Attachment A_SUPPORT Act Grants_Data Collection Planning Interview Guide_draft 2 clean

Attachment A – Data Collection Planning Interview

OMB Control No: ____-____

Expiration Date: __/__/____

Data Collection Planning Interview Guide for the SUPPORT Act Grants Evaluation

This document covers the key topics addressed in one-on-one interviews with program managers at grantee and sub-grantee sites implementing the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act grant programs. The purpose of these interviews is to gather updates in program implementation since calls in early 2020 to document the initial activities under the grant. These interviews will also inform the implementation learning activity and other future data collection efforts. Future data collection activities include Grantee, Sub-grantee, and Partner Surveys and interviews with program managers, staff, and partners. As currently planned, these planning Interviews will take place at each of the four grantees and eight sub-grantees selected for the implementation study visits. Interviews will be approximately 60 minutes in length for grantees and 90 minutes in length for sub-grantees. A table at the end of the document summarizes which staff (grantees or sub-grantees) will be included in each topic of the interviews.

Introductory statement for staff: This interview is being conducted as part of evaluation of the Department of Labor’s (DOL) SUPPORT Act grant programs Abt Associates and MDRC are conducting the evaluation for DOL’s Chief Evaluation Office, in partnership with the Employment and Training Administration. The study aims to provide important information on promising practices and implementation challenges in providing services that address both employment and treatment needs for those with OUD/SUD. The goal of the study is to document best practices, challenges, and lessons for both policymakers and program administrators. We will use the information we learn about today to plan for site visits to your program and an upcoming survey. We want to learn from your experiences, not to audit or rate your programs. This interview will take up to [60/90] minutes.

Privacy Statement: Before beginning the interview, I (we) want to thank you for agreeing to participate in the evaluation of the SUPPORT Act grant program. I (we) know that you are busy and we will try to be as focused as possible. We have many questions and are going to talk to many different people, so please do not feel as though we expect you to be able to answer every question. And, we understand that your participation in this discussion is voluntary and you may choose to not answer some or any questions.

Information collected will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. The views you express will be kept private, and nothing we publish in this evaluation will identify you by name. Though we take notes during these interviews, information is never repeated with the name of the respondent. When we write our reports and discuss our findings, information from all interviews is compiled and presented so that no one person can be identified. We also ask that you refrain from sharing anything we discuss today with others to help us ensure your privacy and the privacy of others we are interviewing. Do you have any questions before we begin?

The Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This collection of information is voluntary and will be used to understand programs that integrate employment and substance use disorder services. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 90 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. The OMB number and expiration date for this collection are OMB #: XXXX-XXXX, Exp: XX/XX/XXXX. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Hannah Betesh (Abt Associates); hannah_betesh@abtassoc.com.

1. Respondent information—grantees and sub-grantees

• Changes to role/responsibilities within organization and grant

2. Program context and environment—grantees and sub-grantees

Changes since knowledge development calls on:

• OUD/SUD conditions in community

• Changes in OUD/SUD overdose rates

• Changes in types of substances used

• COVID-19 effects on OUD/SUD conditions in community

• COVID-19 effects on treatment and recovery system, including vaccine mandates and labor shortages

• Local economic conditions

  • COVID-19 effects on OUD/SUD on local economy, including vaccine mandates and labor shortages

  • COVID-19 effects on workforce system service delivery

• Local policies and initiatives to address the opioid crisis

  • New funding received

  • COVID-19 effects on these initiatives, including reprioritizing, delays, or changes in plans

3. Program goals and structure—grantees and sub-grantees

Changes since knowledge development calls on:

• Funding context

  • Progress on grant spending and enrollment, plans for obtaining a no-cost extension, reasons for any delays in spending

  • Changes in available funding for other workforce system programs

• Staffing

  • Staff roles/responsibilities at grantee and subgrantee level

  • [Sub-grantees] Identify staff responsible for recruitment, enrollment, service delivery, and grant management to participate in upcoming site visit interviews

  • [Grantees] Identify state-level staff responsible for grant management, interagency coordination, and SUD/OUD initiatives relevant to the grant to participate in upcoming site visit interviews

  • Staff turnover at grantee and subgrantee level

• Key partners

  • Types of organizations

  • Nature of partnership, including role in grant (referrals, service delivery, supportive services etc.)

  • Length of partnership

  • [Sub-grantees] Identify partners, including employers, to interview during upcoming site visit interviews

4. Recruitment and enrollment—sub-grantees only

Changes since knowledge development calls on:

• Target populations and program eligibility

• Recruitment strategies

• Program enrollment

  • Number enrolled

  • Enrollment processes

5. Program services—grantees and sub-grantees

Changes since knowledge development calls on:

• Program services being offered

• Delivery structure for different types of services

• Participation in different types of services

• Program completion and progress towards performance indicators

6. Operational challenges and successes—grantees and sub-grantees

• Key successes in program implementation

• Key challenges the program is encountering

• Identify areas of interest for implementation learning activity

7. Site visit logistics—sub-grantees

• Identify target dates for visit

• Confirm target interviewees

• Confirm partners to visit during visit

• Identify visit locations such as grantee and subgrantee offices, partner offices, employer offices

The following table provides a summary of interview topics and potential respondents for each.

Summary of Interview Topics and Respondent Type

Topic	Respondent Type
	Grantees	Sub-grantees
Respondent Information	X	X
Project context and environment OUD/SUD conditions in community Local economic conditions Local policies and initiatives to address the opioid crisis	X	X
Program goals and structure Funding and capacity Staffing Partners	X	X
Recruitment and enrollment Target populations and eligibility Program enrollment		X
Program services Program services being offered Delivery structure for services Program enrollment Participation in services Program completion and progress towards performance indicators	X	X
Operational Challenges and Successes Key successes in program implementation Key challenges the program is encountering Identify areas of interest for implementation learning activity	X	X
Site Visit Logistics	X	X

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