0920-1154 (2hl) Interview Discussion Guide

Attachment 4: Interview Discussion Guide

OMB Control No. 0920-1154

Exp. Date 3/31/2026

The public reporting burden of this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing 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. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to - CDC/ATSDR Reports Clearance Officer; 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS H21-8, Atlanta, Georgia 30333 ATTN: PRA (0920-1154).

	INTERVIEW INTRODUCTIONS (3 min.)
	Interviewer: Hi, thank you for joining us! My name is [Team Member Name] and I am a part of the Team working with the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Our team is working to better understand the experiences of teens (ages 13-17), identifying as girls or non-binary, living in rural areas across the United States. We recognize there is a growing number of teens impacted by mental health challenges, and the heart behind this effort is to try to make a difference. At the end of this project, our hope is to create a visual map of the teen mental health experience as a resource for CDC to use when delivering services for teen mental health in the future. Given your experience working with teens in your community, we are interested in hearing your perspective on the mental health experience of teen girls or nonbinary youth living in rural areas. [Only read if virtual] If you have not already, please rename yourself on Zoom so that your profile only shows your first name or a fake name. To update your name: 1. Click “Participants” at the bottom of your screen 2. Hover over your name in the Participants list > Click the button with three dots. 3. Select “Rename” from the list 4. Enter your first name or a fake name only [Read for both session types] This interview will take 60 minutes to complete. Again, your answers to these questions will be combined with all other participant answers, and there will be no way to tell who you are from the responses. We are recording the audio of these conversations for note taking purposes only, and the recordings will be destroyed after the project ends. If there is any question you do not want to answer, you can say “pass” or “skip.” Your safety is important to us, so if at any point you would like to step out of the session, you are welcome to do so. [Only read if virtual: If you would like to step out of today’s Zoom session, we ask that you message [INSERT TEAM MEMBER NAME] using the Zoom chat before you leave the Zoom meeting.] For your privacy and the privacy of the teens, please only refer to yourself and others by first name or a fake name. As a reminder, you will be given a $50 Visa gift card for your time. Can you confirm you are okay with our team audio recording this session? Before we jump in, let’s cover a few “Rules of the Road” to guide our session. Be present: Unplug, Turn off, Tune in – limit distractions by saving phone notifications for after this session. [Only read if virtual: Cameras are optional, but strongly encouraged!] Get Real: Bring your authentic self – be personal, connected, and real. We want to hear your honest thoughts today, and truly value your opinions. More is…more!: Share as many ideas as you can think of for each question. There is no such thing as a “wrong” answer today, and we want to hear all the ideas you have – even the wild ones! Be adventurous: This is meant to be a creative, interactive session. Feel free to use the format that works best for you – respond verbally, [in-person only: use sticky notes, or draw], [virtual only: type in chat or annotate with text] as you respond. [Only read if virtual] If you are participating on your computer today, you’ll also have the option to annotate the screen using stamps or text during the session. As a reminder on how to annotate, you should see a green bar at the top of your screen that says “You are viewing [Insert Team Member Sharing Screen Name] screen.” Here, you should see a button that says, “View Options.” Click the ‘down’ arrow next to “View Options” and the Annotate button will appear. Click “Annotate” and this menu will pop up. Hover over the stamp button and select the “X” stamp. Practice stamping your “X” anywhere on this slide. You can drop ideas or responses into the chat anytime as well during the session! To access the Zoom chat, select the button with a speech bubble that reads “Chat” as shown here on the screen. Great, thank you for practicing that! [Read for both session types]: If you [virtual only: experience any technical issues or] have any other questions during today’s session, please let us know [virtual only: by coming off mute or sending a message in the chat to [Insert team member name] for help]. Do you have any questions before we begin?
	GENERAL RAPPORT BUILDING (3 min.)
	Question 1 (Approximate time: 3 minutes)		To start, can you introduce yourself with your first name or a fake name and tell us about your experience working with girls and/or nonbinary teens? [Probing Questions]: What is your role at your organization? How long have you worked in that role, and what other roles have you held previously? What, if any, types of organizations have you worked with in the past that also work with teens?
IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION (55 min.)
Question 2 (Approximate time: 5 minutes)			Can you tell us more about the work your organization does with girls and/or nonbinary teens in your community? [Probing Questions]: What types of activities or events do you all offer to teens? Do you have an in-person location to host events? What role does your organization play in your community?
Question 3 (Approximate time: 5 minutes)			Could you share some insights about the girls and/or nonbinary teens your organization serves? What are some identities you see that are unique to the girls and/or nonbinary teens in your community? Identities include many pieces such as who they are in their family or community, where they are from, what they value, and the relationships they have. [Probing Questions]: In general, do you notice differences among the mental health experience of the youth you interact with based on the different identities they hold? If so, what types of unique mental health challenges do they experience?
Question 4 (Approximate time: 5 minutes)			Based on what you are seeing when working with girls and/or nonbinary teens in your community, what types of common themes or challenges are you seeing them experience related to their mental health? [Probing Questions]: Do you find that teens are willing to talk about their mental health? Do you find that “mental health” is a common topic of conversation for teens? Do you find that “self-care” is a common topic of conversation for teens? What are some of the biggest challenges you see teens facing related to caring for their mental health?
Question 5 (Approximate time: 5 minutes)			In general, do you think girls and nonbinary teens in your community view mental health or self-care differently than teens in other areas (i.e., big cities)? [Probing Questions]: Do you think teens in your community experience unique challenges based on factors in your specific location? If so, how do you think their view is different than those living in other areas? Why do you think this is?
Question 6 (Approximate time: 5 minutes)			What strategies do you see girls and/or nonbinary teens use to manage their mental health or practice self-care? [Probing Questions]: What types of coping mechanisms, both positive and negative, do you see teens turning to? Who do you see teens turning to for support (i.e., friends, family, community organizations)?
Question 7 (Approximate time: 5 minutes)			What resources would you direct girls and nonbinary teens to if they came to you and were struggling with their mental health? [Probing Questions]: Do you think they have access to the resources they need? What, if any, additional resources do you wish existed?
Question 8 (Approximate time: 5 minutes)			Tell me about a time when you or an adult peer were able to support a girl and/or nonbinary teen on their mental health journey. How did you notice that they were experiencing a challenge, and how did you or the other adult peer support them? [Probing Questions]: Do you have any other stories you can share that might also highlight ways adult mentors can positively impact teen mental health? As a trusted adult, what are common challenges you encounter when helping teens? Do teens approach you for help or advice, or are you able to notice when they seem “off?” If you notice on your own, what would you say are some of the telling signs?
Question 9 (Approximate time: 5 minutes)			As a trusted adult, what are common barriers you experience when trying to help girls and nonbinary teens on their mental health journey? [Probing Questions]: Do teens approach you for help or advice, or are you able to notice when they seem “off?” If they approach you, how do they reach out to you for help (i.e., virtual or in-person)? If you notice on your own, what would you say are some of the telling signs?
Question 10 (Approximate time: 5 minutes)			If you had unlimited funds and resources, what would you do to improve the mental health experience of girls and nonbinary teens in your community? [Probing Questions]: Are there any additional resources you wish existed?
Question 11 (Approximate time: 5 minutes)			Is there anything we have not asked you about related to these topics that you would like to share?
	Conclusion (2 min.)
	Interviewer: Thank you for your time today and thank you for participating in this interview! Our session is now completed. After today’s session, we will email this list of mental health resources, including national crisis resources and tools to identify a provider if you or someone you know is looking for support. You will be given a $50 Visa gift card for your time, which will be emailed to you in the coming days. [If the participant is also participating in a focus group] If you are also participating in a focus group, you will be contacted by our team again with additional details for a future session. We appreciate your willingness to be a part of this effort!

4.2 Data Collection Instruments – Adult Mentor Focus Group Discussion Guide

	FOCUS GROUP INTRODUCTIONS (3 min.)
	Facilitator: Hi everyone, thank you all for joining us for a focus group on teen mental health! My name is [insert Deloitte Team Member Name] and I am a part of the Deloitte Team working with the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Our team is working to better understand the experiences of teen girls living in rural areas across the United States. We know there is a growing number of teens impacted by mental health challenges, and the heart behind this effort is to try to make a difference. Our team is here to help guide the conversation, but we really want to hear from you all about your experiences with teen mental health in your communities. At the end of this project, our hope is to create a visual map of the teen mental health experience as a resource for CDC to use when delivering services for teen mental health in the future. Given your experience working with teens in your community, we are interested in hearing your perspective as adults on the mental health experience of teen girls or non-binary youth living in rural areas. In addition to speaking with trusted adults like yourselves, our team has been directly engaging with adolescents as part of this effort to hear from them as well. Today, we’ll talk about a variety of mental health topics. These include how teens think about their mental health, and how easy or hard it is for teens in rural areas to find and use mental health resources. We are also exploring how teen mental health experiences may vary depending on different identities that they hold, such as race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Your feedback today will help CDC develop tools for teen mental health in the future! [Only read if virtual] If you have not already, please rename yourself on Zoom so that your profile only shows your first name or a fake name. To update your name: 1. Click “Participants” at the bottom of your screen 2. Hover over your name in the Participants list > Click the button with three dots. 3. Select “Rename” from the list 4. Enter your first name or a fake name only [Read for both session types] This focus group will take 90 minutes to complete. Again, your answers to these questions will be combined with all other participant answers, and there will be no way to tell who you are from the responses. We are recording the audio of these conversations for note taking purposes only, and the recordings will be destroyed after the project ends. If there is any question you do not want to answer, you can say “pass” or “skip.” Your safety is important to us, so if at any point you would like to step out of the session, you are welcome to do so. [Only read if virtual: If you would like to step out of today’s Zoom session, we ask that you message [INSERT TEAM MEMBER NAME] using the Zoom chat before you leave the Zoom meeting.] [Only read if in-person: If you would like to step out of today’s session at any point, quietly exit the room and one of our project team members will meet you outside.] As a reminder, you will be given a $50 (American Express, Mastercard, or Visa) gift card for your time. Can you confirm you are okay with our team audio recording this session? Before we jump in, let’s cover a few “Rules of the Road” to guide our session. Be present: Unplug, Turn off, Tune in – limit distractions by saving phone notifications for after this session. [Only read if virtual: Cameras are optional, but strongly encouraged!] Get Real: Bring your authentic self – be personal, connected, and real. We want to hear your honest thoughts today, and truly value your opinions. More is…more!: Share as many ideas as you can think of for each question. There is no such thing as a “wrong” answer today, and we want to hear all the ideas you have – even the wild ones! Be adventurous: This is meant to be a creative, interactive session. Feel free to use the format that works best for you – respond verbally, [in-person only: use sticky notes, or draw], [virtual only: type in chat or annotate with text] as you respond. [Only read if virtual] If you are participating on your computer today, you’ll also have the option to annotate the screen using stamps or text during the session. As a reminder on how to annotate, you should see a green bar at the top of your screen that says “You are viewing [Insert Team Member Sharing Screen Name] screen.” Here, you should see a button that says, “View Options.” Click the ‘down’ arrow next to “View Options” and the Annotate button will appear. Click “Annotate” and this menu will pop up. Hover over the stamp button and select the “X” stamp. Practice stamping your “X” anywhere on this slide. You can drop ideas or responses into the chat anytime as well during the session! To access the Zoom chat, select the button with a speech bubble that reads “Chat” as shown here on the screen. Great, thank you for practicing that! [Read for both session types]: If you [virtual only: experience any technical issues or] have any other questions during today’s session, please let us know [virtual only: by coming off mute or sending a message in the chat to [Insert team member name] for help]. Do you have any questions before we begin?
GENERAL RAPPORT BUILDING (10 min.)
Question 1 Icebreaker (Approximate time: 10 minutes)		Let’s start off with a fun icebreaker for introductions. Let’s go around and have everyone share their first name or a fake name, organization, role at their organization, and their favorite book, movie, song, or video game. I can start us off! I’m [Insert Team member first name], I am a member of the project team, and my favorite [insert book, movie, song, or video game] is [insert response]. Alright, that was great, thank you all for sharing! Now let’s jump-in to our discussion.

IN-DEPTH CONVERSATION (75 min.)
Question 2 (Approximate time: 10-15 minutes)			How do girls and/or nonbinary teens in your community talk about mental health? How frequently? [Probing Questions]: Who do you think teens feel comfortable talking about their mental health with (i.e., friends, family, trusted adult mentors)? In general, would you say members of your community are open to talking about mental health and/or prioritize mental health?
Question 3 (Approximate time: 10-15 minutes)			Can you tell us what common mental health related themes or challenges you are seeing girls or nonbinary teens experience in your community? [Probing Questions]: What challenges would you say are new vs. what challenges do you think have existed for many years? Which, if any, of these challenges or themes would you say are unique to youth living in rural communities?
Question 4 (Approximate time: 10 minutes)			What mental health resources would you be able to connect girls and nonbinary teens to in your community? Do you think there are sufficient existing mental health resources available to girls and nonbinary teens in your community? [Probing Questions]: How does your organization provide resources to teens? Do you think they are aware of the resources available?
Question 5 (Approximate time: 10 minutes)			How do you feel your community and/or organization supports teens with different identities that may affect their mental health experience? Identities include many pieces such as who you are in your family or community, where you’re from, what you value, and the relationships you have. Affects could be positive, such as the strong community through those peer groups, or negative, such as unique challenges they may face by holding those identities.  [Probing Questions]: Does your organization do any work specific to any of the identities mentioned? Are there any specific groups you feel are more under-resourced than the others? If so, do you have any ideas on what they might need?
Question 6 (Approximate time: 10-15 minutes)			If you had a magic wand, what would you do to improve the experience of girls and nonbinary teens in your community related to mental health? [Probing Questions]: Are there any resources you wish existed? What are the barriers to enacting that vision?
Question 7 (Approximate time: 5-10 minutes)			Is there anything we have not asked you about related to these topics that you would like to share?
	Conclusion (1-2 min.)
	Thank you for your time today and thank you for participating in this focus group! Our session is now completed. After today’s session, we will email this list of mental health resources, including national crisis resources and tools to identify a provider if you or someone you know is looking for support. You will be given a $50 (American Express, Mastercard, or Visa) gift card for your time, which will be emailed to you in the coming days. We appreciate your willingness to be a part of this effort!

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