PAIVED Partner Organization Interview Protocol - Revised 9.27.18

Partner Organization Interview Guide

Version 9.05.18

Thank you for taking the time to talk with us. My name is [NAME], and [NAME] is also on the line to take notes. We’re part of a team that is helping the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation and the Office of Family Assistance in the Administration for Children and Families understand how fatherhood programs are addressing violence in intimate relationships with the fathers they serve. We are interested in learning how programs work with fathers who have behaved violently as well as fathers who have been survivors of violence in intimate relationships. As part of this study, we are conducting interviews with fatherhood program facilitators, directors/administrators or other similar staff, and staff from organizations like yours, who partner with fatherhood programs.

[NAME] sent you some information via email including a consent form. Did you have a chance to review that form? [WAIT FOR RESPONSE AND NOTE] I’m going to go over the purpose of this interview and your rights as a research participant before we dive into the questions. If you have questions along the way, please let me know.

As we’re talking today, please keep in mind that there are no right or wrong answers to the questions we ask. We are only looking for honest answers and consider you as the expert. Also, please remember that your participation is voluntary. If we come to a question you do not want to answer, let me know, and I’ll move on to the next question. Any information we discuss today that is reported in publications will be kept private. We will not name you or your organization without your permission. You will not benefit personally from participating in this study.

We will take notes and record the interview so that we can make sure we do not miss important details. Only the study team will have access to the recordings and notes, and any personal information will be removed from the transcripts. We will destroy recordings within two years of the study ending. Today’s conversation should take about 90 minutes.

Because this is a federally-funded project, I have to read a couple of sentences to you before we begin. 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 the described information collection is 0970-0516 and the expiration date is 09/30/2019.

Do you agree to participate? [RECORD ANSWER] __________________

Do you agree to be recorded today? [RECORD ANSWER] ___________________

Background of Interviewee and General Organization Information

1. To begin, we will start off with some background questions. Please tell me about your experience in [SPECIFIC FIELD/TOPIC AREA BASED ON TYPE OF PARTNER/PARTICIPANT BACKGROUND INFO GATHERED DURING RECRUITMENT].

Can you briefly tell me what brought you to your current position? How long have you been in this position?

2. Tell me more about your specific position and role in the organization.

3. Great. Now let’s talk about [PARTNER ORGANIZATION NAME]. Can you tell me more about the mission of the organization?

1. Who does your organization primarily serve? [Males or females, IPV survivors or perpetrators, Parents]

4. What kinds of activities does your organization do for this (these) population(s)?

   1. [If mixed sex] What do you do uniquely or differently for men/for women, if anything?

   2. [If working with parents] What do you do uniquely or differently for parents, if anything?

5. What language do you use when referring to violence in intimate relationships?

• [Use this language throughout the remaining interview]

Thank you! It is helpful to hear about the work that you do as part of [PARTNER ORGANIZATION NAME]. Like I mentioned earlier, we are hoping to learn more about how violence in intimate relationships plays a role in fatherhood programs, so the next set of questions will focus on your partnership with [FATHERHOOD PROGRAM].

Partnership with Fatherhood Program

6. [PRIORITIZE] Please describe the partnership you have with [FATHERHOOD PROGRAM NAME].

Additional probes [if not already addressed]:

• How did this partnership begin?

• [PRIORITIZE] Please tell me about any formal agreement that is in place, if any, for this partnership.

• [PRIORITIZE] How long has the partnership been in place?

• [PRIORITIZE] How frequently do you communicate with [FATHERHOOD PROGRAM NAME]? Do you have standing meetings?

• [PRIORITIZE] What works well about this partnership? Any success stories you would like to share?

• [PRIORITIZE] What are some challenges of this partnership, if any?

• Are you currently partnering with any other fatherhood programs? [PRIORITIZE] How if at all has your program changed in terms of how you think about addressing [language used to refer to violence in intimate relationships] with fathers due to this/these partnership(s)?

Relevance of Addressing IPV with Fathers

7. How much of a challenge is [language used to refer to violence in intimate relationships] for fathers? Describe what you see or hear about when it comes to the men and fathers you work with. What experiences or information helped you to answer this question?

   • [PRIORITIZE] [If not already addressed] What do you think the connection is, if any, between [language used to refer to violence in intimate relationships] and the ability of fathers to engage with their children in positive ways?

   • [PRIORITIZE] In the context of violence within the family, when is it appropriate for a father to be involved with their children and when is it not?

8. What are one or two of the biggest challenges you think may cause or be related to [language used to refer to violence in intimate relationships] among fathers?

   • [If no factors mentioned, provide some examples to generate discussion] For example, mental health issues, violence, unemployment, substance use, and fathers’ histories of trauma and victimization, early exposure to violence, including witnessing IPV as a child.

9. How important or relevant do you personally think it is to work with men and fathers specifically to address [language used to refer to violence in intimate relationships]?

10. [PRIORITIZE] How important or relevant does [PARTNER ORGANIZATION NAME] think it is to work with men and fathers specifically to address [language used to refer to violence in intimate relationships]?

• [PRIORITIZE] Specifically, what level of support is there at the organizational level for addressing [language used to refer to violence in intimate relationships] with men and fathers?

  1. [If needed] For example, positive organizational culture, leadership buy-in, funder buy-in.

  2. [If strong leadership is discussed relative to supporting IPV work]: If leadership changed would this support go away or be harder to maintain?

• What level of support is there at the organizational level for working with men and fathers, in general? Please explain.

• [PRIORITIZE] What barriers are there, either externally or at the organizational level, to working with fathers specifically to address [language used to refer to violence in intimate relationships]?

11. [PRIORITIZE; MOVE TO THIS QUESTION BY 45 MINS INTO INTERVIEW] Now thinking about your partnership with [FATHERHOOD PROGRAM NAME], what kinds of things is your organization doing through this partnership, if any, to address fathers’ initiation or perpetration of [language used to refer to violence in intimate relationships]? [Interviewer note: Allow them to answer before you go on and probe further on topics raised. Then list what they don’t say]. I’m going list a few things that organizations might do and I’m interested to know which, if any, you do. It’s okay if you don’t do any of these things, but for the ones that you do, I’ll ask some follow-up questions.

    • [If needed] For example:

      1. Review fatherhood program activities, plans, curricula, protocols related to violence prevention?

      2. Development of and training on screenings and assessments?

      3. Conduct screenings and assessments?

         1. [If conducting screenings/assessments] how is the information collected in the screenings and assessments used, if at all?

      4. Train fatherhood program staff on how [language used to refer to violence in intimate relationships] impacts fathers and their families

      5. Train fatherhood program staff on what to do if [language used to refer to violence in intimate relationships] is disclosed by either the perpetrator or the victim at the beginning of the program or at some point during the program?

         1. Safety practices and procedures to protect potential victims?

      6. Delivery of specific curricula/program activities?

         1. [If yes] What curriculum? What types of activities?

         2. [If yes] Where are services provided – at fatherhood program location or onsite at partner organization?

      7. Cross-agency referrals?

         1. Do you participate in any cross-trainings with these organizations?

         2. Are these cross-trainings or other cross-agency collaborations ongoing?

• How much time do you spend on these activities?

• [If working directly with fathers] About how many fathers do you work with each year through your partnership with [FATHERHOOD PROGRAM NAME]?

12. [PRIORITIZE ALL PROBES] How are these activities going?
    
    
    

    • Tell me about any successes in doing these activities.
      
      
      

    • Tell me about some challenges or difficulties in doing these activities, if any.

      1. What do you think might help address some of these challenges?
         
         
         

    • [If working directly with fathers] How do fathers respond to these activities?

• [If not already addressed] What strategies, if any, have worked to engage fathers in these activities?

13. [PRIORITIZE] What kind of things is your program doing in partnership with [FATHERHOOD PROGRAM NAME], if any, to address fathers’ experiences as a survivor or victim of [language used to refer to violence in intimate relationships]? [Interviewer note: Allow them to answer before you go on; list what they don’t say].
    
    
    

    • [Use all of the same questions and probes as Q11]

14. [PRIORITIZE ALL PROBES] How are these activities going?

    • Tell me about any successes in doing these activities.
      
      
      

    • Tell me about some challenges or difficulties in doing these activities, if any.

      1. What do you think might help address some of these challenges?
         
         
         

    • [If working directly with fathers] How do fathers respond to these activities?

• [If not already addressed] What strategies, if any, have worked to engage fathers in these activities?

15. Going back to some of the other conditions/challenges you mentioned such as [list out examples provided in Q8]. Is your program doing anything to address any of these things?
    
    
    

• [If yes] what are they?

• [If no] any plans or interest to address those things?

Moving Forward

16. What do you think the role is for fatherhood programs, if any, to address fathers’ experiences with [language used to refer to violence in intimate relationships], either as a perpetrator/initiator of violence or a survivor?
    
    

[If don’t feel like they should be doing anything] Please tell me more about that.

17. What would an ideal partnership between your organization and fatherhood programs look like to you?

Thank you for your time during this interview. You have provided valuable information. We are currently in the process of talking with staff from other fatherhood programs and their partner organization about the same topics that we discussed with you today. With the information that we gather, we hope to better understand if and how fatherhood programs are addressing IPV.

Language for programs with requests for input or questions on programming:

Child Trends is not directly involved with fatherhood, IPV, or other program implementation, so we are unable to answer any specific questions or provide input on programming. If you have any specific questions about your program, we would be happy to provide you with some resources that we know about that may be helpful.

7