Form 1 LEND Interview Protocol

OMB Control Number 0915-0335

Expiration Date XX/XX/201X

ATTACHMENT B:

LEND SEMI-STRUCTURED NTERVIEW PROTOCOL

Public Burden Statement:  An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.  The OMB control number for this project is 0915-0335. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to HRSA Reports Clearance Officer, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 10‑29, Rockville, MD, Maryland, 20857

SEMI–STRUCTURED INTERVIEW GUIDE

2013/2014 LEND INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR FYXX GRANTEES

[Internal Note: Each interview will be customized to a certain extent to collect further detail about significant activities reported in progress reports.]

The purpose of this interview is obtain some descriptive data about your LEND program’s activities and outcomes for the evaluation of MCHB’s Combating Autism Act Initiative. We’ll focus on five main topic areas: training professionals, contributing to increased awareness about autism, reducing barriers, contributing to research, and improving systems of care. We will also ask a few questions about your experiences with AUCD. We have already collected some quantitative and qualitative data on your program from other sources, such as your continuing application reports, your performance reporting, and data collected through NIRS. The information we collect today is intended to supplement the data we have already collected.

This evaluation builds on the previous evaluation, which covered CAAI activities and accomplishments through the summer of 2011. Today, we’ll be discussing activities and outcomes that have occurred since fall 2011. Also, unless otherwise indicated, please report on activities pertaining to both ASD and other DD.

Do you have any questions before we begin? Do you mind if I record our conversation for transcription purposes?

Training of Professionals

For this first set of questions, we’d like to talk about some of the ways the CAAI grant has affected the training your program provides, particularly with respect to screening, diagnosis, and providing interventions for ASD and other DD.

For continuing grantees:

As a continuing LEND program grantee, we are most interested in your program’s activities and outcomes since the fall of 2011.

• How has the continued CAAI funding influenced your program’s training capacity? For example, has the funding enabled you to support a larger number of trainees?

• Has it opened up new clinical opportunities for trainees?

• What specific enhancements have been implemented since 2011?

Potential follow-up question:

• Have you seen changes in the fields or disciplines the trainees come from?

• How has the curriculum changed for LEND trainees since fall 2011?

  • Has the didactic curriculum for long or medium term trainees been modified to include any new content, especially content specific to ASD?

  • Has there been any change in the kinds of clinical training curriculum or opportunities that are available to trainees?

For new grantees (AK, AZ, GA, MUSC, NV, TX):

• How has the grant influenced the training of professionals at your institution?

  • For example, what specific changes or enhancements were implemented with the CAAI funding?

For all grantees:

• What training activities have been particularly effective in building trainees’ expertise in diagnosing/ruling out ASD and other DD?

  • Thinking about how the ASD-related training has evolved over time, can you describe any training activities that have been discontinued, either because they were ineffective in preparing professionals or because they were based on outdated information?

• Thinking about the training offered through your LEND program, and more specifically, the training related to identification of ASD in children, what would you say is the program’s most important contribution to reaching the goal of early identification and intervention for ASD?

  • Overall, have you seen any other changes with respect to the impact of the LEND program on the training of professionals to screen, diagnose, and/or treat ASD/DD?

• Potential follow up questions on training in:

  • Cultural competence

  • Medical homes

  • Incorporation of family members into training

  • Transition to adulthood

Contributing to Increased Awareness

Next, I’d like to ask you about some of the ways your LEND program works to raise awareness about autism.

• What activities has your LEND program undertaken to raise awareness about ASD/DD among providers and the broader community?

  • (If necessary, use the following prompts to probe further. Refer to individual activities for each LEND identified from grantee continuation applications.):

  • ASD/DD General Information

    • What populations have been targeted?

    • What sorts of activities have been implemented?

  • ASD/DD Screening

    • What professional fields have been targeted in these awareness-building efforts (e.g., practicing pediatricians aiming to get the latest information on screening, rural health care providers, social workers, educators)?

    • What topics/content areas did these efforts focus on (e.g., early signs and symptoms, evidence based screening tools)?

  • ASD/DD Early Diagnosis

    • What professional fields have been targeted for increasing awareness of early assessment for ASD/DD?

    • What topics/content areas did these efforts focus on?

  • ASD/DD Treatment & Referral process

    • What professional fields have been targeted for increasing awareness about treatment and referral processes for ASD/DD?

    • What topics/content areas did these efforts focus on?

• Have you seen any changes in practices or attitudes as a result of increased awareness efforts?

• (If necessary, use the following prompts to probe further): How has your LEND program worked with State Title V or other agencies to raise awareness about ASD/DD?

• Please describe any ways in which these partnerships or collaborations have contributed to the goal of increasing awareness of ASD and other developmental disabilities among health professionals, paraprofessionals, family members, advocates, etc).

• Potential collaboration partners: State Title V Block Grant and State Children with Special Health Care Needs Program, The National Medical Home Autism Initiative (NMHAI), Family Professional Partnerships, Cultural Competence Program, State Implementation Grants for CSHCN, Health Insurance and Financing, Early and Continuous Screening, Healthy and Ready to Work, other.

Reducing Barriers to Screening and Diagnosis

This section of the interview addresses the barriers to screening and diagnosis and any activities intended to reduce those barriers.

• What are the most significant barriers to screening and diagnosis in the communities you serve?

• What specific activities has your LEND program undertaken to address these barriers?

  • Which activities do you think have been most effective so far?

• Have you seen any changes in children’s access to screening and diagnostic services?

  • How are changes in access being tracked?

• What is your LEND program doing to reduce the continuing racial and ethnic disparities in identification of ASD and referral for intervention services?

  • Was this a continuation of previous efforts, or a new activity?

  • Have you seen any indication that more underserved children are receiving the services they need?

Contributions to Research on Evidence-Based Practices

Next, I’m going to ask you some questions about research on ASD and other DD.

• Are any of your faculty members or trainees currently involved in planning or conducting any research studies relating to ASD and related developmental disabilities? If yes, please describe the study or studies.

  • What is being investigated?

  • Who is doing the research?

  • How do you anticipate the results might be used (e.g., will they provide evidence about an intervention’s effectiveness?

  • What is the funding source? Does CAAI funding support these projects?

• [If not discussed above.] Are trainees involved in research? In what capacity? What sort of training do they receive in conducting research?

• With whom do you collaborate on research projects? For example, other departments in the university? Local hospitals? Schools?

Contributions to Improved Systems of Care

In this section, we’d like to discuss your LEND program’s contributions to improving systems of care.

• What sort of work has your LEND program done to contribute to improving the system of care for children with ASD and other DD?

• Potential follow-up questions:

  • Has your LEND collaborated with other organizations, including State agencies, schools, family groups, and community-based organizations?

  • Has your LEND engaged stakeholders in capacity building and the enhancement of leadership skills?

  • Has your LEND worked with government officials to improve systems of care?

  • Has your LEND worked with medical providers to improve the services they offer to children with ASD/DD and their families?

  • Has your LEND developed resources/organizations/collaborations to assist children with ASD/DD and their families through the transition to adulthood?

• What opportunities exist to improve systems of care for children and adolescents with ASD/DD in your community?

  • Who is best positioned to do this work?

  • What resources are needed?

• What kinds of results or impacts do you hope to see as a result of improvements to the systems of care in your community?

  • What improvements have you already seen?

  • How might those results best be measured?

  • How has the implementation of this delivery approach changed the way the community approaches the diagnosis/screening/treatment of ASD/DD?

AUCD Technical Assistance

We are also evaluating the contributions of AUCD under the CAAI. To assist in that evaluation, we would like to ask a few questions about your interactions with AUCD.

• What kind of technical assistance has AUCD provided to your LEND program to support your activities under the CAAI?

  • Can you provide any examples of the technical assistance offered? How was it provided?

  • Are there any specific examples of how this TA helped you to meet your objectives?

• In what ways did AUCD collaborate between your LEND program and other grantees? In what ways did AUCD facilitate collaboration with other organizations and entities focused on children with ASD and other DD and their families?

  • What activities did AUCD host with the intention of facilitating collaboration among grantees and other entities?

• To what extent were these efforts successful in promoting collaboration and helping your LEND meet its goals?

• Has AUCD produced and disseminated any information or resources that have contributed to the success of your LEND?

MCHB Objectives/Conclusions

I have a few final questions before we complete the interview.

• Do you know if any of your former LEND trainees continue to serve the ASD/DD population?

• Are you aware of any former LEND trainees serving in leadership roles in the community or in professional practice?

• What would you say is the most important thing your program has accomplished with the support of the CAAI supplemental grant?

• Are there any areas where you fell short of your goals?

  • If so, what challenges prevented you from meeting the goal or goals?

  • What do you think it would take for you to meet those goals in the future?

Is there anything else you would like to share about your program at this time?

Are there any questions that I should have asked that I didn’t ask?

Thank you for your time. We greatly appreciate your assistance.

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