[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 135 (Monday, July 16, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38837-38839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-13714]


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

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request

    Periodically, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration (SAMHSA) will publish a summary of information 
collection requests under OMB review, in compliance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these 
documents, call the SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer on (240) 276-1243.

Project: National Evaluation of the Protection and Advocacy for 
Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Program--NEW

    In recognition that systematic evaluation of this and other 
government programs are part of good management

[[Page 38838]]

and accountability, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration's Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) will conduct 
an independent process evaluation of the PAIMI Program. CMHS will 
employ information that is routinely collected under existing program 
requirements and is also expected to collect new, additional data that 
are also necessary for the conduct of the evaluation. [On January 1, 
each eligible State protection and advocacy (P&A) system is required to 
transmit to the Secretary and head of the State Mental Health Agency, 
in which the system is located, a report describing its activities, 
accomplishments, and expenditures during the most recently completed 
fiscal year. None of the data collection activities described above 
will be redundant with these existing reporting requirements.] The 
evaluation plan includes gathering information about the PAIMI program 
from persons with different perspectives. Accordingly, CMHS proposes to 
proceed with the following new data collection activities:
    (1) Survey interviews with the Executive Directors of each of the 
Protection and Advocacy Grantees, as well as other staff whom they may 
ask to join them in these interviews to include:
    a. Characteristics and shared functions between the P&A Governing 
Board and the PAIMI Advisory Council.
    b. Processes to establish PAIMI goals and priorities.
    c. Federal support of the PAIMI program.
    d. Federal oversight of the PAIMI program.
    e. Organization and staffing of PAIMI responsibilities within the 
P&A.
    f. Procedures for quality management.
    g. Background of respondent.
    (2) Surveys of and focus groups with persons who receive services 
from PAIMI programs to include:
    a. Access to PAIMI services.
    b. Quality of services provided to clients.
    c. Satisfaction with services.
    d. Background of respondent.
    (3) Surveys of the Chairs of the Advisory Councils of each PAIMI 
Grantee to include:
    a. Characteristics and shared functions between the P&A Governing 
Board and the PAIMI Advisory Council.
    b. Processes to establish PAIMI goals and priorities and assessment 
of those priorities.
    c. Organization and staffing of PAIMI responsibilities within the 
P&A.
    d. Quality of services provided to clients.
    e. Background of respondent.
    (4) Surveys of the Program Directors of State Mental Health 
Authorities to include:
    a. Types of communication between the State Mental Health Authority 
and the PAIMI program.
    b. Processes to establish PAIMI goals and priorities and assessment 
of those priorities.
    c. Relationship between the State Mental Health Authority and the 
PAIMI program.
    d. Role of the PAIMI program in the mental health advocacy 
community.
    e. Background of respondent.
    (5) Survey of directors of other organizations who are likely to be 
familiar with or collaborate in PAIMI activities in each State; 
including family and consumer groups and other mental health advocacy 
organizations to include:
    a. Types of interaction between the State Mental Health Authority 
and the PAIMI program.
    b. Processes to establish PAIMI goals and priorities and assessment 
of those priorities.
    c. Relationship between the organization and the PAIMI program.
    d. Access to and quality of services provided to PAIMI recipients.
    e. Role of the PAIMI program in the mental health advocacy 
community.
    f. Background of respondent.
    The PAIMI program has never undergone an independent evaluation. 
The approach being used is to conduct survey interviews with a cross-
section of five primary Stakeholder groups connected to the PAIMI 
program, including Program Directors/staff, Clients/Recipients of 
services, PAIMI Advisory Council Chairs, Directors of State Mental 
Health Authorities, and Directors of Other Mental Health Advocacy 
Organizations in an effort to obtain a representative sample of 
viewpoints about the PAIMI program. The surveys have been developed to 
include questions relevant to each of the respective Stakeholder groups 
named above and range from 22 questions to as many as 88 questions. 
Depending on the Stakeholder group, respondent surveys are expected to 
take from thirty minutes up to two hours to complete.
    CMHS also intends to conduct an outcome evaluation of the PAIMI 
program. SAMHSA is soliciting comments on how best to conduct such an 
evaluation. Comments should address how an evaluation can be best 
designed to assess the impact of the program, as measured by its GPRA 
measures, SAMHSA's National Outcome Measures, and other outcome 
measures. Commenters are advised to refer to the OMB document ``What 
Constitutes Strong Evidence of a Program's Effectiveness?'', available 
at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/part/index.html, for OMB guidance on 
program evaluations.
    The burden estimate for conducting the surveys under the evaluation 
plan for the PAIMI Program is as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                     Hours per      Total hour
            Form name                 No. of       Responses per       Total         response         burden
                                    respondents     respondent       responses        (hours)         (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive Director Interview....              20               1              20               2              40
PAIMI Advisory Chair Survey.....              20               1              20               1              20
State Mental Health Director                  20               1              20               1              20
 Survey.........................
State Mental Health Legal                     20               1              20               1              20
 Counsel........................
Other Mental Health Advocacy Org              20               1              20               1              20
 Director Survey................
PAIMI Client Survey.............              72               1              72           \1/2\              36
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total...........................             172  ..............             172  ..............             156
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed 
information collection should be sent by August 15, 2007 to: SAMHSA 
Desk Officer, Human Resources and Housing Branch, Office of Management 
and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, DC 
20503; due to potential delays in OMB's receipt and processing of mail 
sent through the U.S. Postal Service, respondents are encouraged to 
submit comments by fax to: 202-395-6974.


[[Page 38839]]


    Dated: June 25, 2007.
Elaine Parry,
Acting Director, Office of Program Services.
 [FR Doc. E7-13714 Filed 7-13-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P