Retention of Behavior Health Providers Survey

Draft – Advance Letter
Dr. Jill Carty
Executive Officer
Psychological Health Strategic Operations
Force Health Protection & Readiness
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs)
(703) 845-3317
Dear Provider,
In an effort to meet the growing behavioral health needs of today's military, TRICARE
Management Activity (TMA) Force Health Protection & Readiness (FHP&R) is undertaking an
important independent research effort to improve the retention of military mental health
providers. The goals of the research are to understand: 1) mental health providers' reasons for
joining the military and their expectations of service; 2) their reasons for staying in or leaving the
military; and 3) incentives that might encourage a mental health provider to extend his or her
service.
As part of this study, FHP&R has contracted with Mathematica Policy Research to conduct a
survey of current and former military psychologists and psychiatrists. Over the next several
weeks, you will receive an email from Mathematica containing a live link to a secure website
where you can complete the survey online. The link to the survey is embedded with a unique
username and password that grant you access to the survey. If you prefer not to complete the
survey online, the email will also contain a link to a .pdf version of the survey, which you can
print out, complete, and return to the address indicated on the survey.
For some of you, we may not have a current, working email address. In these cases,
Mathematica will mail you a packet containing a hard copy of the survey and a pre-labeled,
postage-paid envelope.
The survey is confidential, and will require about 15 minutes of your time. Your candid
responses will help FHP&R understand the specific needs and concerns of military mental health
providers, enabling us to identify areas where improvements are needed. Because you have been
selected as part of a random sample of current and former military psychologists and
psychiatrists, we urge you to participate in this important study so the results are as complete and
representative as possible.
If you have any questions about the study, or your rights as a study participant, please call Dr.
Kristen Purcell, Mathematica Project Director, toll-free at 1 (866) 917-2784.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,

Dr. Jill Carty

Draft – E-MAIL Invitation
Dear Provider,
Recently, you received a letter from TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) Force Health
Protection & Readiness (FHP&R) describing an important study underway to improve the
retention of military mental health providers. As part of this study, FHP&R has contracted with
Mathematica Policy Research to conduct a survey with a random sample of current and former
military psychologists and psychiatrists. The purpose of this survey is to identify the main causes
of military mental health provider attrition and develop recommendations to improve retention of
mental health providers in all military branches. Your answers are completely confidential, and
your participation is voluntary.
The survey will take approximately 15 minutes of your time. To complete the survey online,
please go to www.providersurvey.com. This live link is embedded with a unique username and
password that will grant you access to the survey
If you prefer to complete the survey by mail, please click here [live link to .pdf version] for a
printable version of the survey, which you can complete and return to:
MATHEMATICA POLICY RESEARCH
ATTN: RECEIPT CONTROL - Project 6551
P.O. Box 2393
Princeton, NJ 08543-2393

If you have any questions about the study, or about your rights as a study participant, please call
Dr. Kristen Purcell, Mathematica Project Director, toll-free at 1-866-917-2784.
We truly appreciate your participation in this important endeavor.
Sincerely,

Kristen Purcell, Ph.D.
Senior Survey Researcher
Mathematica Policy Research

P.O. Box 2393
Princeton, NJ 08543-2393
Telephone (609) 799-3535
Fax (609) 799-0005
www.mathematica-mpr.com

Kristen Purcell,
Senior Survey Researcher

[DATE]
Draft – Survey Packet Cover Letter

Dear Provider:
Recently, you received a letter from TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) Force Health
Protection & Readiness (FHP&R) describing an important study underway to improve the
retention of military mental health providers. As part of this study, FHP&R has contracted with
Mathematica Policy Research to conduct a survey with a random sample of current and former
military psychologists and psychiatrists. The purpose of this survey is to identify the main causes
of military mental health provider attrition and develop recommendations to improve the retention
of mental health providers in all military branches. Your answers are completely confidential, and
your participation is voluntary.
The enclosed survey will take approximately 15 minutes of your time. We ask that you
complete the survey and return it to Mathematica in the postage-paid envelope provided.
If you prefer to complete the survey online, you may go to www.providersurvey.com and
enter the following username and password:
[USERNAME]
[PASSWORD]
If you have any questions about the study, or about your rights as a study participant, please
call Dr. Kristen Purcell, Mathematica Project Director, toll-free at 1-866-917-2784.
We truly appreciate your participation in this important endeavor.

Sincerely,

An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

Draft – Reminder E-mail
Dear Provider,
We recently sent you an invitation to participate in an important study underway to improve the
retention of military behavior health providers. TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) Force
Health Protection & Readiness (FHP&R) has contracted with Mathematica Policy Research to
conduct a survey of current and former military psychologists and psychiatrists. The purpose of
this survey is to identify the main causes of military mental health provider attrition and develop
recommendations to improve the retention of mental health providers in all military branches. If
you have already completed the survey, we thank you for participating!
If you have not yet completed the survey, we encourage you to participate in this important
study. Your participation will help ensure that the resulting data are as complete and
representative as possible. Your answers are completely confidential, and your participation is
voluntary.
The survey will take approximately 15 minutes of your time. To complete the survey online,
please go to www.providersurvey.com. This live link is embedded with a unique username and
password that will grant you access to the survey
If you prefer to complete the survey by mail, please click here [live link to .pdf version] for a
printable version of the survey, which you can complete and return to:
MATHEMATICA POLICY RESEARCH
ATTN: RECEIPT CONTROL - Project 6551
P.O. Box 2393
Princeton, NJ 08543-2393
If you have any questions about the study, or about your rights as a study participant, please call
Dr. Kristen Purcell, Mathematica Project Director, toll-free at 1-866-917-2784.
We truly appreciate your participation in this important endeavor.
Sincerely,

Kristen Purcell, Ph.D.
Senior Survey Researcher
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

Draft – Reminder Letter (on Mathematica letterhead)
Dear Provider,
We recently sent you an invitation to participate in an important study underway to improve the
retention of military behavior health providers. TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) Force
Health Protection & Readiness (FHP&R) has contracted with Mathematica Policy Research to
conduct a survey of current and former military psychologists and psychiatrists. The purpose of
this survey is to identify the main causes of military mental health provider attrition and develop
recommendations to improve the retention of mental health providers in all military branches. If
you have already completed the survey, we thank you for participating!
If you have not yet completed the survey, we encourage you to participate in this important
study. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes of your time, and your participation will
ensure that the resulting data are as complete and representative as possible. Your answers are
completely confidential, and your participation is voluntary.
To complete the survey online, please go to www.providersurvey.com and enter the following
username and password:
[USERNAME]
[PASSWORD]
If you prefer to complete the survey by mail and need another copy of the survey instrument, or
if you have any questions about the study or about your rights as a study participant, please
contact Dr. Kristen Purcell, Mathematica Project Director, toll-free at 1-866-917-2784.
We truly appreciate your participation in this important endeavor.
Sincerely,

Kristen Purcell, Ph.D.
Senior Survey Researcher
Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

6551: Retention of Behavior Health Providers
Telephone Reminder Script

A. SAMPLE MEMBER CONTACT:
Hello. My name is __________________________________and I am calling from
Mathematica Policy Research. May I speak with [INSERT NAME]?
IF NEW PERSON COMES TO PHONE: (Hello. My name is
__________________________________and I am calling from Mathematica Policy
Research.)
Recently, we sent you an invitation to participate in a survey of current and former
military psychologists and psychiatrists we are conducting for TRICARE Management
Activity Force Health Protection & Readiness. You may recall receiving an email
invitation with a link to the online survey or a packet in the mail containing the survey
and a return envelope. The purpose of this important survey is to identify the main
causes of military mental health provider attrition and develop recommendations to
improve the retention of psychologists and psychiatrists in all military branches.
(IF VOLUNTEER THEY DID NOT RECEIVE EITHER OF THE ABOVE: We’re sorry
you never received your invitation to participate…)

A1. We can complete the survey over the telephone if you prefer. It will take
approximately 15 minutes of your time, and your responses are completely confidential.
Would you like to complete the survey now?
1
2

YES – GO TO SURVEY
NO – GO TO A2

A2. Is there another time we can call you back to complete the survey?
1
2

YES – SCHEDULE DAY, DATE AND TIME FOR CALLBACK
NO – GO TO A3

A3. We would like to send you the survey so you can complete it at your convenience.
Would you prefer to receive an email with a link to the survey so you can complete it
online, or would you prefer that we mail you a hard copy of the survey with a return
envelope?
1
2
3

PREFER EMAIL – GO TO A4
PREFER MAIL PACKET – GO TO A6
Not necessary, still have the survey – GO TO END

A4. So we can send you the survey by email, can you please confirm for me your email
address?
[ENTER EMAIL ADDRESS AND GO TO A5]
0
1

Refused – GO TO A6
Prefer mail version – GO TO A6

A5. Let me read that back to you. Your email address is [READ EMAIL ADDRESS]. Is
that correct?
1
2

YES – GO TO END
NO – CORRECT EMAIL ADDRESS THEN GO TO END

A6. We would like to mail you a packet containing the survey and a postage-paid return
envelope. Can you confirm for me your mailing address?
[RECORD MAILING ADDRESS AND GO TO A7]
0

Refused – GO TO END

A7. Let me read that back to you. Your address is [READ ADDRESS]. Is that correct?
1
2

YES
NO – RECORD CORRECT ADDRESS AND GO TO END

END: We really appreciate your time today. If you have any questions or concerns
about the survey, please feel free to contact our Project Director, Dr. Kristen Purcell,
toll-free at 1-866-917-2784.