Justification - SS

Customer Feedback Survey on SAMHSA/OAS Publication:

National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs, 2008

1. Product/Activity to be Assessed

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Office of Applied Studies (OAS) produces the National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs, which is an annual inventory of facilities providing substance abuse treatment services. Only providers recognized by their State substance abuse agency are listed in the Directory. Information included in the Directory is obtained from the annual National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS) conducted by OAS (OMB No. 0930-0106). The Directory includes the following information about each facility: facility name, address, phone numbers, email, website, type of substance abuse services provided, type of care, special programs/groups offered, forms of payment accepted, payment assistance available, and special language services.

The Directory serves as a resource for service providers, program managers, researchers, and others wanting to know the location and selected characteristics of substance abuse service providers. The Directory is mailed to the following groups:

• Substance abuse services facilities that reply to the N-SSATS and request a paper copy of the Directory

• Mailing lists of additional people who have requested an annual paper copy of the Directory including groups such as State substance abuse agencies and Community Epidemiology Work Group (CEWG) members

The Directory is also available as an on-line treatment locator, in a searchable format with maps showing the location of each facility. Therefore, it is important for OAS to assess the customers’ current needs for the paper copy to determine if OAS should continue to make paper copies available.

2. Summary of Prior Customer Satisfaction Assessments of this Product

Ten years ago (in 1998), customer feedback regarding format and content was obtained on the Directory (OMB No. 0930-0197). No other feedback has been collected on the Directory since then.

3. Objective of Proposed Customer Satisfaction Effort

The purpose of the customer feedback questionnaire is to determine the reader-audience’s needs regarding the format of the Directory. The goal is to meet the needs of those who use the Directory. The objectives of the survey are to: 1) determine the level of need for paper copy of the Directory; and 2) determine preferred formats of the paper copy of the Directory. As computers and web access have become more widely available, it is important to receive current feedback from our customers about preferred formats and to determine if they want to continue to receive paper copy.

4. Data Analysis Plan

Qualitative and quantitative data will be compiled from the survey responses to multiple choice questions and open-ended questions. Data will be entered into Microsoft Excel to summarize the responses in tables and to present the findings in charts/graphics. The quantitative analysis will include frequency and percentage distributions of the responses. The qualitative and quantitative data will be summarized in a report to highlight important findings and to present the information to OAS management for decision making.

5. Overview of Methods to be Used to Collect the Information

   1. Data Collection Method

The approach for this effort will be the same as the approach used in 2000 to obtain feedback on the content and format of other OAS publications. For one complete cycle of annual publications (approximately a 12 month period), the questionnaire will be affixed to the cover of the publication we are asking for feedback about – the National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs, 2008. The placement of the survey on the cover will provide high visibility to increase the response rate. The questionnaire will be attached to the cover with removable glue so it can be removed from the publication without damaging the publication cover or the questionnaire. The publication title and series number will be printed on the questionnaire for identification purposes. The questionnaire will be printed on a large postcard that will be pre-addressed and will have pre-paid postage. The publication will be mailed with a cover letter to addressees on selected mailing lists maintained by OAS. The publication will also be mailed to individuals in response to their requests. The cover letter, as well as the introductory box on the questionnaire, will direct attention to the survey by explaining its purpose and need for the feedback. Attachment A is the customer feedback survey. Attachment B is a sample cover letter.

2. Target Audience

Since OAS is requesting feedback on the paper copy of the Directory, the survey will be sent only to those receiving a paper copy of the Directory. The survey will not be sent to those who use the online version of the Directory (treatment locator) because it has a different format than the paper copy. This targeted method ensures a more precise distribution to the target audience to minimize the response burden and maximize the response rate.

3. Method for Identifying Respondents

Potential respondents are target groups who receive OAS publications through: 1) OAS mail-outs to mailing list addressees; 2) OAS mail-outs in response to individual information requests; 3) SAMHSA’s Health Information Network (SHIN) clearinghouse mail-outs to mailing list addressees; and 4) SHIN mail-outs in response to individual information requests.

4. Universe of Potential Respondents

Approximately 13,000 copies of the National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs, 2008 will be distributed with the feedback questionnaire.

Estimated Distribution:

Mailing List	Quantity on List
General mailing list – People who have requested a paper copy of all OAS Series Reports (including the Directory) as they become available, e.g., State substance abuse agencies, Community Epidemiology Work Group (CEWG) members	Approx. 210
National Directory mailing list – People who have requested a paper copy of the Directory as updates become available	Approx. 150
Treatment Facilities – Substance abuse services facilities that reply to the N-SSATS and request a paper copy of the 2008 National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs	12,334
TOTAL Estimated Distribution:	Approx. 12,694
Estimated Response:	Quantity: 2,539 (20% response rate)

5. Anticipated Response Rate

Similar feedback questionnaires on OAS publications were distributed in 2000 to 44,500 individuals and yielded 849 responses – a response rate of 2%. For this current feedback effort the same methods will be used, and additional efforts will be used to increase the response rate. Efforts to increase the response rate include the following:

1. The survey will be mailed to a precise target audience of people who are familiar with the Directory, and are therefore more likely to have feedback to offer. Only those who have specifically requested the Directory will receive the survey.

2. The survey is brief and concise, and it fits on a single postcard.

3. To increase visibility of the survey, it will be affixed to the cover of the publication we are asking for feedback about.

4. The questionnaire format is simple and organized so potential respondents are more likely to respond.

5. A personalized cover letter will be sent with the publication and survey whenever possible.

6. The survey purpose and benefit to the individual is clearly indicated on the survey and cover letter.

7. The survey has a small amount of text color to attract attention.

8. Results will be published online and will be mailed upon request.

Due to these efforts to maximize the response rate, OAS estimates a response rate of 20% (2,539 responses).

Since this is a small-scale voluntary survey, OAS does not plan to follow-up with those who chose not to respond.

6. Methods Used to Maintain Customer Confidentiality

The postcard survey will be independently completed and mailed by respondents who volunteer to respond to the survey. The personal identifier (name and mailing address) on the questionnaire are optional and only those who want to update their mailing address will consider providing that information.

6. Response Burden Estimate

Testing of the survey indicates an average response time of 5 minutes per questionnaire.

2,539 responses x 5 minutes (.083 hrs.) = 210.7 hours in one year

	Estimated # of Respondents	# of Responses per Respondent	Hours per Response	Total Burden Hours	Hourly Wage Rate	Total Cost per Year
Respondents (Non-Federal)	2,539	1	.083	210.7	$30	$6,321

7. Contact for Proposed Customer Satisfaction Effort

Coleen Sanderson

Program Analyst

SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies

8. List of Attachments

Attachment A: Customer feedback survey

Attachment B: Sample cover letter

ATTACHMENT A

[CUSTOMER FEEDBACK SURVEY]

ATTACHMENT B

SAMPLE COVER LETTER

National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs, 2008

Dear Colleague:

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) collects, analyzes, and disseminates data and information as part of its mission to improve the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment and mental health services in the United States. We are pleased to enclose our recent publication, National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs, 2008.

The National Directory is a listing of Federal, State, local, and private facilities that provide substance abuse treatment services. It includes treatment facilities that are licensed, certified, or otherwise approved for inclusion in the Directory by their State substance abuse agencies and that responded to the 2007 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS).

For each facility, the Directory indicates whether special programs are provided for specific types of clients such as adolescents, pregnant women, hearing impaired, and non-English speaking clients. Information is also provided about the type of care offered such as residential or outpatient care. The forms of payment accepted by each facility are also listed. The web version is available at http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov.

We hope you find this publication useful. If you would like additional copies, please feel free to contact SAMHSA’s Health Information Network (SHIN) at 1-800-729-6686.

Please take a moment to complete the questionnaire attached to the enclosed publication so we can determine if we should discontinue printing the Directory.

SAMHSA’s Office of Applied Studies provides the National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs as a resource for finding treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. This information is also available online in a searchable format at the treatment locator: http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov. We value feedback about your need for the paper copy of the Directory. Your response is requested by August 1, 2008. Your feedback will help us determine if future editions of the Directory should continue to be available in paper copy.

Thank you in advance.

Sincerely yours,

Peter J. Delany, Ph.D., LCSW-C

Director

Office of Applied Studies

Enclosure

6