Domestic Violence Non-Residential Services & Supports Study

1. Domestic Violence Non-Residential Services & Supports Study March 2010 Webinar Training

2. 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

3. What Did the Shelter Study Involve? • Collaboration between NRCDV and UConn School of Social Work • Funding by FVPSA Office of DHHS, administered by NIJ • Work with Coalitions & Programs in 8 states • Two forms: around entry and exit • Translations in 10 languages

4. Shelter Study: Goals • Obtain information from a diverse sample of domestic violence survivors about their experiences in residential shelter programs • Learn more about what domestic violence survivors want when they come to shelter programs and the extent to which survivors have had their expectations met during their shelter stay • Learn more about how survivors’ experiences, needs and immediate outcomes vary across demographic and shelter program characteristics • Develop recommendations for shelter programs across the country for how they might improve their services

5. Instruments • Two survey forms completed by survivors: at entry and around exit • Both fixed-choice & open-ended questions • A form completed by programs—staff, services and capacity • A form completed by Coalition liaisons—census data for county in which shelter program was located

6. Coalitions & Programs Participating • Domestic violence shelter programs in eight states • 215 programs agreed to participate (81%) • States selected to maximize the diversity of programs and survivors • Included all major geographic regions • Coalition staff members contacted each program in their state to request their participation

7. Survivors Participating

8. Examples of Results* • 25% had “concerns” about going to shelter • What survivors wanted at entry: • Support: 97% needed some; 57% needed at least 7 of 10 types • Economic help: 93% needed; 61% needed at least 3 of 5 types • Help re: children: 87% of mothers; half needed at least 4 of 7 types • Legal system needs: 34% needed; 24% needed just one of 3 types • Because of shelter experience, I feel… • I will achieve the goals I set for myself: 93% • I know more ways to plan for my safety: 92% • I can do more things on my own: 91% *(see Shelter Study Report for full results)

9. Dissemination/Uses • Technical report + state reports • Webinars to field & press • Use in FVPSA re-authorization • State uses: state funding & grants • Specific advocacy issues: • Access • Shelter rules • Program services • Diversity • Training

10. Lessons Learned/Reinforced • Importance of survivors’ voices • Need for greater efforts at inclusiveness • Diversity • Community programs—not just coalition members or FVPSA-funded • Include more male survivors • Prepare for program/coalition turnover

11. DV Services & Supports Study • More complex—non-residential supports & services; community programs not members of Coalition • More intentionally inclusive—including men • 4 states + culturally-specific Institutes + experts in LGBT, disability, and abuse in later life programs • More information on the context of services • Additional voices through focus groups • Same partners & study structure

12. Study Structure Research staff at UConn— Direct design in collaboration with Coalitions, Institutes, NRCDV and consultants Facilitate data-related communications All data entry, analysis and reports Project Staff at NRCDV— Contribute to design Manage supplies, meetings, logistics, translations Help trouble shoot Coordinate dissemination to field & roll-out 12

13. Study Goals • Learn more—what domestic violence survivors want when they come to programs for supportive services, the extent to which expectations are met, and survivors’ assessment of immediate outcomes. • Learn more—how survivors’ experiences, needs and immediate outcomes vary across demographic and domestic violence program characteristics. • Identify multi-level factors associated with survivors’ positive service experiences. • Develop recommendations for domestic violence programs across the country for how they might improve their services.

14. 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

15. 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]).

16. Collecting the Data—3 Parts • Program Feedback Form (program participant survey) • Program Information Form (program survey – one per site) • Census information; crime data

17. 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.

18. 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

19. 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.

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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

34. 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. 34

35. 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? 35

36. Other Issues • Reports: CC/ILs will receive bi-weekly reports of data received by program code • Other questions?? Thank You!!

37. Researcher Contact Information: Eleanor Lyon, Principal Investigator UConn School of Social Work Home office: 860-429-6422 Emails: elyon@charter.net; eleanor.lyon@uconn.edu Jill Bradshaw, Research Coordinator UConn School of Social Work School office: 860-570-9075 Email: jill.bradshaw@uconn.edu

38. 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