Interviews

Supporting Statement for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions

Evaluation of the Supportive Services Demonstration

(OMB# xxxx-xxxx)

Appendix E: Interview Guide for Housing Property Staff at Treatment Properties

1. Appendix E. Interview Guide for Housing Property Staff at Treatment Properties

Respondent is housing property staff (most likely the property manager). Items in italics are instructions for the interviewer, not to be read aloud.

Introduction

Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with me. Abt Associates and its subcontractor L&M Policy Research has been contracted by HUD to conduct an evaluation of the IWISH program. IWISH is the program that provides the funding for the Resident Wellness Director(s) and Wellness Nurse(s) at this property. We are speaking with property managers [term is “site liaison” if property is a coop] at all properties that are implementing the program.

Today’s discussion is the second conversation we’ve had about the IWISH program in [PROPERTY NAME]. In [MONTH YEAR] we spoke to [RWD NAME] to gather some basic information on how the IWISH program works at your property. We now have the opportunity to delve more deeply into your experience with the start-up, implementation, and impact of the IWISH program at your property.

Your participation in this interview is purely voluntary and you are free to skip any questions you do not wish to answer. The interview questions have been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated at up to 150 minutes per response, but we expect this conversation will take about an hour. The OMB control number is XXXX-XXXX, expiring XX-XX-XXXX.

We will be taking notes during our discussion but will not be recording the discussion. At the end of the study, after we complete our interviews, we will provide the interview notes to HUD with individuals’ names, property names, and location names removed. We will also provide summary reports on the interviews to HUD but will not use your name or the name of the property in those summary reports. The information that we collect will be used for research purposes only, not for any audit or compliance purposes.

There may be some questions you may not be able to answer or that are more appropriate for other staff. If you are unable to answer or would prefer not to answer a question, just let me know. You are free to skip any question you do not wish to answer.

Do you have any questions about the evaluation or today’s discussion before we begin?

Background and Prior Experience

[RQ5, Factors contributing to variation in IWISH implementation]

Before we start discussing IWISH, I’d like to understand your background and role at the property.

1. How long have you been employed at this property?

2. Overall, how many years of experience do you have as a property manager? How many years of experience do you have managing HUD housing? Housing for older adults?

3. What is your work schedule at this property? How many days and hours are you here on site?

4. What are your specific responsibilities at this property?

5. What other staff, such as maintenance and janitorial, work at this property?

6. Is there a resident council or some other type of resident leadership organization? If so, what is the role of the council?

Property Manager Experience with IWISH Ramp Up and Hiring

[RQ1, Implementation experience; RQ5, Factors contributing to variation in IWISH implementation]

7. (Ask only if the property manager was at the property between October 2017 and March 2018.) The IWISH program formally started in October 2017, but enrollment did not begin until late March 2018. What activities were you involved with related to the IWISH ramp up? (If necessary: Examples include setting up office space/software, participating in training offered by HUD or the Lewin Group related to IWISH, participating in any other training related to IWISH; establishing IWISH plans and procedures; hiring RWD; contracting for WN.)

8. (Ask only if the property manager was at the property between October 2017 and March 2018.) Was the ramp-up period challenging for you? If so, describe the challenges.

9. To your knowledge, did the property experience any challenges with hiring a RWD or transitioning an existing staff member to the position of RWD? If so, describe.

10. I understand that the position of RWD has turned over [INSERT #] times. From your perspective, what were the reason(s) for the turnover? (If needed, prompt: For example, left for a new opportunity, not the right fit, personnel conflict, dismissed due to performance.)

11. If RWD position turned over: How did you adapt while the RWD position was vacant? Did you or any of your colleagues assume some of the RWD’s duties? If so, please describe what you did.

12. If RWD position turned over: From your perspective, did the turnover in the RWD position affect the implementation of IWISH? If so, how?

13. To your knowledge, did your organization experience any challenges in engaging the services of a wellness nurse? If so, describe.

14. I understand that the WN position has turned over [INSERT #] times. From your perspective, what were the reason(s) for the turnover? (If needed, prompt: For example, left for a new opportunity, not the right fit, due to contracting agency requirements, personnel conflict, dismissed due to performance.)

15. If position turned over: How did you adapt while the WN position was vacant? Did you or any of your colleagues assume some of the WN’s duties? If so, please describe what you did.

16. If position turned over: From your perspective, did the turnover in the WN position affect the implementation of IWISH? If so, how?

Role in Implementation of IWISH Components

[RQ1, Implementation experience; RQ5, Factors contributing to variation in IWISH implementation]

Now I would like to understand your ongoing experience with IWISH.

17. Now that IWISH is underway, do you spend more time on IWISH-related work than you expected, less time, or about the same?

18. Can you estimate about how many hours in an average week you spend on activities related to IWISH? This can include meeting with IWISH staff, meeting with residents on IWISH-related activities, and communicating with HUD, among other activities. (If respondent has trouble imagining a typical week, ask for ranges or percentages of time.)

19. What parts of the program take the most time for you?

20. Overall, how would you characterize your overall involvement in the day-to-day activities of the IWISH program? Would you describe yourself as very involved, somewhat involved, minimally involved, or not involved at all?

21. Has your level of involvement in the program changed over time, that is, since late March 2018? If yes, how has it changed? To what do you attribute the changes?

I am now going to ask about a series of activities related to IWISH, to learn more about how you or other staff at the property (other than the RWD and WN) are involved in the day-to-day implementation of the program.

22. Have you or other property staff been involved in outreach to encourage residents to enroll in IWISH or participate in IWISH activities? If so, describe.

23. Have you or other property management staff been involved in building partnerships with service providers in the community? If so, describe.

24. Have you observed any changes in community partnerships over time, between the start of enrollment in late March 2018 and the present? Has the number of partnerships increased or decreased? Have the types of partners changed? To what extent are these changes attributable to IWISH?

25. Are you involved in determining how to use the supportive services funds ($15/unit/month) that are available for programming? If yes, how do you determine what the funds are used for?

26. To your knowledge, does your property have a community health aging plan (CHAP)? Were you involved in developing the CHAP? Do you know how it has been used?

I want to ask about emergency response protocols, as I know that many properties revisited their emergency protocols when the IWISH program started.

27. Did you modify your emergency response protocol or develop a new protocol because of IWISH? Please describe the changes. Was that a challenging process?

28. Has the emergency protocol been implemented as planned in emergencies? Why or why not?

29. Have you had any experience with the PHL system that the RWD and WN use to store data on IWISH participants? If so, what has your experience been? Have you seen or used any reports from PHL?

30. In what other ways, if any, do you or other property management staff help to support the IWISH program activities? (If needed, prompt: For example, assuring the availability of physical space for programming and events, clerical or administrative tasks, coordinating residents’ transitions to and from hospitals or nursing homes.)

31. What would you say are the most important ways that property management supports implementation of IWISH?

I’d like to spend a little bit of time talking about how you work with the RWD and WN on a day-to-day basis.

32. On average, how often do you communicate with the RWD(s)? Please describe a typical interaction. What is the mode of the communication? What issues are covered?

33. Is there anything about the RWD’s role that is problematic for you as a property manager? Is there anything about the RWD’s job description that you would change if you could?

34. If property had a service coordinator prior to IWISH: How does working with the RWD under IWISH compare with working with the service coordinator before IWISH?

Let’s talk about your working relationship with the WN.

35. On average, how often do you communicate with the WN(s)? Please describe a typical interaction. What is the mode of the communication? What issues are covered?

36. Is there anything about the WN’s role that is problematic for you as a property manager? Is there anything about the WN’s job description that you would change if you could?

37. If property had some type of nurse prior to IWISH: How does working with the WN under IWISH compare to working with the nurse you had before?

Effects of IWISH on Property Management

[RQ1, Implementation experience, RQ2, Strengths and weaknesses of the IWISH model]

Let’s talk now about the overall effects of IWISH that you see from your perspective as a property manager.

38. Has working with the RWD and WN had an impact on how you do your job? For example, have they had any impact on your plans for the property or your day-to-day decisions? If so describe.

39. I’m now going to ask about a series of property management activities. Please indicate whether you have seen any changes in each of these activities that you would attribute to implementation of the IWISH program.

Activity	Change? (y/n)	If yes:
		Please describe these changes	To what aspects of IWISH do you attribute this change?
Property management communication with residents
Rent collection
Unit turnover
Evictions or eviction prevention
Property damage
Housekeeping issues
Disputes among residents
Disputes between residents and property management
Building maintenance, repairs, or improvements

40. Are there any other property management issues or activities that have changed since the start of IWISH, including unintended consequences?

41. Overall, since implementation of IWISH has your job been easier, harder, or about the same? (If necessary, prompt: How has having the RWD made your job easier or harder? How has having the WN made your job easier or harder?)

42. What aspects of the IWISH model do you see as most beneficial? What aspects are least beneficial?

43. The IWISH program is designed to help residents to age in place. Stepping back from the IWISH program, what do you see as the upsides and downsides of encouraging residents to age in place?

Effects of IWISH on Residents

[RQ2, Strengths and weaknesses of the IWISH model; RQ1, Implementation experience]

44. What changes have you actually observed in the health and well-being of IWISH participants that in your opinion are a result of the program? Please describe the changes and provide concrete examples. What about the IWISH program do you think prompted these changes?

45. (If respondent has not observed changes) Is it surprising to you that you have not observed any changes? Why or why not?

46. Are there particular groups or types of residents that you feel are more likely or less likely to benefit from IWISH? Describe.

47. Can you think of any specific examples where IWISH program staff helped a resident to avoid an unnecessary 911 call, trip to the ER, or stay in a nursing home (including readmissions Please describe those scenarios: What precipitated the crisis? Did you get involved and, if so, how? What do you think would have happened had IWISH staff not been there?

48. What are the main reasons that people leave this property? (Probe for the proportions of people leaving for different reasons, such as death, moving in with family, moving into a higher level of care, etc.)

49. Do you think that the IWISH program has any effect on whether and why people leave the property? If so, describe.

50. Can you think of any specific examples where IWISH program staff helped a resident to avoid an eviction, lease termination, or permanent transfer to a nursing facility? Please describe those scenarios: What precipitated the crisis? Did you get involved and, if so, how? What do you think would have happened had IWISH staff not been there?

51. What do you see as the main barriers that your residents face in aging in place successfully? Which of those barriers does the IWISH program help with? Which barriers is it not so helpful for?

52. Do you have any suggestions for how the IWISH program could be improved? Either the design of the program or additional resources HUD could be providing?

53. Is there anything else that you would like to communicate about the IWISH program or about your work?

That’s all I have. Thank you very much for your time.

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