Form 1 Program Overview Executive Director

Attachment H TLP Program Overview Survey: Executive Director Interview Guide

Attachment H
TLP PROGRAM OVERVIEW SURVEY:
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR INTERVIEW GUIDE

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Attachment H TLP Program Overview Survey: Executive Director Interview Guide

TLP Program Overview Survey: Executive Director Interview Guide
Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 4
Agency/TLP Overview ................................................................................................................................... 4
Partnerships .................................................................................................................................................. 5
Staffing .......................................................................................................................................................... 5
Program Eligibility and Admission ................................................................................................................ 6
TLP Services ................................................................................................................................................... 6
Trauma-Informed Approach ......................................................................................................................... 8
Program Structure, Policies, and Rules ....................................................................................................... 10
Program Outcomes ..................................................................................................................................... 10
Closing ......................................................................................................................................................... 11

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Attachment H TLP Program Overview Survey: Executive Director Interview Guide

TLP Program Overview Survey: Executive Director Interview Guide
[INTERVIEWER: PREFILL THE FOLLOWING]
Name of the agency: ___________________________________________________________________
Name of the TLP: ______________________________________________________________________
Location (City and State): ________________________________________________________________
Name of Interviewee(s): ________________________________________________________________
Title(s) of Interviewee(s): _______________________________________________________________

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Attachment H TLP Program Overview Survey: Executive Director Interview Guide

Introduction
[INTERVIEWER: INTRODUCE STUDY, THANK FOR PARTICIPATION, AND GIVE OVERVIEW OF PURPOSE OF
SITE VISIT, INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE:]
This interview is intended to gather information about your TLP program, such as who it serves,
how it is structured, and what services it provides. We know that TLP programs differ with
regard to how they are funded and structured. In some cases, an agency’s FYSB TLP grant covers
the entire cost of the program. In others, agencies combine multiple sources of funding to
support their program, with FYSB funding used to cover a portion of the program’s beds, units, or
services. In this survey, we want to understand the design and functioning of the transitional
living program as a whole, not just those beds or services funded through your FYSB TLP grant.]

Agency/TLP Overview
1. What is [name of agency]’s mission/goals?
2. How does the TLP fit into the agency’s mission/goals?
3. In addition to the TLP, what other programs does the agency operate?
[PROBES BELOW]
 Maternity group home
 Emergency shelter program
 Permanent supportive housing program
 Basic center program
 Drop-in program
 Street outreach program
 Employment program
 Education program
 Health/medical service program
 Substance abuse program

4. What is your perception of how the agency is viewed in the community? How about the TLP?
[EXAMPLES BELOW]
 Mission
 Goals
 Accessibility
 Ability to reach/serve homeless youth
 A leader or one of many similar agencies
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Attachment H TLP Program Overview Survey: Executive Director Interview Guide

5. How long has [name of agency] been operating the TLP?
a. Since its beginning, has the TLP always had funding from FYSB? If not, how was it otherwise
funded?
6. Has the TLP changed over time? If so, how?
[EXAMPLES BELOW]
 Population served
 Numbers served
 Nature or scope of services
 Goals
 Accessibility
 Ability to reach/serve homeless youth

Partnerships
7. To what extent does the TLP rely on formal or informal partnerships with other community
organizations or agencies to provide program services?
8. What challenges has the TLP encountered in forming or maintaining partnerships? What
successes? Please describe.
9. Are there any partnerships that you view as particularly important to the success of the TLP?
Please explain.
[EXAMPLES BELOW]
 Why is this partnership so important?
 What is their role in TLP?
 Resources or challenges they bring?

Staffing
10. What qualities and skills are important for TLP staff to have?
a. How easy or difficult is it to hire and maintain staff with these qualities?
11. What are some of the (other) TLP staffing challenges you face? (Examples might be staff turnover,
issues of motivation, burnout)
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Attachment H TLP Program Overview Survey: Executive Director Interview Guide

a. Please describe.
b. How do you go about addressing those challenges?

Program Eligibility and Admission
12. How would you characterize the youth population served by the TLP?
[EXAMPLES BELOW]
 Age
 Sexuality/gender identity
 Race/Ethnicity
 Risk factors
13. How did you and your team decide on and develop the admissions criteria and admissions
process?

14. I understand that the TLP has certain requirements youth must meet and maintain to participate
in the program. [INTERVIEWR: PROVIDE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES (e.g., education hours, employment
hours, paying rent, savings account)] What was the process for deciding on these requirements?
What is the motivation behind them?

TLP Services
15. From what I understand, your TLP offers a range of services for youth in the program, including
[INTERVIEWER: LIST SERVICE TYPES OFFERED], what motivated this package of services?
a. How did you decide which the services you would offer in-house, which you would partner on,
and which you refer out (to non-partners)?
16. My understanding is that some services are required for youth in the program [INTERVIEWER:
GIVE EXAMPLES] whereas others are optional program [INTERVIEWER: GIVE EXAMPLES]. How did
you decide on which would be required and which would be optional?
17. Do you ever find you need to add or remove services due to changes in needs, demand, funding,
or other factors? Please describe/provide examples.

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Attachment H TLP Program Overview Survey: Executive Director Interview Guide
18. When it comes to planning the services for each youth will receive while in the TLP (creating the
individualized service plan (ISP) or transitional living plan), what is your program’s approach?
a. My understanding is that [INTERVIEWER SPECIFY TO PROGRAM: case managers, program staff,
youth, relatives, friends/peers] are key players in developing the plan. Is that right? Why did you
decide to involve (or not to involve) these individuals?

19. Did you or your team develop the template for the program’s individualized service plan
(transitional living plan)?
IF NO:
a. If not, what was the source? Why did you select it? [INTERVIEWER: PROBE FOR FACTORS
RELEVANT TO THEIR APPROACH TO SERVICE PLANNING/PROVISION]
IF YES:
b. If so, how was it developed? What features did you feel were important to include?
[INTERVIEWER: PROBE FOR FACTORS RELEVANT TO THEIR APPROACH TO SERVICE
PLANNING/PROVISION]
20. What is the TLP’s approach to monitoring and tracking youth’s progress toward ISP goals and
objectives/action steps? What do you do with the information from the tracking/monitoring?

21. Given the youth population you serve, which program services do you feel are most essential to
youths’ abilities to transition to independent living and long-term success?
22. Given the youth population you serve, do you feel there are any service gaps in the program right
now?
[IF YES:]
a. Please describe.
b. How do you go about filling those gaps?
23. TLPs differ in how they prioritize education and employment goals and the relative emphasis they
place on one versus the other. Please describe your program’s approach or philosophy.
[INTERVIEWER: SELECT THE STATEMENT THAT BEST REFLECTS THEIR ANSWER AND CONFIRM WITH
“SO WOULD IT BE FAIR TO SAY THAT YOUR TLP….?”]
 Prioritizes/emphasizes employment over education
 Prioritizes/emphasizes education over employment
 Prioritizes/emphasizes education and employment equally
 The relative priority of employment and education is determined on an individualized basis,
as part of the service/action planning process, in response to the goals of each youth
 Other: _____________________________________________________________________
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Attachment H TLP Program Overview Survey: Executive Director Interview Guide

Trauma-Informed Approach
[INTERVIEWER SCRIPT:]
For the next set of questions, I want to ask you about your program’s approach to providing
services, especially to the extent that you may have incorporated a trauma-informed approach.
24. Has your program implemented a trauma-informed approach to care?
IF NO, ASK:
a. What were the main factors that influenced the decision NOT to implement a traumainformed approach to care?
IF YES, ASK:
b. What were the main factors that influenced the decision to implement a trauma-informed
approach to care?
25. Can you please describe the trauma-informed approach you use?
[INTERVIEWER: RECORD ANSWER AND USE THE CHECK LIST BELOW TO INDICATE CHARACTERISTICS
OF THE APPROACH. (FOR ED YOU DO NOT NEED TO ASK ABOUT ANY NOT MENTIONED.) THIS HELPS
TO UNDERSTAND THE KIND OF TRAUMA-INFORMED METHODS THE PROGRAM USES, AND IF THEIR
DESIGN RELATES TO THE SPECIFIC POPULATION BEING SERVED.]
Trauma-Informed Approach Checklist:
Yes

No

Element
Recognize the interrelation between trauma and symptoms of or responses to
trauma

Recognize the survivor’s sense of physical and emotional safety
Create safe and comforting physical environments

Learn about and understand survivor’s history with trauma
Identify and support a survivor’s trauma-related needs (supporting and guiding

the heal process, while promoting wellness and resiliency)
Collaborate with and empower survivor in their treatment

Collaborate with family members to:
 learn about and understand the family’s history with trauma, and/or
learned methods of coping that may cycle from generation to generation



promote family wellness and resiliency (as appropriate)
support the survivor in their treatment and the healing process
Collaborate with survivor’s friends and peers to:
 support the survivor in their treatment and the healing process


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Attachment H TLP Program Overview Survey: Executive Director Interview Guide

Yes

No

Element
Recognize survivor’s need to be respected, informed, connected, and hopeful
regarding their own recovery and healing
Offer effective, evidence-based treatments for trauma [SEE LIST BELOW FOR
EXAMPLES]
Partner with other agencies/organizations serving the survivor
Foster wellness and resiliency among program staff while preventing vicarious

trauma and compassion fatigue
REFERENCE LIST: Examples Trauma-Specific Interventions
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Addiction and Trauma Recovery Integration Model (ATRIUM)
Combined Parent Child Cognitive-Behavioral Approach for Children and
Families At-Risk for Child physical Abuse
Culturally Modified Trauma-Focused Treatment
Essence of Being Real
Heartland Health Outreach
Integrative Treatment of Complex Trauma
International Family Adult and Child Enhancement Services
Multimodality of Trauma Treatment (aka Trauma-Focused Coping in
Schools)
Neurofeedback
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy
Real Life Heroes
Risking Connection
Sanctuary Model
Seeking Sanctuary
Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Therapy
Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic
Stress
Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy (TARGET)
Trauma Affect Regulation: Guide for Education and Therapy for
Adolescents and Pre-Adolescents (TARGET-A)
Trauma Systems Therapy
Trauma, Addiction, Mental Health, and Recovery; Trauma and Grief
Component Therapy
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Child Traumatic
Grief
Trauma-Informed Organizational Self-Assessment and Trauma
Recovery and Empowerment Model (TREM and M-TREM)
Trauma-Informed Yoga

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Attachment H TLP Program Overview Survey: Executive Director Interview Guide

26. What challenges has the program encountered in implementing a trauma-informed approach?
[IF NEEDED:]
 For example, are there any gender, cultural, or other challenges that have made traumainformed support difficult for your organization to implement?

Program Structure, Policies, and Rules
27. To what extent are youth involved in program design and implementation (service selection and
delivery) and program governance, and decision making?
[EXAMPLES BELOW]
 TLP youth involved in selection or planning of services
 TLP youth involved in service delivery within the agency
 Youth advisory committee
 Resident constitution or peer covenant
[IF NOT CLEAR, ASK:]
a. Are there any ways in which youth contribute to the running or management of the TLP
residence?
28. How would you characterize the TLP’s approach to rewards and consequences? What is this the
reasoning behind the system of reward/consequences?

Program Outcomes
29. How do you define success for the TLP?
30. What measures do you use to evaluate the program’s level of success or effectiveness?
[IF RESPONDENT UNSURE:]
a. For example, does the program have outcome targets by which it determines its effectiveness?
If so, what are these targets?
[EXAMPLES BELOW]
 Housing
 Education
 Employment
 Health
 Life Skills
 Relationships or social functioning
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Attachment H TLP Program Overview Survey: Executive Director Interview Guide

b. How do you use this information?
31. When monitoring the TLP’s effectiveness or success, do you track outcomes of all clients admitted
to the TLP (regardless of the client’s length of stay, services received, etc.) or a certain subset of
clients? Why?
32. What types of services do youth most need after exit to maintain their stable living environment?
33. Are there factors that seem to contribute to a youth’s likelihood of success, or the likelihood that
they will exit to a safe housing location? If yes, please describe.
[THESE COULD BE YOUTH’S PRIOR EXPERIENCES OR PERSONAL ATTRITBUTES AND/OR EXPERIENCES
IN THE PROGRAM]
34. Are there factors that seem to increase the likelihood that youth will become homeless again or
leave the program without completing it? If yes, please describe?
[THESE COULD BE YOUTH’S PRIOR EXPERIENCES OR PERSONAL ATTRITBUTES AND/OR EXPERIENCES
IN THE PROGRAM]

Closing
35. We’re just about finished. Before we end, is there anything else that you feel it is important for us
to understand about the program that we haven’t asked about?

[THANK INTERVIEWEE FOR THEIR TIME. ASK IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INTERVIEW.
PROVIDE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION IN CASE OF ANY FOLLOW UP THEY’D LIKE TO DO.]

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