[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 191 (Monday, October 3, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61107-61108]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-25375]


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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: Networking Suicide Prevention Hotlines--Evaluation of the 
Lifeline Policies for Helping Callers at Imminent Risk (NEW)

    This proposed project is a new data collection that builds on 
previously approved data collection activities [Evaluation of 
Networking Suicide Prevention Hotlines Follow-Up Assessment (OMB No. 
0930-0274) and Call Monitoring of National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 
Form (OMB No. 0930-0275)]. This new data collection is an effort to 
advance the understanding of crisis hotline utilization and its impact. 
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's 
(SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) funds a National 
Suicide Prevention Lifeline Network (``Lifeline''), consisting of a 
toll-free telephone number that routes calls from anywhere in the 
United States to a network of local crisis centers. In turn, the local 
centers link callers to local emergency, mental health, and social 
service resources.
    The overarching purpose of the proposed Evaluation of the Lifeline 
Policies for Helping Callers at Imminent Risk is to implement data 
collection to evaluate hotline counselors' management of imminent risk 
callers and third party callers concerned about persons at imminent 
risk, and counselor adherence to Lifeline Policies and Guidelines for 
Helping Callers at Imminent Risk of Suicide. Specifically, the 
Evaluation of the Lifeline Policies for Helping Callers at Imminent 
Risk will collect data, using an imminent risk form, to inform the 
network's knowledge of the extent to which counselors are aware of and 
being guided by the Lifeline's imminent risk guidelines; counselors' 
definitions of imminent risk; the rates of active rescue of imminent 
risk callers; types of rescue; barriers to intervention; and the 
circumstances in which active rescue is initiated, including the 
caller's agreement to receive the intervention.
    Clearance is being requested for one activity to assess the 
knowledge, actions, and practices of counselors to aid callers who are 
determined to be at imminent risk for suicide and who may require 
active rescue. This evaluation will allow researchers to examine and 
understand the actions taken by counselors to aid imminent risk 
callers, the need for active rescue, and, ultimately, to improve the 
delivery of crisis hotline services to imminent risk callers. A total 
of eight centers will participate in this evaluation. Thus, SAMHSA is 
requesting OMB review and approval of the National Suicide Prevention 
Lifeline--Imminent Risk Form. This activity is distinct from the Crisis 
Center Survey data collection, which targets the entire network of 
crisis centers and focuses on a different domain of questions 
(specifically, the makeup, strengths, and needs of crisis centers.) The 
information gathered from the Crisis Center Survey cannot provide a 
profile of imminent risk callers or details about interventions with 
imminent risk or third party callers.
    Crisis counselors at eight participating centers will record 
information discussed with imminent risk callers on the Imminent Risk 
Form, which does not require direct data collection from callers. As 
with previously approved evaluations, callers will maintain

[[Page 61108]]

anonymity. Counselors will be asked to complete the form for 100% of 
imminent risk callers to the eight centers participating in the 
evaluation. This form requests information in 14 content areas, each 
with multiple sub-items and response options. Response options include 
open-ended, yes/no, Likert-type ratings, and multiple choice/check all 
that apply. The form also requests demographic information on the 
caller, the identification of the center and counselor submitting the 
form, and the date of the call. Specifically, the form is divided into 
the following sections: (1) Call type, (2) gender, (3) age, (4) 
suicidal desire, (5) suicidal intent, (6) suicidal capability, (7) 
buffers to suicide, (8) interventions agreed to by caller or 
implemented by counselor without consent, (9) whether imminent risk was 
reduced enough such that active rescue was not needed, (10) 
interventions for third party callers calling about a person at 
imminent risk, (11) if supervisory consultation occurred, (12) barriers 
to getting needed help to the person at imminent risk, (13) steps taken 
to confirm emergency contact was made with person at risk, and (14) 
steps taken when emergency contact was NOT made with person at risk. 
The form will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and may be 
completed by the counselor during or after the call. It is expected 
that a total of 1,440 forms will be completed by 360 counselors over 
the two-year data collection period.
    The estimated response burden to collect this information is 
annualized over the requested two-year clearance period and is 
presented below:

                                             Total and Annualized Averages: Respondents, Responses and Hours
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                                                                        Number of        Responses/         Total          Hours per        Total hour
                             Instrument                                respondents       respondent       responses         response          burden
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National Suicide Prevention Lifeline--Imminent Risk Form...........             360                2              720              .25              180
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    Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed 
information collection should be sent by November 2, 2011 to the SAMHSA 
Desk Officer at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB). To ensure timely receipt of 
comments, and to avoid potential delays in OMB's receipt and processing 
of mail sent through the U.S. Postal Service, commenters are encouraged 
to submit their comments to OMB via e-mail to: [email protected]. Although commenters are encouraged to send 
their comments via e-mail, commenters may also fax their comments to: 
202-395-7285. Commenters may also mail them to: Office of Management 
and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, New Executive 
Office Building, Room 10102, Washington, DC 20503.

Rose Shannon,
Director, Division of Executive Correspondence.
[FR Doc. 2011-25375 Filed 9-30-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P