Letters of Introduction

Attachment G—Letters of Introductions OMB No. XXXX-XXXX

Expiration Date XX-XX-XXXX

Introductory Letter

State PATH Contact Survey

Dear State PATH Contact,

You are being asked to take part in an evaluation of the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program. We are asking you to participate because we are interested in learning about your experience of and perspectives on the program.

Every 3 years, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is required to conduct an evaluation of the PATH formula grant program and present those findings to Congress. SAMHSA has again contracted with MANILA Consulting Group to conduct the fourth formal evaluation of PATH, which begins this year. The purpose of this evaluation is to gather information that will help SAMHSA and the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) understand the extent to which the PATH program is implemented as intended, information that can be used to assist in program planning and improved service provision.

As part of the evaluation, MANILA is asking all State PATH Contacts (SPCs) to complete an online survey. The survey will include questions about your role in the PATH program; monitoring and communication methods; training and technical assistance; innovative practices; client data and program information; funding and accountability processes; coordination of services across agencies, States, and national organizations; barriers encountered; and recommendations. The survey will take approximately 60 minutes to complete, but you do not have to complete it in one sitting. You can stop your survey and return to complete it at a later time by following the survey link. We ask that you complete the survey within two weeks of the date you start it. You will receive an email reminding you to finish a partially completed survey after one week.

Within the next two weeks you will receive an email from the MANILA research team with information about how to access the survey. Participation in this research study is voluntary.

The researcher overseeing this evaluation is Lisa Kleppel. If you have any questions, she can be contacted at [email protected] or 571-633-9797 ext 209. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your rights as a subject in this study, you may contact Lisa Lunghofer, Chairperson, MANILA Institutional Review Board (IRB), at [email protected] or at 240-271-4941.

Thank you in advance for your assistance!

Sincerely,

Mattie Curry Cheek, M.Ed., Ph.D.

PATH Program Director

SAMHSA/CMHS

Introductory Letter

PATH Provider Survey

Dear Agency Administrator,

Every 3 years, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is required to conduct an evaluation of the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) formula grant program and present those findings to Congress. SAMHSA has again contracted with MANILA Consulting Group to conduct the fourth formal evaluation of PATH, which begins this year. The purpose of this evaluation is to gather information that will help SAMHSA and the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) understand the extent to which the PATH program is implemented as intended, information that can be used to assist in program planning and improved service provision.

As part of the evaluation, one (1) PATH provider from every agency in each State funded by the PATH grant program will be asked to complete an online survey. The survey will include questions about the provider’s role in the PATH program, contact with clients, characteristics of and services to PATH clients, housing for persons experiencing homelessness, training, collaboration with other agencies, and the role of consumers in the agency. The survey will take approximately 45 minutes to complete, but the provider does not have to complete it in one sitting. He or she can stop the survey and return to complete it at a later time by following the survey link. The survey should be completed within two weeks of the start date, and the provider will receive an email reminding him/her to finish a partially completed survey after one week.

MANILA research staff will need your assistance in selecting the PATH provider from your agency that will be asked to complete the survey. Please send the research team at MANILA an email message containing the names and email addresses for all PATH providers at your agency to [email protected]. The research team will use this information to randomly select the PATH provider from your agency and send him or her detailed information about the study and how to access the survey. You will not be informed as to who was selected nor will you be given any information regarding their participation in the study.

The research team will keep all names and email addresses private, and will only use the information for matters concerning the research study (i.e., to randomly select the provider that will be asked to complete the survey and to send correspondence related to the study to the selected provider). Survey responses will be reported only in aggregate form in reports, so providers’ names and other personal identifiers will not be associated with their answers.

It would be helpful if you can inform all PATH providers in your agency that someone will be contacted by the MANILA research team after the random selection has occurred. Please also tell them that although participation in this research study is voluntary, it is important for both the Federal Government’s understanding of how the PATH program is being implemented and how it might be improved. You can provide agency staff with a copy of this letter.

The researcher overseeing this evaluation is Lisa Kleppel. If you have any questions, Lisa Kleppel can be contacted at [email protected] or 571-633-9797 ext 209. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your rights as a subject in this study, you may contact Lisa Lunghofer, Chairperson, MANILA Institutional Review Board (IRB), at [email protected] or at 240-271-4941.

Thank you in advance for your assistance!

Sincerely,

Mattie Curry Cheek, M.Ed., Ph.D.

PATH Program Director

SAMHSA/CMHS

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