New Instrument #7 Case Managers/Advisors Online Survey

Supporting Statement for OMB Clearance Request

Appendix M: Case Manager/Advisor Online Survey

Innovative Strategies for Increasing Self-Sufficiency (ISIS) – Follow-up Data Collection

OMB No. 0970-0397

June 2013

Submitted by:

Brendan Kelly

Office of Planning, Research
and Evaluation

Administration for Children
and Families

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Appendix M: Case Manager/Advisor Online Survey

A
dvance email to case managers/advisors

Dear [name of program staff member]:

As you may know, [name of local ISIS program] is participating in the Innovative Strategies for Increasing Self-Sufficiency (ISIS) study. This study is sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and is being conducted by Abt Associates and its partners. The study will assess a range of promising post-secondary career pathways programs that promote the improvement of education, employment, and self-sufficiency for low-skilled and economically disadvantaged adults. I am writing to enlist your support and assistance in this important project.

A key feature of the information collection for this study will be an online survey of ISIS program staff who provide direct support and services to participants. We are asking program staff like you to complete a brief survey to help us better understand the types of services provided as part of [name of local ISIS program] and the contexts in which these services are provided. The survey should take you approximately 30 minutes to complete. It is divided into four areas: staff background and program involvement, type of assistance provided to participants, nature and amount of assistance provided to participants, and professional and program context. Your answers will be kept private. Information you provide will not be shared with other program staff, including your supervisor. Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary, but it is important that we have as much input as possible to ensure accurate evaluation of these programs.

Shortly you will receive an email from the ISIS study team providing you with a link to a web-based survey form. The email will be sent from [sender], and it will reference [subject line] in the “Subject” line. The email will also contain a toll free number and email address for you to send any questions or concerns about the survey. Thank you in advance for your assistance in completing this survey and providing important information to the study. With your help, we will have better information about the practices of participating ISIS programs across the nation.

Sincerely,

Abt Associates ISIS Project Director

The Paperwork Reduction Act Burden Statement: This collection of information is voluntary and will be used to supplement information gathered during on-site visits. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection of information. 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. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to [Contact Name]; [Contact Address]; Attn: OMB-PRA (0970-0397).

Innovative Strategies for Increasing Self-Sufficiency (ISIS)

Case Manager/Advisor Survey

As you may know, [name of local ISIS program] is participating in the Innovative Strategies for Increasing Self-Sufficiency (ISIS) study. This study is sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and is being conducted by Abt Associates and its partners. The study will assess a range of promising post-secondary career pathways programs that promote the improvement of education, employment, and self-sufficiency for low-skilled and economically disadvantaged adults.

As part of the ISIS study, we are asking program staff who provide direct support and services to participants (such as advising, case management, or employment support) to complete a brief survey to help us better understand the types of services provided as part of [name of local ISIS program] and the contexts in which these services are provided. The survey should take you approximately 30 minutes to complete. It is divided into four areas: staff background and program involvement, type of assistance provided to participants, nature and amount of assistance provided to participants and professional and program context.

Your answers will be kept private. Information you provide will not be shared with other program staff, including your supervisor. Only the evaluation team will have access to the information you provide through this survey. Your name will not be listed in any reports published, and comments will not be attributed to you. Instead, your information will be combined with information provided by others. Your responses to these questions are also completely voluntary. We hope you will choose to complete all of the questions on the survey, but you may choose to skip any question you do not feel comfortable answering. Thank you in advance for your assistance in completing this survey and providing important information to the study.

The Paperwork Reduction Act Burden Statement: This collection of information is voluntary and will be used to supplement information gathered during on-site visits. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection of information. 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. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to [Contact Name]; [Contact Address]; Attn: OMB-PRA (0970-0397).

Part A. Staff Background and Program Involvement

Please complete the requested information below or select the category for each item that best describes your background.

1. What is your title? ______________________

2a. How long have you been working in this position of [title from Q1] or a similar one at [name of local ISIS program]?

_____ years _____ months

2b. On average, what percent of your time do you spend on [name of local ISIS program]? (Please enter a response from 1-100.)

____% of your time

3. Are you male or female?

 Male

 Female

4. What is your age? _______ years

5. Are you of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin?

(Please select only one answer.)

 No, not of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin

 Yes, Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano

 Yes, Puerto Rican

 Yes, Cuban

 Yes, another Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin

6. What is your race?

(You may select one or more answers.)

 White

 Black or African American

 American Indian or Alaska Native

 Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

 Asian

7. What is the highest level of education you have completed?

(Please select only one answer.)

 Some high school (no diploma/no GED)

 High school diploma or GED

 Some college (no degree)

 Associate’s Degree

 Bachelor’s Degree

 Master’s degree

 Doctoral degree or equivalent

 Other (Please specify):______________________________________

8. Have you earned a post-secondary degree in any of the following academic areas?

(Please select all that apply. If you have not earned a degree in an academic area, leave it blank.)

Academic Area	Degree Earned
	Associate’s Degree	Bachelor’s Degree	Master’s Degree	Doctoral Degree
8a. Adult Education
8b. Business
8c. Communication Arts
8d. Education
8e. Education/Elementary School
8f. Education/Middle School
8g. Education/Secondary School
8h. Education/Reading
8i. Special Education
8j. Engineering
8k. English
8l. ESL
8m. Guidance/Counseling
8n. History
8o. Language/Linguistics
8p. Mathematics
8q. Science (i.e., Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Physics, Health Sciences, Nursing)
8r. Social Science (i.e., Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Psychology)
8s. Social Work
8t. Other academic area (Please specify): _________________________

9. In addition to these post-secondary degrees, do you hold any educational certifications?

 Yes

 No

10. If yes, please specify the subject area in which you are certified and the type of certification you hold.  You may include temporary or emergency certifications. Please do not include certifications that are in progress.

Subject Area	Type Certification

11. What is your primary responsibility as part of [name of local ISIS program]?

(Please select only one answer.)

 Recruitment

 Intake and enrollment

 Academic advising (e.g., assistance with course selection, tutoring, etc.)

 Non-academic advising (e.g., assistance with personal/financial supports and guidance)

 Career advising (e.g., assistance with career and employment choices)

 Employment assistance (e.g., job readiness, job search, job placement)

 Other (Please specify):______________________________________

12. What other (secondary) responsibilities do you have as part of [name of local ISIS program]? (Please select all that apply.)

Recruitment

 Intake and enrollment

 Academic advising (e.g., assistance with course selection, tutoring, etc.)

 Non-academic advising (e.g., assistance with personal/financial supports and guidance)

 Career advising (e.g., assistance with career and employment choices)

 Employment assistance (e.g., job readiness, job search, job placement)

 Other (Please specify):______________________________________

13. How much total work experience (including your current and prior positions) do you have in performing responsibilities similar to those you carryout as part of [name of local ISIS program]?

(Please select only one answer.)

 More than 5 years

 3 to 5 years

 1 to less than 3 years

 Less than 1 year

14a. In your position of [insert title from Q1] at [name of local ISIS program], are you responsible for working with a number of participants on an ongoing basis (i.e., do you carry a “caseload”)?

 Yes

 No

14b If yes, how many participants do you typically work with (i.e., how many are on your caseload)?

______________ # participants

15. In your position of [insert title from Q1] at [name of local ISIS program], are you a:

(Please select only one answer.)

 Full-time employee

 Part-time employee

 Contractor

16a. Do you receive any fringe benefits (e.g., paid time off, health insurance) as part of your employment with [name of local ISIS program]?

 Yes

 No

16b. If yes, please select all that apply:

 Paid vacation

 Health insurance

 Life insurance

 Sick leave

 Tuition reimbursement

 Free or discounted tuition

 Other (Please specify):______________________________________

17a. Are professional development opportunities (e.g., workshops or training) available to you as part of your job?

 Yes

 No

17b. If yes, please select all that apply.

 Workshops/Trainings

 Professional conferences

 Professional association memberships or journal subscriptions

 Online learning resources

 Mentoring/Coaching

 Learning communities or listservs

 Other (Please specify):______________________________________

18. Are the majority of the professional development opportunities available to you:

(Please select the one answer that is most accurate.)

 Paid by your employer and available during your normal work hours

 Paid by your employer, but on personal time

 Available at a cost to you, but provided time during work hours to attend/use

 Available at a cost to you, on personal time

19. How often do you attend/participate in professional development activities?

 More than 5 times per year

 3-5 times per year

 1-2 times per year

 Never

Part B. Type of Assistance Provided

20. Using a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 = None of My Time and 7 = Most of My Time, please indicate how much time you spend on each of the following activities:

Domain	Item	Scale
		1 None of My Time	2	3	4	5	6	7 Most of My Time
Recruitment	Recruiting participants for the program
Academic Advising	Advising participants on admissions requirements or pre-requisites
	Advising participants on course selection
	Assisting participants with enrollment in classes
	Obtaining and reviewing participants’ academic assessment results
	Monitoring participants’ day-to-day academic progress
	Arranging instructional support such as tutoring or study groups for participants
Non-academic advising	Advising participants on personal issues and needs
	Advising or assisting participants with financial aid or scholarships
	Referring or connecting participants to support services (childcare, TANF, SNAP, transportation, housing, etc.)
	Assisting participants with developing skills needed for success at school, work, and other areas of life (either in a group setting or individually)
Career Advising	Helping participants develop career goals
	Providing career information and advice to participants
Employment Assistance	Assisting participants with internships/externships/clinical placements
	Helping participants prepare resumes
	Identifying job openings for participants
	Referring participants to job search/placement services
	Conducting mock interviews with participants
Other	Other (Please specify): ________________________

Part C. Nature and Amount of Assistance Provided

21. On average, how often do you have contact with participants through each of the following methods?

	Scale
	1 Never	2 A Few Times per Year	3 About Once a Month	4 2 to 3 Times a Month	5 Once a Week or More
In person, individual session
In person, group session
Over the phone
By email or other electronic communication
Other method (Please specify): _______________________________

22. In general, who initiates the majority of the participant meetings?

 I do

 Another program staff member does

 The participant does

 Equally me or another person (program staff or participant)

 It varies case to case

23. On average, how often do you…

	Scale
	1 Never	2 A Few Times per Year	3 About Once a Month	4 2 to 3 Times a Month	5 Once a Week or More
Communicate with instructional staff about participants’ individual situations (e.g., participant progress, strengths, barriers to participation)?
Communicate with program managers or supervisors about participants’ individual situations (e.g., participant progress, strengths, barriers to participation)?

24. Using a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = Strongly Disagree and 5 = Strongly Agree, please respond to the following statements:

	Scale
	1 Strongly Disagree	2	3	4	5 Strongly Agree
Staff in this program make an effort to get to know the participants well.
Staff in this program make an effort to learn about participants’ personal and family situations.
Staff in this program closely monitor the academic progress of its participants.
Staff in this program make an effort to learn about participants’ career and employment goals.

25. Using a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = Strongly Disagree and 5 = Strongly Agree, please rate how much you agree or disagree with the following statement:

If people in my job do good work, we can really improve the lives of participants.

Scale
1 Strongly Disagree	2	3	4	5 Strongly Agree

26. In your opinion, which three of the following personal problems or challenges most frequently stand in the way of participants successfully completing the program?

(Please select up to three answers.)

 Motivational issues

 Mental health issues

 Substance abuse issues

 Physical health issues

 Domestic violence issues

 Other domestic issues (e.g., marital or relationship issues)

 Child care or dependent care issues

 Transportation problems

 Child behavioral issues

 Homelessness or housing problems

 Criminal history

 Legal problems

 Financial issues

 Other (Please specify):______________________________________

27. In your opinion, does your program offer sufficient support services to participants with the following issues?

	Yes	No	Don’t Know
Motivational issues
Mental health issues
Substance abuse issues
Physical health issues
Domestic violence issues
Other domestic issues (e.g., marital or relationship issues)
Child care or dependent care issues
Transportation problems
Child behavioral issues
Homelessness or housing problems
Criminal history
Legal problems
Financial issues
Other (Please specify): _______________________________

28. Based on the practices in your program, what would you say is the more important goal of the program?

• To help participants move along the career pathway by finding employment in their desired field as quickly as possible

• To help participants move along the career pathway by continuing their education with the aim of achieving further credentialing to support higher-skilled employment

Scale
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Employment To help participants move along the career pathway by finding employment in their desired field as quickly as possible			Both Equally			Education To help participants move along the career pathway by continuing their education with the aim of achieving further credentialing to support higher-skilled employment

29. In your opinion, which do you feel the more important goal of the program should be?

• To help participants move along the career pathway by finding employment in their desired field as quickly as possible

• To help participants move along the career pathway by continuing their education with the aim of achieving further credentialing to support higher-skilled employment

Scale
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Employment To help participants move along the career pathway by finding employment in their desired field as quickly as possible			Both Equally			Education To help participants move along the career pathway by continuing their education with the aim of achieving further credentialing to support higher-skilled employment

30. In your opinion, if participants get the typical services provided by your program, how helpful will these services be to them in getting a job in the field they are studying?

Scale
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Little Help in Getting a Job						Considerable Help in Getting a Job

31. In your opinion, if participants get the typical services provided by your program how helpful will the services be to them in feeling better about themselves?

Scale
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Little Help in Feeling Better About Themselves						Considerable Help in Feeling Better About Themselves

Part D. Professional and Program Context

Using a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = Strongly Disagree and 5 = Strongly Agree, please rate how strongly do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements about [name of local ISIS program] and your experiences in your position?

Domain	Item	Scale
		1 Strongly Disagree	2	3	4	5 Strongly Agree
Staffing	32. Frequent staff turnover is a problem for your program.
Staffing	Staff in your program are able to spend the time needed with participants.
Staffing	Staff in your program have the skills they need to do their jobs.
Staffing	Your program has enough staff to meet current participant needs.
Staffing	Staff in your program are well-trained.
Staffing	A larger support staff is needed to help meet needs at your program.
Training	Staff training and professional development are priorities in your program.
Training	You learned new skills or techniques at a professional training in the past year.
Training	Your program holds regular in-service training.
Training	The budget in your program allows staff to attend professional training.
Supervision	Your program is managed well.
Supervision	Your program has supervisors who are capable and qualified.
Supervision	When needed, program supervisors devote much time and attention to staff supervision.
Supervision	Management decisions for your program are well planned.
Supervision	You have confidence in how decisions at your program are made.
Supervision	You meet frequently with supervisors about participant needs and progress.
Supervision	Staff concerns are ignored by management when making decisions about your program.
Growth	Your program encourages and supports professional growth for the staff.
Growth	Keeping your knowledge and skills up-to-date is a priority for you.
Growth	You do a good job of regularly updating and improving your skills.
Growth	You regularly read professional articles or books in your field of expertise.
Growth	You review new techniques or updates in the field regularly.
Satisfaction	You are satisfied with your present job.
Satisfaction	You feel appreciated for the job you do.
Satisfaction	You give high value to the work you do.
Satisfaction	You are proud to tell others where you work.
Satisfaction	You like the people you work with.
Satisfaction	You would like to find a job somewhere else.
Mission	Some staff members seem confused about the main goals for your program.
Mission	Your duties are clearly related to the goals for your program.
Mission	Your program operates with clear goals and objectives.
Mission	Management for your program has a clear plan for its future.
Stress	The heavy staff workload reduces the effectiveness of your program.
Stress	You are under too many pressures to do your job effectively.
Stress	Staff members at your program often show signs of high stress and strain.
Stress	Staff frustration is common where you work.

Thank you for your time in filling out this questionnaire.

Thank