Attachment G – In-depth Participant Interview Guide
OMB Control No: ____-____
Expiration Date: __/__/____
In-depth Participant Interview Guide for the SUPPORT Act Grants Evaluation
This document contains the interview guide for in-depth interviews with participants taking part in SUPPORT Act grant programs. These interviews will capture participants’ background and interest in their program, their experiences taking part in program activities, and their views on the program. These interviews will be approximately 60 minutes in length and will be conducted with up to five participants per sub-grantee visit. Participants will fill out the information form at the end of this protocol to provide anonymous background information which will be used to describe the interview sample.
Introductory statement for participants: Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. The reason we wanted to talk with you is because you are receiving or received services at [name of sub-grantee] funded by a SUPPORT Act grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. My name is [name] and I am part of a team conducting an evaluation of those grants for the U.S. Department of Labor. I’m here today to learn about your experience with that program. I am also interested in learning about some of the things that might make it harder or easier for you to participate in this program or to find employment. This information will help us determine what works in these programs and what could be improved, so your input is valuable to us. This discussion will take about 60 minutes, and at the end of it we will give you a $20 gift card as a thank you.
Privacy statement: Information collected will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. The information you share with me today will be summarized and put together with information that we will gather from other clients with whom we talk. Nothing you say will ever be publicly linked to your name. I would like to record our conversation today, so I do not have to take many notes and can give you my full attention. If you would like to say anything off the record, just let me know and I will stop the recorder. Nothing you say will be shared with program staff and will not affect services or benefits from this or other programs. Your participation in the interview is voluntary, and there are no consequences if decline to participate. If you decide to participate in the interview, you can skip any questions that you don’t want to answer. You can also end the interview at any point. Interviewer will ask for verbal consent to participate in the interview and for permission to record the interview.
The Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This collection of information is voluntary and will be used to understand programs that integrate employment and substance use disorder services. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 60 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection of information. 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 and expiration date for this collection are OMB #: XXXX-XXXX, Exp: XX/XX/XXXX. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Hannah Betesh (Abt Associates); [email protected]
Participant background
Employment history
Work history prior to participation in program, including type of work, wages, and duration of employment
Challenges faced in finding and retaining employment, including substance use disorder, mental health, COVID-19 pandemic, criminal history, and other factors
SUD/OUD experience
[For Type I participants]: SUD treatment and recovery journey (for individuals in recovery and individuals with friends/family affected by SUD), including age at onset of substance use and services received prior to program enrollment (for individuals in recovery)
[For Type II participants]: Perspective on opioid crisis and substance use in the area more broadly.
Living situation (whether participant is living on own, with friends/family, in transitional or sober housing) and extent to which their housing situations supports their employment/training, and recovery goals
Interest in and goals for participating in the program
How/where learned about the program
Reasons for enrolling in program
Goals aiming to achieve through program, including employment, training, and treatment/recovery goals
Enrollment process
Experience with intake, eligibility determination, and enrollment processes
Experience working with staff to develop service plan (including integration with treatment services for Type I participants)
Participation and experience in treatment and recovery services—Type I participants only
Participation and service receipt
Types of treatment and recovery services accessed through the grant (MOUD, residential/outpatient treatment, group/individual therapy, peer recovery support, etc.)
How long they attended and how frequently
Perception of quality of the services/extent to which it met their needs and expectations
Barriers to and facilitators of participation in treatment and recovery services
Extent of support from family and friends
Hours and location of services (and how these relate to work and childcare obligations)
Perceived quality of treatment and recovery services and staff
Balancing treatment services and employment and/or training
Whether and how program facilitates this
(If applicable): consideration of MOUD dosing and therapeutic schedule needs
Support for finding suitable employment
Participation and experience in employment and training services
Services to prepare for work or identify employment opportunities (career services)
Services to help find employment (employment services)
Training for employment opportunities (training services)
[For individuals who are in or have completed Peer Recovery Specialist training] Reflections on Peer Recovery Specialist training:
Understanding of career path in the field
Reasons for pursuing Peer Recovery Specialist training
Experience with practicum placement (including receptivity of clinical staff to working with peers)
Services to help with transportation, clothing, childcare, housing, and other needs to support working (supportive services)
Post-employment services
Reflections on services received
How services were sequenced with their training/recovery services and whether/how this fit their needs and expectations
Perception of quality of the service/extent to which it met their needs and expectations
Accessibility of services (flexible scheduling, virtual/in person options, etc.)
Factors that can make it hard for them to take part or that are needed for them to fully participate (e.g. child care, transportation)
Services not offered that participant would have wanted
Employment status
If working:
Description of current occupation and job duties
Current wages/hours
Process of finding job, including assistance received from program
Challenges faced at work
Support from program in navigating challenges
Additional supports that would help with job success
Perception of quality of job
Alignment of current job with career goals, treatment goals
Future career plans – plans to stay at job or find another job
If not working:
Why they are not working
Status of job search (whether searching; why/why not)
Career goals
Perspectives on program services
Services received that were most helpful from [insert name of sub-grantee, or other descriptor]
Extent to which services prepared them for employment, including building job search and occupational skills and finding and obtaining employment
Extent to which services supported their ability to retain employment (e.g., supportive and employment services)
Challenges/areas for improvement
Challenges to finding and maintaining employment while in recovery
Perspectives on how employment services and employment align with their goals for recovery
Perspective on how to balance recovery needs and employment goals
Effect of services on personal goals for employment and treatment
Effect of program on community [ask those seeking to transition to jobs providing SUD services, or those with friends/family with SUD]
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Kyla Wasserman |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2022-08-04 |