Self-Regulation Training Approaches and Resources to Improve Staff Capacity for Implementing Healthy Marriage Services for Youth (SARHM)

INSTRUMENT 2: Semi-structured interview protocol

Semi-structured interview protocol

NOTE: This protocol is intended as a guide, not a script. The protocol has been developed to apply to managers and staff at HMRE programs.

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. My name is [name] and my colleague is [name], and we are from Mathematica Policy Research, an independent research firm. Today we would like to talk about your experiences with the self-regulation training, including any changes you have noticed in your own self-regulation skills, experiences using the strategies introduced at the training, and the reactions of youth in the program. We will use the information you share with us to write a summary of what we have learned, but we will not use your name, so please feel free to talk openly about your experiences and opinions. We will keep your responses private to the extent permitted by law. Participation in this information collection is voluntary. Our conversation will take about 20 minutes.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB number for this information collection is 0970-0355 and the expiration date is 05/31/2021.

If it is ok with you, we would like to audio record our discussion today. Only members of our research team will have access to this recording, and we will destroy it after we complete our study. Do you have any objections to us recording this discussion?

Questions

A. Self-regulation skills [educators and managers]

First, I’d like to discuss how the training may have impacted your self-regulation skills. By self-regulation skills, I mean skills to manage your thoughts and emotions to enable goal-directed behaviors. These skills may include goal setting, decision making, self-calming, and conflict resolution, among others.

1. Since participating in the training, have you noticed any changes in your own self-regulation skills? What changes have you noticed?

2. Since participating in the training, have you noticed any changes in the self-regulation skills of other program staff? What changes have you noticed?

B. Use of co-regulation strategies [educators]

Now let’s discuss your use of the co-regulation strategies during group workshops and client meetings. By co-regulation strategies, I mean the approaches that were taught in the training to help enhance youths’ self-regulation skills.

3. Have you had opportunities to practice the co-regulation strategies from the training during group workshops or client meetings?

4. In a typical workshop or client meeting, how much time do you spend using the co-regulation strategies?

5. How comfortable are you using the co-regulation strategies? Are you more comfortable using some of the strategies than others?

6. Please describe a time when a co-regulation strategy worked as intended.

7. Please describe any challenges you’ve experienced using the co-regulation strategies.

8. How different are the co-regulation strategies from your usual way of delivering workshops or client meetings?

C. Use of co-regulation strategies [managers]

Now let’s discuss how the educators in your program have used the co-regulation strategies during group workshops and client meetings. By co-regulation strategies, I mean the approaches that were taught in the training to help enhance youths’ self-regulation skills.

9. How satisfied have you been with educators’ use of co-regulation strategies?

10. Which co-regulation strategies have appeared to work well? Not so well?

D. Youth reaction to co-regulation strategies [educators and managers]

Next I’d like to learn about youths’ reaction to the co-regulation strategies.

11. How have youth responded to the co-regulation strategies?

12. Have you noticed any changes in youths’ self-regulation skills?

13. Have you noticed any changes in program climate or cohesion?

E. Recommendations for improvement [educators and managers]

Finally, I’d like to get your feedback on the training approaches and materials.

14. Do you have any suggestions for improving the training approaches and materials?

    1. Probe: initial training, handouts on training approaches, session assessment form, educator questionnaire, observation tool

15. Are there areas in which you would appreciate additional training?

16. Do you have suggestions for other strategies to improve youth self-regulation skills that have not been covered in the training?

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