Appendix B_Invitations to Participate in the Study

Touchpoints Pilot Study Recruitment Materials

Date

Dear [MIECHV state awardee administrator],

We are reaching out to invite you to participate in a pilot study of two substance use performance measures. Substance use among caregivers enrolled in home visiting programs is prevalent. MIECHV awardees and their local agencies are uniquely positioned to identify and support caregivers with substance use problems. However, few substance use performance measures have been developed for and tested within home visiting programs. The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in collaboration with the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) have contracted with Mathematica to develop and pilot test two substance use performance measures.

Given your state’s [insert personalized phrase as to why we selected that state], we are asking you to consider participating in this pilot. We recognize the strain the COVID-19 public health emergency has created among home visitors and families. Participation in the pilot may provide your MIECHV program with tools to support home visitors’ efforts to identify substance use problems among the families in their programs. We anticipate that, after states and local agencies are selected, the pilot will begin in [insert month] and run through [month]. Attached you will find more information about the pilot and the substance use performance measures. We would like to set up a 30-minute phone conversation to share more about the study and discuss expectations for involvement. Would one of the following dates work well for you?

[Available dates/times]

Thank you in advance for your assistance with this important research effort. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Melissa Azur, Mathematica Project Director

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Date

Dear [Local implementing agency manager name],

We are reaching out to invite you to participate in a pilot study of two substance use performance measures. Substance use among caregivers enrolled in home visiting programs is prevalent. Home visiting staff are uniquely positioned to identify and support caregivers with substance use problems. However, few substance use performance measures have been developed for and tested within home visiting programs. The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in collaboration with the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) have contracted with Mathematica to develop and pilot test two substance use performance measures.

As you may have heard from [MIECHV state awardee administrator name], we are inviting your agency to learn more about this pilot. The pilot will assess whether the measures are feasible to implement, and in particular, if the data to calculate the measures are readily available and easily obtained. The pilot will also identify potential challenges with implementing the measures, as well as assess whether the measures would be useful to Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) awardees and local implementing agencies for improving home visiting services.

We anticipate that, after states and local agencies are selected, the pilot will begin in [insert month] and run through [insert month ]. Attached you will find more information about the pilot and the substance use performance measures. We would like to set up a 30-minute phone conversation to share more about the study and discuss expectations for involvement. Would one of the following dates work well for you?

[Available dates/times]

Please feel free to share the attached pilot study FAQ with your colleagues. Thank you for your consideration!

Sincerely,

Melissa Azur, Mathematica Project Director

---insert signature image here—

Date

Dear [Home visiting model representative name],

We are reaching out to invite you to participate in a short phone interview to share information about substance use screening within the context of [home visiting model name]. Substance use among caregivers enrolled in home visiting programs is prevalent. Home visiting staff are uniquely positioned to identify and support caregivers with substance use problems. However, few substance use performance measures have been developed for and tested within home visiting programs. The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in collaboration with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) have contracted with Mathematica to develop and pilot test two performance measures. The pilot will assess whether the measures are feasible to implement, and in particular, if the data to calculate the measures are readily available and easily obtained. Please see the attached FAQ for more information about the pilot.

Some of the local implementing agencies that are participating in the pilot are using [home visiting model name]. We are inviting you to participate in a 30- to 45-minute phone interview to help our study team learn about substance use screening within the context of [home visiting model name]. Your participation will provide important information on substance use screening, follow up care, and screening measurement and reporting guidance that is currently provided by [home visiting model name] and other home visiting models. Would one of the following dates work well for you?

[Available dates/times]

Thank you for your consideration!

Sincerely,

Melissa Azur, Mathematica Project Director

---insert signature image here—