Focus groups with Exiters and Possible Exiters (icl. informed consent and pre-collections) questions

Appendix A-13. Recruitment Call Script for Focus Groups with Exiters and Possible Exiters

[IF REACH PERSON—first make sure that you are reaching the selected respondent]
Hello, my name is [NAME] at Westat and I am contacting you on behalf of the Social Security
Administration. We recently sent you a letter about a study we are conducting called the Beyond
Benefits Study . The study would help the Social Security Administration serve people receiving
benefits better, and you would receive a $40 gift card for your time. You indicated on our study
website that you were interested in participating in the study. Is that still the case?
[IF NO] Thank you for your time
[IF YES]
Great! I want to review some information about the study. The Social Security Administration (SSA)
has asked Westat to collect information about the service, medical and employment needs of
working-age adults who get disability-related payments from SSA now, but whose disability is less
severe than it was due to medical improvement. The disability payments from SSA may end, or end
soon, because of the improvement. This study will help SSA identify services that can help people
who stop getting SSA disability-related payments and are thinking about going back to work or
finding a better job. The study also gives SSA information that may improve the agency’s disabilityrelated programs and policies. SSA hired Westat, a national research company, to conduct the study.
Participation in this study is voluntary and SSA will protect your information in accordance with the
Privacy Act and other Federal laws. All of your information will remain confidential, and your name
or other identifying information will not be included in any final or published report. Participation in
this study will not affect your eligibility for benefits now or in the future.
We invite you to participate in a 1-hour focus group with others who receive or have received Social
Security disability-related payments, where we’ll talk about your experiences receiving payments and
using different services in the community. Your participation may help SSA to improve their
programs. We will be conducting focus groups by video conference/online. If you want to
participate but are not comfortable using video conference, a member of our team can walk you
through the process of using the video conference software.
If you participate, we will send you a $40 gift card, to offset any costs such as childcare that you may
have incurred by your participation.
Are you interested in participating in a focus group?
YES
Great!

Are you comfortable participating by web conference, such as Microsoft Teams?
[if yes] Great! Once we schedule the focus group, we’ll send you the link to access
the web conference at the scheduled date and time.

[If unsure/no]: A member of our team can help walk you through the web
conference software before the focus group. Would that help?

Appendix A-13. Recruitment Call Script for Focus Groups with Exiters and Possible Exiters

[if yes] Great! We can schedule a time for a member of our team to walk you
through it.
[If no]: Unfortunately, we won’t be able to have you participate in the focus group.
Thank you for your interest.
[for everyone who is comfortable with videoconference]
We are looking to conduct focus groups between [date] and [date]. Are there days
and times during that period that you might be available?
[collect days and times]

[IF LEAVE MESSAGE]
Hello, my name is [NAME] at Westat and I am contacting [PARTICIPANT NAME] on behalf of
the Social Security Administration. We recently sent you a letter about a study we are conducting
called the Beyond Benefits Study . The study would help the Social Security Administration serve
people receiving benefits better, and you would receive a $40 gift card for your time. You indicated
on the study website that you are interested in participating. I am calling to see if [NAME] is still
interested and would like to participate in a focus group. For more information, please give me a call
at [STUDY NUMBER]. Thank you for your time.