Letter of Support

Attachment 4 – Support letter - cognitive interviews

Note to reviewers: Agency logos listed below will be appropriately spaced across the top of the page.

Dear ______________,

This letter is in support of the study that was explained in a previous letter, sent to you on [FILL DATE] from Charles Rothwell, Director, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

Hospitals play a unique and critical role in providing access to services for victims of intentional injury or violence (e.g., domestic violence, sexual assault, community violence, human trafficking, etc.) outside of the criminal justice system. As Mr. Rothwell’s letter stated, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) are developing the first hospital-based victim services survey, the National Survey of Hospital-Based Victim Services (NSHVS). This survey is being conducted as part of the BJS Victim Services Statistical Research Program, focused on developing the statistical infrastructure to better understand the needs of crime victims and the extent to which those needs are met, either through criminal justice entities or outside of the criminal justice system.

Hospitals and emergency facilities are often the first and only source of assistance for victims of crime and abuse. However, little is currently known about the structure and administration of services for victims within the hospital setting. The purpose of this survey is to gather basic information about how hospitals are delivering services to victims of crime or abuse.

We kindly ask for your assistance in developing our instrument by participating in a 1 hour cognitive interview for this project. Your participation will aid in the development of an appropriate and accurate instrument and the collection of reliable data that will be used to further meet the needs of the victim service assistance field.

If you are willing to help us, here is what you need to know:

• In-person interview at a location of your choice

• No longer than one-hour

• $100 as a token of our appreciation

• Call [FILL] to schedule an appointment

If you want to schedule an interview or ask questions about this survey research, please call [FILL NAME], NCHS at 301-458-[FILL NUMBER].

We appreciate and value your interest in this study. Thank you for your time and consideration!

Sincerely,

____________________________ ________________________________

Lynn Langton, Ph.D. Carol DeFrances, Ph.D.

Chief, Victimization Statistics Chief, Ambulatory and Hospital Care Statistics Branch

Bureau of Justice Statistics National Center for Health Statistics