Domestic Violence Non-Residential

Services & Supports Study

March 2010Webinar Training

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Overview of Training Foundation for this Study (What we learned from The Shelter Study)

This Study – The Goals Getting Started Forms/Study Materials Inviting Program Participants to Complete the Survey: Guidelines for Staff

Other Issues: Translated Documents, Language Line, SurveyMonkey

Using the Findings Other Issues & Questions Next Steps

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What Did the Shelter Study Involve?

Collaboration between NRCDV and Collaboration between NRCDV and UConn School of Social WorkUConn School of Social Work

Funding by FVPSA Office of Funding by FVPSA Office of DHHS, administered by NIJDHHS, administered by NIJ

Work with Coalitions & Programs Work with Coalitions & Programs in 8 statesin 8 states

Two forms: around entry and Two forms: around entry and exitexit

Translations in 10 languagesTranslations in 10 languages

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Shelter Study: Goals Obtain information from a diverse sample of Obtain information from a diverse sample of

domestic violence survivors about their domestic violence survivors about their experiences in residential shelter programsexperiences in residential shelter programs

Learn more about what domestic violence Learn more about what domestic violence survivors want when they come to shelter survivors want when they come to shelter programs and the extent to which survivors programs and the extent to which survivors have had their expectations met during have had their expectations met during their shelter staytheir shelter stay

Learn more about how survivors’ Learn more about how survivors’ experiences, needs and immediate outcomes experiences, needs and immediate outcomes vary across demographic and shelter program vary across demographic and shelter program characteristicscharacteristics

Develop recommendations for shelter Develop recommendations for shelter programs across the country for how they programs across the country for how they might improve their servicesmight improve their services

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Instruments

Two survey forms completed by Two survey forms completed by survivors: at entry and around survivors: at entry and around exitexit Both fixed-choice & open-ended Both fixed-choice & open-ended questionsquestions

A form completed by programs—A form completed by programs—staff, services and capacitystaff, services and capacity

A form completed by Coalition A form completed by Coalition liaisons—census data for county liaisons—census data for county in which shelter program was in which shelter program was locatedlocated

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Coalitions & Programs Participating

Domestic violence shelter Domestic violence shelter programs in eight states programs in eight states

215 programs agreed to 215 programs agreed to participate (81%)participate (81%)

States selected to States selected to maximize the diversity of maximize the diversity of programs and survivorsprograms and survivors

Included all major Included all major geographic regions geographic regions

Coalition staff members Coalition staff members contacted each program in contacted each program in their state to request their state to request their participationtheir participation

StateState# of # of

participating participating programsprograms

ConnecticutConnecticut 1515

FloridaFlorida 3434

IllinoisIllinois 3232

MichiganMichigan 3232

New MexicoNew Mexico 1111

OklahomaOklahoma 2626

TennesseeTennessee 3535

WashingtonWashington 3030

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Survivors Participating

Shelter 1 form onlyShelter 1 form only 1,8811,881

Shelter 2 form onlyShelter 2 form only 964964

Both Shelter 1 and Both Shelter 1 and Shelter 2 formsShelter 2 forms

565565

Total number Total number participatingparticipating

3,4103,410

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Examples of Results*

25% had “concerns” about going to shelter25% had “concerns” about going to shelter What survivors wanted at entry:What survivors wanted at entry:

SupportSupport: 97% needed some; 57% needed at least 7 of : 97% needed some; 57% needed at least 7 of 10 types10 types

Economic helpEconomic help: 93% needed; 61% needed at least 3 of : 93% needed; 61% needed at least 3 of 5 types5 types

Help re: childrenHelp re: children: 87% of mothers; half needed at : 87% of mothers; half needed at least 4 of 7 typesleast 4 of 7 types

Legal system needsLegal system needs: 34% needed; 24% needed just one : 34% needed; 24% needed just one of 3 typesof 3 types

Because of shelter experience, I feel…Because of shelter experience, I feel… I will achieve the goals I set for myself: 93%I will achieve the goals I set for myself: 93% I know more ways to plan for my safety: 92%I know more ways to plan for my safety: 92% I can do more things on my own: 91%I can do more things on my own: 91%

*(see Shelter Study Report for full results)*(see Shelter Study Report for full results)

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Dissemination/Uses

Technical report + state reportsTechnical report + state reports Webinars to field & pressWebinars to field & press Use in FVPSA re-authorizationUse in FVPSA re-authorization State uses: state funding & grantsState uses: state funding & grants Specific advocacy issues:Specific advocacy issues:

Access Access Shelter rulesShelter rules Program servicesProgram services DiversityDiversity TrainingTraining

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Lessons Learned/Reinforced

Importance of survivors’ Importance of survivors’ voicesvoices

Need for greater efforts at Need for greater efforts at inclusivenessinclusiveness DiversityDiversity Community programs—not just Community programs—not just coalition members or FVPSA-fundedcoalition members or FVPSA-funded

Include more male survivorsInclude more male survivors Prepare for program/coalition Prepare for program/coalition turnoverturnover

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DV Services & Supports Study More complex—non-residential supports & More complex—non-residential supports & services; community programs not members services; community programs not members of Coalitionof Coalition

More intentionally inclusive—including menMore intentionally inclusive—including men

4 states + culturally-specific Institutes 4 states + culturally-specific Institutes + experts in LGBT, disability, and abuse + experts in LGBT, disability, and abuse in later life programsin later life programs

More information on the context of More information on the context of servicesservices

Additional voices through focus groupsAdditional voices through focus groups

Same partners & study structureSame partners & study structure

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Study Structure

Research staff at UConn—Research staff at UConn— Direct design in collaboration with Direct design in collaboration with Coalitions, Institutes, NRCDV and Coalitions, Institutes, NRCDV and consultantsconsultants

Facilitate data-related communicationsFacilitate data-related communications All data entry, analysis and reportsAll data entry, analysis and reports

Project Staff at NRCDV—Project Staff at NRCDV— Contribute to designContribute to design Manage supplies, meetings, logistics, Manage supplies, meetings, logistics, translationstranslations

Help trouble shootHelp trouble shoot Coordinate dissemination to field & roll-Coordinate dissemination to field & roll-outout

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Study Goals Learn more—what domestic violence Learn more—what domestic violence survivors want when they come to programs survivors want when they come to programs for supportive services, the extent to for supportive services, the extent to which expectations are met, and which expectations are met, and survivors’ assessment of immediate survivors’ assessment of immediate outcomes.outcomes.

Learn more—how survivors’ experiences, Learn more—how survivors’ experiences, needs and immediate outcomes vary across needs and immediate outcomes vary across demographic and domestic violence program demographic and domestic violence program characteristics.characteristics.

Identify multi-level factors associated Identify multi-level factors associated with survivors’ positive service with survivors’ positive service experiences.experiences.

Develop recommendations for domestic Develop recommendations for domestic violence programs across the country for violence programs across the country for how they might improve their services.how they might improve their services.

Getting Started: You should have a copy of the following documents to review: Guide for Individual Programs Inviting Program Participants to Complete Survey: Guidelines for Staff

Information Sheet for DV Services & Supports Study

Study supervision at your program: 2 staff should be assigned to oversee the study if at all possible

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Safety & Confidentiality: Each state and Institute has been assigned a code

(state code)

Each program will be assigned a code by the Coalition Coordinator/Institute Liaison (program code)

Programs associated with program codes will NOT be known to research staff

Your program code and state code go on the top of the first page of each data collection form.

It is ESSENTIAL that codes are in place prior to handing out forms to program participants (as they will seal completed surveys in a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope [SASE]).

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Collecting the Data—3 Parts

Program Feedback Form (program participant survey)

Program Information Form (program survey – one per site)

Census information; crime data

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Content of Program Participant Survey:

Program Feedback Form

Questions about how participants heard about the program

What services and supports they have received in the past year

How helpful were the services and supports they received

Changes/impacts since entering the program.

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Content of Program Participant Survey:

Program Feedback Form

Checklist of 53 specific different types of help a person may have wanted -- Did the participant receive the help they wanted: safety, types of information, planning, well-being, concrete connections & services

Demographics

Inviting Program Participants to Complete Survey: When?

Not if a program participant is very upset or in crisis (see “Inviting Program Participants to Complete Survey: Guidelines for Staff” form)

Not until program participant has had a minimum of 2 face to face contacts with the program (within past year).

Not if a survivor has already completed survey

Participation should be open every other week, for the entire week.

Enrollment in the study will start the 1st week of March and will continue for a period of 6 months.

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Inviting Program Participants to Complete Survey: Who?

All program participants of non-residential DV services and supports programs.

All program participants (but not children if they are present with their parents)

Not survivors currently in shelter

Inviting Program Participants to Complete Survey: How?

Staff should follow the steps outlined in the Guidelines for Staff Meet with participant individually (except possibly people in support groups)

Read them the Information Sheet Address any questions or concerns Give them the survey (Program Feedback Form) and envelope

Provide private and quiet space Show them where they should put sealed envelope when survey is completed

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Things to Remember when Inviting the Participant… Only if the survivor is not in crisis

Stress that participation is voluntary

Stress that you use client feedback to improve services

Stress the forms are brief Stress how their anonymity is protected: they are not asked to give their name; they complete the survey independently and seal in SASE themselves, etc.

Translated Documents:

The Information Sheet and Program Feedback Form have been translated into the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.

If you have a staff person or volunteer who is fluent in the translated language, then please have them read the Information Sheet to the program participant and answer any questions the participant might have (per Guidelines for Staff). If you do not have these supports available, provide both of the translated documents to the participant to read on their own.

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Limited ability to read: If you have a program participant who does not speak English and has limited ability to read in their native language, you should call the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233), which will connect you with the appropriate Language Line for translation and oral administration of survey questions.

Remember – you will need to provide the program code & state code to the participant. The Language Line staff will ask for this information.

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On-line Access to Survey:

The Information Sheet and Program Feedback Form survey are available online in English. The purpose is to make the survey more accessible for people with disabilities who might have difficulty writing or for people with visual impairments who might benefit from using a screen magnifier to increase the size of the text or using a screen reader to have the text read to them; but program participants of all abilities are welcome to use the online survey, rather than the paper format, if that is their preference.

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Data Collection Protocol

Forms should be handy and visible to staff or volunteers expected to hand them out to survivors

Staff & volunteers should understand when and how to ask survivors to participate (follow Guidelines for Staff form; see checklist)

Supervision of this process, especially in the beginning, is important

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Protecting Participants’ Anonymity

This is CRITICAL Participants need to know you are serious and have taken steps to ensure anonymity

Provide a locked box or basket for them to return surveys in the sealed envelope you give them—addressed to researchers

Program staff mail surveys weekly Staff should not be present when surveys are completed

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Protecting Participants’ Anonymity

Provide either a pencil or a black or blue pen for participant to use to complete survey

Provide a private space for survey completion

Don’t have program staff take the completed survey back from participant

Staff should explain these measures taken to protect anonymity to the participant

Program Information Form

Survey asks about your DV program Survey to be completed by a program supervisor or administrator, or some combination of program staff who can answer the specific questions

Just one completed survey for each program

Mail survey to researchers

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Census Information We need to collect some demographic information about the areas in which the programs are located (see Census Data Information Instructions sheet)

We are asking the CC/IL’s to collect this data

All city & state information will be removed from the Census print outs to protect program anonymity

All print outs will be mailed to the researchers in CT

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Using the Findings

Externally: Use findings to justify current

services Use findings to justify

creating new services Use findings to create systems

change Use findings to report to

funders on short-term impact of services

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Communications

Conference calls: Conference calls will be scheduled every other week during the first couple months with Coalition and Institute liaisons

Questions or Concerns: Programs should call the Coalition Coordinators / Institute Liaison (CC/IL) with any questions or concerns

Study Materials

All participating programs will receive an initial

packet with: Collated copies of the survey cover sheet (with instructions), information sheet, survey, and self-addressed stamped envelope

Program Information Sheet, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope

As soon as the translations are finalized, a hard copy of all translated study materials and collated copies of study materials in the additional languages you requested

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Replenishing Study Materials

Replenishing Study Materials: Additional envelopes and materials will be available throughout the study. If you are running low, please contact your CC/IL immediately!

If you are printing additional copies of study materials, please make every effort to photocopy them on uniquely colored paper to identify them as being part of this study. You will receive the surveys in goldenrod.

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Next Steps… If you haven’t done so already, contact your

CC/ILs about translated surveys – what languages will you need for your program, and how many copies?

Plan a time at your next staff meeting to discuss the study and the study protocols.

Plan where study materials will be located in your program:

Where will you keep surveys/information sheets/envelopes?

Where will you post staff checklist? Where will you post survivor flyer? Where will you place the basket/box for completed surveys?

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Other Issues

Reports: CC/ILs will receive bi-weekly reports of data received by program code

Other questions??

Thank You!!

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Researcher Contact Information:

Eleanor Lyon, Principal InvestigatorUConn School of Social WorkHome office: 860-429-6422Emails: elyon@charter.net; eleanor.lyon@uconn.edu

Jill Bradshaw, Research CoordinatorUConn School of Social WorkSchool office: 860-570-9075Email: jill.bradshaw@uconn.edu

NRC Contact Information

Annika Gifford, Study Coordinator National Resource Center on Domestic Violence Work Phone: 1-800-537-2238, ext 116 Email: amg@pcadv.org

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