of those populations who are emerging and who are not yet visible in our services or who are there in very small numbers.

12. Populations in this category are those who are growing in number in our services and have minimal access; but who need more services and approaches that meet their specific needs; therefore they remain ‘under’-served.
Underserved Populations: 
LIMITED ACCESS

13. OVER REPRESENTED Inadequately Served Populations:
This category speaks to those historically marginalized communities who may be highly visible or even overrepresented in number, but who are still in need of improved quality of services that will help address cyclical challenges their populations face such as “one-size fits all” strategies that disregard specific disenfranchisement and culturally-specific experiences.
ALSO, THE FACT THAT SPECIFIC POPULATIONS ARE “OVERREPRESENTED” IN SERVICES DEMONSTRATES A NEED FOR ENHANCED SUPPORT TO THESE COMMUNITIES

14. Appropriating The 3 Tier System (3-TS)
3TS terminology 15 min

15. Applying the 3-Tier System will:
Provide a clearer distinction among un-served, underserved, and inadequately served populations.
Help you recognize specific complexities of underserved populations.
Enable you to improve the specificity of services for diverse populations.
Using The 3-TS 15 minutes

16. Applying the 3-Tier System will:
Give you new ideas for reaching underserved populations.
Provide a new flexible framework for resourcing underserved populations.
Help to better identify gaps and challenges in your current processes and strategies.
Will speak further on this in our workshop tomorrow regarding outreach and being strong allies.

17. How Can You Use the 3-TS
The 3-Tier System can help service providers in the strategic planning and implementation process.
In the development of priorities and approaches to better reach 3-Tier populations.
In decision-making in a strategic planning process for relevant programming and services.
It can be very effective in establishing priority-setting activities.

18. How Can You Use the 3-TS
The 3-Tier System can help service providers assess the needs of marginalized populations
Build relationships with Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) that directly serve these communities.
Improve and increase sustainable and effective partnerships with CBOs serving all marginalized populations

19. What is the Impact?: Avoid a “one-size-fits-all” approach to reaching all survivors
The 3-Tier System framework enables us to distinguish specific needs across populations in order to more effectively shape service and advocacy strategies and responses. In particular, this approach offers a closer attention to demographics, the needs of small and emerging populations, and ways to form and sustain direct productive partnerships to ensure community connections and respond to the varied needs of diverse populations.
Help you to align your program priorities with the funding priorities of the OVW State Administrator and in a short time HHS as well.

20. What is the Impact?
The process of increasing and improving effective and collaborative relationships and partnerships with CBOs serving culturally-specific communities will also greatly increase everyone’s capacity to provide effective and relevant victim services that specifically work to end violence against women and families in ALL communities.
Help you to align your program priorities with the funding priorities of the OVW State Administrator and in a short time HHS as well.

21. QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS
QUESTIONS & COMMENTS
QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS
10 minutes

22. Exercise: Applying the 3-Tier definitions to the populations: State, REGION _________________
Un-served
Underserved
Inadequately Served
API
Black
Disabilities
Immigrant / Refugee
Later Life
Latino / Hispanic
LEP
LGBTQI
Multi-ethnic
Native
Rural
Undocumented
Youth and Teens
Exercise 10 minutes
Take out your exercise sheet. Recognize geographical areas across the state make a difference in relation to access

23. Review definition: un-served
Un-served populations that truly do not have any services available. No services available Severe isolation
exercise

24. Review definition: Inadequately Served
Inadequately served populations are historically marginalized & may be overrepresented
Review definition: Inadequately Served

25. Review definitions: Underserved
Underserved populations that have minimal access and are in need of more outreach and support. Limited access Moderate isolation
exercise

26. State Administrators’
Challenges
challenges
STOP Administrators identified a number of core barriers and challenges in reaching and supporting 3- Tier populations. In particular: lack of sufficient time, resources, and funding.
Challenges and Promising Practices dialogue 20 minutes

27. What challenges do You see?
TIME
FUNDING
REOURCES
MORE…

28. State Administrators
Promising Practices
Reaching out to other STOP Administrators to learn from and share best practices and successful methods on identifying, reaching, and including 3-Tier populations and CBOs.
What are your expectations for today?
Participants will learn how to use the WOCN 3-Tier System, a new & innovative approach to identify “underserved” populations;
Participants will be able to expand “underserved” populations into 3-tier populations of un-served, underserved & inadequately served;
Participants will be able to better understand the resources and program needs of diverse “underserved” populations; and,
Participants will be able to list concrete action steps for enabling stronger program impact with underserved populations.

29. State Administrators
Promising Practices
Focusing on the development of sustainable relationships and building stakeholder groups through site visits to diverse localities to better determine the core needs across communities;
Expanding the roster of those who attend strategic planning meetings and re-strategizing the quality and content of the goals and outcomes of these meetings;
What are your expectations for today?
Participants will learn how to use the WOCN 3-Tier System, a new & innovative approach to identify “underserved” populations;
Participants will be able to expand “underserved” populations into 3-tier populations of un-served, underserved & inadequately served;
Participants will be able to better understand the resources and program needs of diverse “underserved” populations; and,
Participants will be able to list concrete action steps for enabling stronger program impact with underserved populations.

30. What Opportunities do You See?
Promising Practices
What Opportunities do You See?
Outreach
Focus
Expansion
More…
What are your expectations for today?
Participants will learn how to use the WOCN 3-Tier System, a new & innovative approach to identify “underserved” populations;
Participants will be able to expand “underserved” populations into 3-tier populations of un-served, underserved & inadequately served;
Participants will be able to better understand the resources and program needs of diverse “underserved” populations; and,
Participants will be able to list concrete action steps for enabling stronger program impact with underserved populations.

31. Next STEP EXERCISES Better Identification Reach Needs Assessment
Exercise & sharing 15 minutes
exercise : 1 for each category (identify, reach and assess) but only one population. What would be best next step for your organization’s plan to better identify, reach and assess the needs underserved populations? strategies. Anyone want to share?

32. Resist the “we are all Underserved” rationale
Don’t:
Take the easy way out
Resist the “we are all Underserved” rationale
Don’t let,
“We tried to reach them” serve as your final answer!
I hear across the nation,” I treat everyone the same, everyone get the same services, why do we still do anti-oppression and cultural competency trainings? Resist blaming populations and people. Its our job to become accessible and relevant to every survivor and her community.

33. WOCN’S 9-STEPS
Step 1: Reflect: Integrate ongoing “inward- outward” reflection exercises in your program planning.
Step 2: Use A Social Justice Lens: Frame the work utilizing social justice approaches to examine oppression, identify areas of equity and non- equity, be more aware of systems of power, and consider ways to level the playing field for all survivors.
Step 3: Expand the Definition of Underserved: Utilize the 3-Tier System to deepen your understandings of marginalized populations.
9-steps 5 minutes

34. WOCN’S 9-STEPS
Step 4: Become an Aspiring Ally: Make a plan to build and/or improve relationships with representatives from 3-Tier System Populations through self-examination and an evaluation of how privilege and dis-privilege based on identity impacts survivors and is reinforced by those who serve them.
Step 5: Collaborate: Join forces with survivors and community representatives from the 3-TS Populations to enhance outreach and support for marginalized
9-steps 5 minutes

35. WOCN’S 9-STEPS
Step 6: Utilize Technical Assistance: Draw upon the expertise of national, state, or local technical assistance providers to assist in your efforts. Step 7: Build Up Your Resources: Develop a library of relevant and culturally sensitive information on barriers/challenges, promising practices, and case studies/tips for supporting survivors from marginalized communities.
To successful planning to better identify, reach, asses the needs of serve underserved populations

36. WOCN’S 9-STEPS
Step 8: Get Ongoing Education: Continue seek out and participate in any needed skills-building opportunities and relevant trainings to increase your knowledge of reaching and serving marginalized populations. Step 9: Build Capacity: Develop and implement a plan to improve your capacity to work with CBOs serving 3-Tier System communities, and to raise the capacity of the CBOs write and submit winning grant applications and to successfully administer federal funds for their programs.
To successful planning to better identify, reach, asses the needs of serve underserved populations

37. Final Questions and Comments

38. HOW TO CONTACT US CHECK US OUT ON THE WEB womenofcolornetwork.org
Contact WOCN Lead Consultants:
Aleese:
gmail.com
Purvi:
HOW TO CONTACT US
CHECK US OUT ON THE WEB
womenofcolornetwork.org

39. HOW TO CONTACT US CHECK US OUT ON THE WEB womenofcolornetwork.org
Contact Staff:
HOW TO CONTACT US
Tonya Lovelace
Chelsea Cox or
Rebecca Balog
CHECK US OUT ON THE WEB
womenofcolornetwork.org