Youth participant interviews

^{FUP-FSS Demonstration Evaluation}

INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR YOUTH FUP-FSS PARTICIPANTS

Consent Script for Youth FUP-FSS Demonstration Interviews

Before we begin, I want to tell you a few things about this study and your participation in it. Please feel free to ask me any questions you might have. We will also email/give you a copy of this information.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) contracted with the Urban Institute and with Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, as their subcontractor, to learn about how the Family Unification Program - Family Self-Sufficiency (FUP-FSS) Demonstration has been working. The information gathered will be used to help HUD understand how the demonstration is being carried out and what the outcomes of participating youth are in the short-term.

You have been invited to participate in this interview because you were eligible to participate in the FUP-FSS Demonstration. If you agree to participate in an interview, a pair of researchers will ask you some questions about your experiences with the FUP-FSS demonstration, including how you learned about the demonstration, why you decided to participate or not to participate, and what help you have received through the demonstration if you participated in it.

Taking part in this interview is completely voluntary. Participating or choosing not to participate will have no effect on your participation in the FUP-FSS Demonstration or on any services you are eligible to receive. The interview will last about 60 minutes. You may choose to skip any questions you don’t want to answer and you may stop participating in the interview at any time. With your permission, we will audio record the interview to have an accurate record of what is said. One of the researchers will be taking detailed notes. We may contact you after the interview to ask for clarification. You will receive a $25 gift card as a thank you.

We will make every effort to protect your privacy to the extent permitted by law. We will not allow anyone outside the research team to listen to the audio recordings or review the notes we take. Our notes will not include your name. We will combine what you tell us about your experiences with the FUP-FSS Demonstration with what several other young people here in [PHA jurisdiction] and in 2 other locations tell us. If we quote you, we won’t include your name or any other information that could be used to identify you.

We will give you a document that answers questions about the FUP-FSS Demonstration Evaluation and the interviews we are conducting. After you review the document, you can decide if you still want to participate. We want to be sure that you freely consent to participate in this interview and that you are aware that you are not required to answer any questions you do not want to answer. Additionally, your decision to participate or not and your responses to our questions will in no way affect any services you are eligible for or receiving.

[Provide FUP-FSS Demonstration Evaluation INFORMATION FOR YOUTH ABOUT THE FUP-FSS DEMONSTRATION STUDY]

burden to Michael Pergamit at mpergamit@urban.org.

INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR YOUTH

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STUDY OR TODAY’S INTERVIEW?

DO YOU CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERVIEW?

DO YOU CONSENT TO BE RECORDED?

[If consented to recording]: I am turning on the tape recorder now so we can get started.

Today we’d like to talk to you about your experiences with the Family Unification Program - Family Self-sufficiency (FUP-FSS) Demonstration.

1. Are you a FUP-FSS Demonstration participant?

• [IF NO: verify participation in FUP youth]

• IF YES: How long have you been participating in FUP-FSS?

• How long have you been participating in FUP youth?

2. Learning about FUP

Let’s start by talking about how you first learned about Family Unification Program, which is also known as FUP. FUP provides housing vouchers from a public housing authority and other services to youth who were formerly in foster care.

• Can you tell me how you first learned about FUP?

  • Prompt: When did you first learn about FUP (e.g., part of transition planning process; after leaving care)?

  • Prompt: From whom did you first learn about FUP (e.g., caseworker)?

• What were you told about FUP when you first learned about it?

  • Prompt: What were you told about the benefits of participating in FUP?

• What did you think about FUP when you first learned about it?

3. Learning about FSS Program

Now let’s talk about the Family Self Sufficiency Program, which is also known as the FSS Program. The FSS Program provides case management and other services to help youth become self-sufficient.

• Did you learn about the FSS program at the same time you first learned about FUP?

  • IF NO: When did you first learn about the FSS program?

• What were you told about the FSS program when you first learned about it?

  • Prompt: What were you told about the benefits of participating in the FSS program?

• What did you think about the FSS program when you first learned about it?

4. Decision to participate in the FUP-FSS demonstration

Next let’s talk about your decision to participate in the FUP-FSS demonstration.

• Can you tell us about your decision to participate in the FUP-FSS demonstration?

• [IF PARTICIPATING IN THE DEMO]:

• What motivated you to participate?

  • Prompt: Potential to keep your housing voucher for more than 36 months?

  • Prompt: Case management services offered by the FSS program?

  • Prompt: Connections to education, employment and other services?

  • Prompt: Potential to build up savings that you can use when you graduate?

• What was the most important reason you decided to participate?

• [IF NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE DEMO]:

• Can you tell us about your decision not to participate in the FUP-FSS demonstration?

• What factors influenced your decision not to participate?

• What was the most important reason you decided not to participate?

  • Prompt: Are there other services available in the community?

  • Prompt: Do you not need the services because you are working or in school?

  • Prompt: Did you not want to participate in yet another program?

• How much thought did you give to participating in the demonstration?

• What, if anything, would have changed your mind about participating in the demonstration?

5. FUP Application and Orientation

Now let’s talk about your experience with the FUP application and orientation.

• Can you tell us about the application process?

• Did you experience any challenges filling out the application?

• IF YES: What challenges did you experience?

• Did you receive any help filling out the application?

• IF YES: What was the most useful help that you received?

• IF NOT: What kind of help would have been useful to you?

• What happened during the orientation you attended before your FUP voucher was issued?

  • Was the information you received about FUP during that orientation useful?

  • What information did you receive about the FSS program during that orientation?

    • How useful was this information?

6. Assistance Finding Housing

Next, let’s talk about finding a place to live with your FUP voucher.

• Can you tell us about your experience finding a place to live with your FUP voucher?

  • PROMPT: How easy or difficult was finding a place to live?

• What challenges did you face trying to find a place to live with your FUP voucher?

• Did you receive any help finding a place to live?

  • What type of help did you receive?

  • Who provided that help?

7. Other Housing Assistance

Now let’s talk about other help with housing you might have received.

• Besides help finding a place to live, have you received any other help with your housing? For example, did you receive help with security deposits, utilities, moving expenses, furniture, or household items?

• IF YES: What other help with your housing have you received?

• IF YES: Who provided that help?

• IF NO: Did/do you need additional help with your housing?

  • IF YES: What additional help with your housing did/do you need?

8. Housing Stability

Next I’d like to talk about the stability of your housing.

• Would you describe yourself as stably housed?

  • Why or why not?

• How many times have you moved since you first leased up with your FUP voucher?

• Have you ever not been able to pay your portion of the rent since you first leased up with your FUP voucher?

• Do you think the [FUP program or FUP-FSS demonstration] has helped you maintain stable housing?

  • IF YES: How has the program helped you maintain stable housing?

  • IF NO: What additional help do you need to maintain stable housing?

• How do you think you will pay for your housing once the housing assistance you receive because of your FUP voucher [and FUP-FSS participation] ends?

[For FUP youth not participating in FUP-FSS SKIP to Section 16]

9. Participating in FSS

Next I would like to talk about your participation in the FSS component of FUP-FSS.

• When did you start participating in the FSS program?

10. Self-Sufficiency Goals

FSS participants have an Individual Training and Services Plan(ITSP) that includes their self-sufficiency goals.

• Can you tell us about your self-sufficiency goals?

  • What motivated you to choose these goals?

  • Tell me about any help you received choosing your goals?

    • Prompt: What kind of help did you receive?

    • Prompt: What, if any, additional help would have been useful?

11. Case Management

FSS participants are assigned a case manager to help them access the services they need to achieve their self-sufficiency goals.

• What has working with your FSS case manager been like?

  • What kind of help, if any, does your FSS case manager provide?

  • How frequently do you meet with your FSS case manager?

    • How frequently would you like to meet with your case manager?

  • Do you think your FSS case manager can help you achieve your FSS goals?

    • Why or why not?

12. Connections to Services and Resources

FSS case managers connect FSS participants to the services or other resources they need to achieve their education, employment or other self-sufficiency goals.

• What, if any, services or other resources have you been referred to by your FSS case manager?

• For how long did/have you participate(d) in these services?

• Have these services or other resources helped you achieve your FSS goals?

13. Challenges to Self Sufficiency

Earlier I asked you about your self-sufficiency goals. Now let’s talk about the progress you [made/are making] toward those goals.

• Can you tell me about the progress [you made/you are making] towards your self-sufficiency goals?

• What are the biggest barriers to achieving those goals?

• How [did the FSS program help/is the FSS program helping] you overcome these barriers?

• What else could the program [have done/do] to help you overcome these barriers?

14. FUP-FSS Demonstration Promotion

Imagine for a moment that another young person asked you about the FUP-FSS Demonstration.

• What would you tell this young person about FUP-FSS?

• What do you think is the best way to let other young people who are eligible for FUP-FSS know about the opportunity?

15. Reflections

Finally, we'd like you to reflect on your experience with FUP-FSS.

• How do you think you [have benefited/are benefiting] from participating in the FUP-FSS Demonstration?

• What [did/do] you think was the most useful about participating in the FUP-FSS Demonstration?

• What [did/do] you like least about the FUP-FSS demonstration?

• What, if anything, would you change about the FUP-FSS Demonstration to make it easier for young people to participate?

• What could the demonstration do differently to better meet the needs of young people who want to participate in it?

[For FUP youth participating in FUP-FSS SKIP to Section 17]

16. Self-Sufficiency

Many young people need assistance to help them become self-sufficient. Let’s talk about any assistance you are receiving and any assistance you might need.

• What kind of assistance, if any, are you receiving from [CHILD WELFARE AGENCY NAME] to help you become self-sufficient?

• Prompt: FUP supportive services

• Prompt: [Chafee services, using local service name]

• Prompt: Education and Training Voucher (ETV)

• Can you tell me about some of the biggest barriers to your becoming self-sufficient?

• What additional assistance, if any, would help you become self-sufficient?

17. Closing

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today.

• FOR YOUTH WHO ARE/WERE FUP-FSS DEMONSTRATION PARTICIPANTS: Is there anything else you think I should know about the FUP-FSS Demonstration that I didn’t ask you about?

• FOR YOUTH WHO WERE NOT FUP-FSS DEMONSTRATION PARTICIPANTS: Is there anything else you think I should know about helping youth become self-sufficient that I didn’t ask you about?

• Do you have any final questions for me about the study?

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