Key Informant Interview Guide_PH/MH Agency Staff

Attachment C: Key Informant Interview: PH/MH Agency Staff and Community Organization Respondent_ Introductory Letter

Date

«Name»

«Title»

«CompanyName»

«Address»

«City», «StateOrProvince» «PostalCode»

Dear «Name»:

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Division of State and Local Readiness is conducting a study about community preparedness and recovery, focusing specifically on the devastating tornadoes that hit Alabama and Mississippi in April 2011. To accomplish this, we believe it is important to learn the perceptions of those who were on the front line of local public health and mental health efforts to prepare, respond, and recovery from the April 2011 tornadoes. We are seeking key persons familiar with such efforts to participate in individual, one-time interviews about these events. Given your background and role in disaster efforts, we invite you to participate as one of those to be interviewed.

ICF Macro, (hereafter referred to as ICF), a research firm, is under contract with CDC to conduct these in-depth interviews, which are expected to last one hour. In the near future, you will receive a call from an ICF staff member to discuss the possibility of scheduling an in-person or telephone interview. Your participation is completely voluntary, and you may withdraw at any time. All interviews will be kept private and will be presented only in aggregate form.

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact Asha Ivey-Stephenson, Ph.D., M.A. at CDC (404-639-7581; [email protected]) or Bhuvana Sukumar, PhD at ICF (404-321-3211, [email protected]) with any questions you may have about this project. We appreciate your consideration and hope that you will be able to participate.

Sincerely,

Eric Carbone, PhD Dale Rose, PhD, MSc

Chief Team Lead, Measurement and Evaluation Team

Applied Science and Evaluation Branch Applied Science and Evaluation Branch

Division of State and Local Readiness Division of State and Local Readiness