[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 121 (Monday, June 24, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42572-42573]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-15830]


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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

    Effective Dissemination of Mentoring and Family Strengthening 
Programs, Cross-Site Evaluation--New--The basis for the current cross-
site evaluation originates from two previous efforts funded by SAMHSA's 
Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) aimed at providing 
prevention services for high-risk youth: (1) Project Youth Connect--
Mentoring and (2) Parent and Family Strengthening. The Project Youth 
Connect Program, funded in 1998, was designed to determine the 
effectiveness of a paid mentor/advocate model in improving life 
achievement outcomes for youth 9 to 15 years of age and their families. 
The Parent/Family Strengthening Program was designed to present 
science-based program models that would be selected for implementation 
within local communities. Funding for the parent/family strengthening 
program was distributed in two cohorts, with Cohort 1 receiving funding 
in 1998 and Cohort 2 receiving funding in 1999. Both cohorts were 
funded for a period of 24 months to address the gap between effective 
family-based prevention interventions and their availability in States, 
communities and other organizations. The goal of the current cross-site 
evaluation seeks to build upon these previous efforts by evaluating the 
impact of a three-year Mentoring and Family Strengthening prevention 
program targeting high-risk youth and their caregivers on reducing risk 
factors related to, and enhancing protective factors against, substance 
abuse.
    Seven mentoring and nine family strengthening study sites were 
funded by SAMHSA/CSAP as of September 2001 to participate in this 
cross-site study. The primary objectives of the cross-site evaluation 
are to: (1) Assess the process of implementing program models with 
diverse target groups, (2) measure the effectiveness of specified 
intervention strategies such as cultural enrichment activities, 
educational and vocational resources, or computer-based curricula, and 
(3) determine the success of the Mentoring and Family Strengthening 
Programs in delaying, preventing, and/or reducing the use of alcohol, 
tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) among youth and caregivers at risk for 
such behaviors. Conducting this evaluation will assist SAMHSA/CSAP in 
promoting and disseminating optimally effective prevention programs.
    The CSAP GPRA Adult and Youth questionnaires, which have been 
approved by OMB (OMB No. 0930-0208) for use in all CSAP evaluation 
studies, will be used to measure ATOD use and risk factors associated 
with ATOD abuse among program participants and comparison subjects. 
Scales from the CSAP Core Measures list (OMB No. 0930-0230) and the 
CSAP National Youth Survey (OMB No. 0930-0178) will be used to measure 
other important risk and protective factors. The cross-site instrument 
(containing CSAP GPRA, scales from the CSAP Core Measures list, and 
scales from the CSAP National Youth Survey) will be augmented with 
additional scales in order to measure other important risk factors such 
as family conflict and parental stress. Protective factors that serve 
to guard against ATOD abuse include educational aspirations, school 
connectedness, and family cohesion. Data will also be gathered from 
program reports using a ``dosage form'' that will document services 
provided to youth and their adult caregivers.
    The evaluation data will be collected through self-report 
questionnaires administered to program and comparison youth and adults, 
and to Mentors at the Mentoring Study Sites. Each Mentor, youth and 
adult in the intervention and comparison group will complete 
questionnaires at three different times: (1) Baseline, (2) program exit 
and (3) 6-month follow up. The dosage form will be completed by staff 
on a weekly basis for program youth and adults only.
    Sample size, respondent burden, and intrusiveness have been 
minimized to be consistent with the cross-site evaluation objectives. 
Procedures are employed to safeguard the privacy and confidentiality of 
participants. Every effort has been made to coordinate cross-site data 
collection with local data collection efforts in order to minimize 
respondent burden. Pilot tests assisted in controlling burden and 
ensuring the user-relevance of questions.
    Evaluation results will have significant implications for the 
substance abuse prevention field, the allocation of grant funds, and 
evaluation activities conducted by multiple Federal, state, and local 
government agencies. Results will be used to develop federal policy in 
support of SAMHSA/CSAP program initiatives, inform the public of 
lessons learned and findings, improve existing programs, and promote 
replication and dissemination of effective prevention strategies.
    The following table shows the estimated annualized burden for data 
collection.

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                                                                                  Average burden/
                  Response type                      Number of      Responses/       response     Average annual
                                                    respondents     respondent        (hrs.)        burden hrs.
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Youth (intervention and comparison).............            2,50               1               1           2,500
Adults (intervention and comparison)............           2,500               1               1           2,500

[[Page 42573]]

 
Mentors.........................................              40               1               1              40
Weekly Dosage Form--Family Strengthening Staff..              46              40            .083             153
Weekly Dosage Form--paid mentors................              21               9            .167              32
Weekly Dosage Form--volunteer mentors...........             100               2            .083              17
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................           5,167  ..............  ..............           5,242
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    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: June 17, 2002.
Richard Kopanda,
Executive Officer, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration.
[FR Doc. 02-15830 Filed 6-21-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P