[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 41 (Wednesday, March 1, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11066-11067]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-4862]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

    In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 concerning opportunity for public comment on proposed 
collections of information, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration will publish periodic summaries of proposed 
projects. To request more information on the proposed projects or to 
obtain a copy of the information collection plans, call the SAMHSA 
Reports Clearance Officer on (301) 443-7978.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collections of 
information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions 
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

Proposed Project: Evaluation of the Addiction Technology Transfer 
Center Program (New)

    The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration's (SAMHSA) 
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) intends to conduct an 
evaluation of its Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (ATTCs). The 
goal underlying the training and education opportunities provided 
through the ATTCs is to enhance the competencies of professionals in a 
variety of disciplines to address the clinical needs of individuals 
with substance abuse problems using research-based curricula and 
training materials through both traditional and non-traditional 
technologies.
    The ATTCs disseminate current health services research from the 
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute on Alcohol 
Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), National Institute of Mental Health 
(NIMH), Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (ACHPR), National 
Institute of Justice (NIJ), and other sources and applied knowledge 
development activities from SAMHSA using innovative technologies by 
developing and updating state-of-the-art research-based curricula and 
developing faculty and trainers. Participants in ATTC trainings are 
self-identified and participate in either academic courses or 
continuing education/professional development trainings. Academic 
courses are offered at all levels. Continuing education/professional 
development trainings are designed to meet identified needs of 
counselors and other professionals who work with individuals with 
substance abuse problems.
    Both a process and an outcome evaluation will be conducted. The 
process evaluation will describe the

[[Page 11067]]

training and education needs of pre-service and currently practicing 
professionals, the types of training events that students/trainees 
receive through the ATTCs, and student/trainee satifaction with 
services. The outcome evaluation will focus on specific changes in 
clinical practice made by trainees as a result of knowledge received.
    Analysis of this information will assist CSAT in documenting the 
numbers and types of participants in ATTC education/training offerings, 
describing the extent to which participants improve in their clinical 
competency, and which method is most effective in disseminating 
knowledge to the various audiences. This type of information is crucial 
to support CSAT in complying with GPRA reporting requirements and will 
inform future development of knowledge dissemination activities.
    The evaluation design for students and trainees will be a 
description of each course/training event, and a pre-post design that 
collects identical information at initiation of ATTC courses/trainings, 
at the completion to the course/training, and again after 3 months. 
This time frame is necessary to allow students/trainees the opportunity 
to implement changes in clinical practice. In addition, the evaluation 
will collect satisfaction measures after each course/training event. A 
formal comparison group is not available.
    The 13 ATTCs anticipate providing courses/trainings for 12,000 
students/trainees per year over the next 2 years. Data collection 
burden will be borne primarily by the ATTC faculty for course 
descriptions (15 minutes) and students/trainees for pre and post and 
follow-up (30 minutes for each). ATTC staff will conduct follow-up 
mailings and/or interviews. The chart below summarizes the annualized 
burden for this project over a two-year period.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Average      Average time/
                 Respondent type                     Number of      responses/       response      Annual burden
                                                    respondents     respondent        (hours)         (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Students/trainees...............................          12,000               3             .50          18,000
Faculty/trainers................................             195               1             .25              49
ATTC summary reports............................              13               4               8             416
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................          12,208  ..............  ..............          18,465
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Send comments to Nancy Pearce, SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer, 
Room 16-105, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. 
Written comments should be received within 60 days of this notice.

    Dated: February 23, 2000.
Richard Kopanda,
Executive Officer, SAMHSA.
[FR Doc. 00-4862 Filed 2-29-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P