DFC Parent Coalition Interview

Drug Free Communities (DFC) Coalition Parent Interview Protocol

My name is [introduce self and note-taker]. Thank you for agreeing to participate in today’s interview regarding the Drug Free Communities program at [insert name]. The purpose of this interview is to gather information regarding your participation with the Drug Free Communities program and your perspective on drug related issues in your community.

We greatly appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to assist with the national DFC evaluation that ICF International is conducting. You were selected to participate in an interview because your individual perspective represents important issues relevant to this evaluation. We are conducting case studies with nine DFC programs this year to gather information about the planning and implementation of DFC, relationships across all stakeholders, and outputs and impacts of your activities to reduce youth substance use. Please feel free to be open and candid in your responses to our questions, as we will keep this information strictly confidential.

Again, this component of our evaluation is completely voluntary; specifically this means that (1) the interview is voluntary; (2) you can decline to answer any questions, or stop the interview at any time; (3) the information will be held in confidence; and (4) only evaluation staff will have access to the interview tape and interview data (that is, if you agree to be tape recorded).

With your permission, we would also like to record the audio of this interview so that we can transcribe the conversation for accuracy in the analysis and interpretation of your comments along with comments of other staff. Nobody outside of the National Evaluation team will have access to this audio recording. Upon transcription of these recordings as appropriate to the evaluation, we will destroy the recordings themselves, maintaining only written records.

Are there any questions before we begin?

(Interviewer): Please remember to ask permission to tape record the interview. They can decline. Ask if they have any questions for you before you begin).

DFC Program Participation

Background

1. How did you first become involved with the DFC program and/or DFC activities? Were you identified and targeted for recruitment to participate on the coalition? Why?

   1. In general, how are parents identified and recruited to participate in the DFC program and/or activities?

2. Please describe your involvement in the program.

1. How long have you been involved in the program?

2. On average, how much time (in hours) do you spend per month related to DFC (meetings, work outside meetings, attending activities, etc.)

3. What are all the different ways parents can participate in the DFC program (e.g., serve on the coalition, conduct/implement DFC activities or programs, volunteer time at DFC activities and events)?

3. Do you currently sit or have you previously sat on the DFC coalition?

If yes:

• Do/did you serve as a parent representative or did you represent a specific agency or stakeholder group (education, business, neighborhood leader)? If both, what role (parent or agency) do you consider your primary when you participate in DFC?

• Please describe your role on the coalition. For example, did you sit on any subcommittees, workgroups, teams, etc. or were you charged with specific tasks? How long have you been/were you involved in the coalition?

• Were you provided any training or resources to build your capacity to serve on the coalition? If so, please describe.

• How would you describe your relationship with the other coalition members? What facilitated and/or hindered these relationships?

If no, please ask the following questions:

• Are you aware of opportunities for parents and youth to be involved in the coalition? If so, please describe.

• If you have been provided with such opportunities, what has led you to choose not to participate? Or, how do you think the coalition can make it easier to foster more participation among parents? Among youth?

Programs and Activities

3. Have you helped conduct/implement any DFC programs or activities (e.g., drug free activities, educational programs for parents or youth)?

If yes, please ask the following questions:

• Please describe the programs/activities you have helped conduct/implement?

• What has been your role in these programs/activities (e.g., helping to plan them, providing direct training, serving as a chaperone)?

• How did the coalition involved families and youth from the target population in implementation activities and efforts? In planning for them?

• Were you provided any training or resources to build their capacity to conduct/implement DFC programs or activities? If so, please describe.

• How many individuals or organizations did the activity impact?

If no, please ask the following questions:

• Are you aware of opportunities for parents to help conduct/implement DFC programs or activities (e.g., to serve as trainers or co-trainers)? If so, please describe.

• If you have been provided with such opportunities, what has led you to choose not to participate?

Parent & Youth Participation in General

3. Do you think that the DFC program has been successful in engaging parents to participate in the DFC program and activities?

1. What has facilitated your involvement in the DFC program (e.g., training, compensation)?

2. What has hindered your involvement in the DFC program (e.g., fiscal and non-fiscal resources, program culture)?

3. Were there any specific supports/resources that you needed to facilitate your participation but did not receive? What additional supports/resources would help your participation?

3. Do you think that the DFC program has been successful in engaging youth to participate in the DFC program and activities?

Impact/Outcome

7. What impact has the DFC program had in terms of reducing youth substance use?

7. What has facilitated the reduction of youth substance use (e.g., evidence-based programming, getting stakeholder buy-in)?

7. What has hindered the reduction of youth substance use (e.g., lack of stakeholder buy-in, poor messaging)?

7. In what ways would you like to see your local DFC program further improve its work to reduce youth substance use?

Overall

11. What are the lessons learned about what works and what doesn’t work in developing and supporting DFC programs and activities?

11. What advice would you give other communities about this work (implementation of DFC program)? And, about engaging parents and youth in general?

DFC Coalition Parent Interview Protocol Page 3