[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 63 (Tuesday, April 1, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17365-17367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-6581]


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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 Addiction Technology Transfer 
Centers (ATTC)--NEW

    In recognition that systematic evaluation of this and other 
government programs are part of good management and accountability and 
will inform program improvement efforts, the Substance Abuse and Mental 
Health Services Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment 
(CSAT) will conduct an independent evaluation of the ATTC Program. The 
purpose of the ATTC Program is to develop and strengthen the workforce 
that provides addictions treatment services to 23 million Americans age 
12 and older who need treatment for alcohol or illicit drug problems. 
In partnership with Single State Authorities (SSAs), treatment provider 
associations, addictions counselors, multidisciplinary professionals, 
faith and recovery community leaders, addiction educators, and other 
stakeholders, the ATTCs assess the training and development needs of 
the substance use disorders workforce, and develop and conduct training 
and technology transfer activities to meet these needs. Particular 
emphasis is on raising awareness of and improving skills in using 
evidence-based and promising treatment/recovery practices in recovery-
oriented systems of care.
    The goals of the evaluation are to: (1) Identify the successes of 
technology transfer efforts and build upon them in the future; (2) 
share lessons learned across ATTC regions for the enhancement of all 
regions' activities; and (3) identify region-specific and cross-
regional processes and outcomes. The evaluation will consist of three 
studies. The Planning and Partnering Study will collect data on the 
processes and procedures related to the planning, partnering, and 
provision of ATTC services/activities. The Customer Satisfaction and 
Benefit Study will collect data on the extent to which ATTC services/
activities are satisfactory and to meet the needs of identified 
partners and other program stakeholders. The Change in Practice Study 
will collect data to determine the extent to which ATTCs have enhanced 
the competencies, including cultural competencies, of specialty 
addictions treatment practitioners, paraprofessionals, and 
multidisciplinary professionals to strengthen the workforce and whether 
the ATTCs have provided these individuals with new skills that have led 
to changes in treatment practice.
    This will be the first independent, national evaluation of the ATTC 
Program since the program was first funded by SAMHSA in 1993. The 
evaluation approach will be formative and participatory, and the 
national evaluation team will collaborate with the ATTCs, CSAT, and 
other program stakeholders to implement the planned data collection 
activities. Surveys, interviews, and focus groups will be conducted 
over a three-year period with eight (8) main stakeholder groups who use 
or are among the target audiences for the ATTCs' services or are 
otherwise associated with the ATTC program (e.g., as ATTC partners): 
ATTC directors and staff; customers/recipients of ATTC services/
activities; ATTC Advisory Board members; partners who collaborate with 
ATTCs in planning and delivering ATTC services/activities; directors of 
state substance abuse agencies; directors of treatment provider and 
recovery organizations and directors of provider associations; 
addiction educators; and cultural leaders involved in addictions 
treatment. The data collection instruments have been constructed to 
include information related to each stakeholder group, as identified 
above, and are expected to yield diverse perspectives related to the 
processes and outcomes of the ATTC Program. As a condition of their 
grant, each ATTC was required to budget .25 FTE to participate in data 
collection for the national evaluation.
    The evaluation will collect new data that is necessary for the 
evaluation and will also use data and information collected under 
existing program requirements. (Each ATTC is required to submit GPRA 
data at the end of each ATTC training and technical assistance event 
and meeting/conference and 30 days after each event; each ATTC will 
conduct a workforce survey; and each ATTC also submits an annual 
report. None of the new data collection activities will be redundant 
with these existing reporting requirements.) CSAT plans the following 
new data collection activities:
    (1) Semi-structured interviews with ATTC directors and other ATTC 
staff (e.g., co-directors, ATTC technology transfer specialists, ATTC 
evaluator) that are conducted during site visits to each ATTC. The 
purpose of the interviews will be to collect information on:
    a. Goals and objectives of the ATTC.
    b. Regional priorities and needs for technology transfer services.
    c. Processes used to plan ATTC programs and services.
    d. Collaborative relationships with organizations within and 
outside the ATTC region.
    e. Organizational structure and staffing of the ATTC.
    f. ATTC funding and leveraging of resources.
    g. Efforts to coordinate services with other providers of training, 
technical assistance, or technology transfer services within the 
region.
    h. Technology transfer strategies and services implemented by the 
ATTC to promote adoption of culturally appropriate, evidence-based, and 
promising practices.
    i. Implementation and use of workforce surveys.
    j. Participation in cross-regional and network-wide activities.
    k. Background characteristics of the respondent.
    (2) Focus groups with ATTC staff (including field staff who are 
assigned to work with specific states and may work in different 
locations throughout the ATTC region), to include information on:
    a. Regional priorities and needs for technology transfer services.
    b. Processes used to plan ATTC programs and services.
    c. Efforts to coordinate services with other providers of 
technology transfer services within the region.
    d. Technology transfer strategies and services implemented by the 
ATTC to promote adoption of culturally appropriate, evidence-based and 
promising practices.
    e. Background characteristics of focus group participants.
    (3) Telephone interviews with a sample of stakeholders of the ATTC 
program, including state substance abuse directors (SSAs), ATTC 
Advisory Board members, addiction educators, directors of treatment 
provider associations, cultural leaders, and leaders of recovery 
associations. The

[[Page 17366]]

purpose of the interviews will be to collect information on:
    a. Collaboration with ATTCs for program planning and service 
delivery.
    b. Awareness of ATTC activities and services.
    c. Utilization of ATTC services.
    d. Quality of ATTC services.
    e. Changes in awareness, skills, practices, or systems as a result 
of ATTC services.
    f. Gaps in ATTC service delivery.
    g. Background characteristics of the respondent.
    (4) Survey of ATTC Regional Advisory Board members to include 
questions related to:
    a. Composition of the Advisory Board.
    b. Stakeholder representation and representation of the diversity 
within the region on the Advisory Board.
    c. Role of the ATTC Advisory Board.
    d. Frequency of meetings and other communications (e.g., conference 
calls).
    e. Characteristics of communications and interactions between the 
ATTC and Advisory Board members.
    f. Processes to assess regional needs and priorities.
    g. Consideration/utilization of Advisory Board recommendations by 
the ATTC.
    h. Satisfaction with ATTC planning and priority setting processes.
    i. Background characteristics of the respondent.
    (5) Survey of ATTC customers (Customer Satisfaction and Benefit 
Survey) to include questions related to:
    a. Background characteristics of ATTC customers/respondents.
    b. Participation in different types of ATTC activities (e.g., 
training, technical assistance, meetings/conferences, product 
development, etc.).
    c. Participation in ATTC activities focusing on specific topics 
(e.g., evidence-based practices, clinical supervision, workforce 
development).
    d. Perceived objective of each ATTC activity (awareness raising, 
skill building, change in practice).
    e. Satisfaction with and knowledge gained from ATTC activities.
    f. Changes in awareness, skills, or practices as a result of 
participation in ATTC activities .
    (6) Evidence-Based Practices Critical Action Surveys of a sample of 
individuals who participated in ATTC initiatives related to Clinical 
Supervision, Motivational Interviewing, and Treatment Planning MATRS. 
The web-based surveys will collect information on:
    a. Prior training related to the evidence-based practice.
    b. Prior experience using the evidence-based practice.
    c. Implementation experience/changes in practice.
    d. Level of proficiency related to the evidence-based practice.
    e. Factors impacting ability to change practice.
    (7) Telephone interviews (Success Case Interviews) with 
participants in the Evidence-Based Critical Action Surveys who report 
the greatest and least amount of success in implementing the new 
evidence-based practice. The interviews will collect information on:
    a. Application of what was learned in clinical or organizational 
practice.
    b. Illustrative examples of what occurred as a result of changes in 
practice.
    c. Characteristics of the training that made it useful.
    d. Barriers to application of what was learned.
    (8) A Clinician Self-Assessment of the extent to which the 
clinician has incorporated the skills associated with Motivational 
Interviewing into their clinical practice, to include information on:
    a. Motivational Interviewing style.
    b. Extent to which the clinician has implemented Motivational 
Interviewing skills.
    c. Background characteristics of the respondent.
    (9) Survey of directors of addictions treatment provider 
organizations (Survey of Organizational Readiness) who participated in 
the Evidence-Based Critical Action Survey related to the Treatment 
Planning MATRS initiative, to collect information on:
    a. Characteristics of the treatment provider unit or organization.
    b. Issues for which the organization needs external technical 
assistance or guidance.
    c. Issues for which the staff needs external technical assistance 
or guidance.
    d. Source of current pressures for making organizational change.
    e. Background characteristics of the respondent.
    The burden estimate for conducting the data collection activities 
for the national evaluation of the ATTC Program is as follows:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     Number of     Responses per       Total         Hours per     Total burden
  Name of instrument/respondent     respondents     respondent       responses       response          hours
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Site Visit Interview Protocol:
    ATTC Directors..............              15               1              15               2              30
    ATTC Staff..................              38               1              38               1              38
Focus Group Protocol:
    ATTC Field Staff............              35               1              35               2              70
Key Informant Interview
 Protocol:
    SSA Directors...............              55               1              55               1              55
    ATTC Advisory Board Members.              45               1              45               1              45
    Provider Association                      43               1              43               1              43
     Directors..................
    Addiction Educators.........              70               1              70               1              70
    Treatment Agency Directors..              42               1              42               1              42
    Other Key Advisors..........              42               1              42               1              42
Collaborative Functioning
 Survey:
    ATTC Advisory Board Members.             450               2             900             0.5             450
Customer Satisfaction and
 Benefit Survey:
    SSA Directors...............              55               1              55             0.5              28
    Provider Association                      43               1              43             0.5              22
     Directors..................
    Addiction Educators.........             158               1             158             0.5              79
    Treatment Agency Directors..             700               1             700             0.5             350
    ATTC Activity Participants..           3,000               1           3,000             0.5           1,500
    Other Unique Regional                    168               1             168             0.5              84
     Partners...................
Evidence-Based Critical Action
 Surveys:
    ATTC Clinical Supervision                240               1             240             0.5             120
     Training Participants......
    ATTC Motivational                        360               1             360             0.5             180
     Interviewing Training
     Participants...............

[[Page 17367]]

 
    ATTC Treatment Planning                  240               1             240             0.5             120
     MATRS Treatment
     Participants (Treatment
     Agency Directors)..........
Success Case Interview
 Protocols:
    ATTC Clinical Supervision                 48               1              48               1              48
     Training Participants......
    ATTC Motivational                         72               1              72               1              72
     Interviewing Training
     Participants...............
    ATTC Treatment Planning                   48               1              48               1              48
     MATRS Training Participants
     (Treatment Directors)......
Clinician Self-Assessment Form                72              12             864             0.5             432
 on Motivational Interviewing...
Survey of Organizational
 Readiness:
    Treatment Agency Directors..             240               1             240             0.5             120
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        Total...................           6,294  ..............           7,521  ..............           4,088
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    Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed 
information collection should be sent by May 1, 2008 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.

    Dated: March 24, 2008.
Elaine Parry,
Acting Director, Office of Program Services.
 [FR Doc. E8-6581 Filed 3-31-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P