[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2740-2741]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-915]


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

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: Toolkit Protocol for the Crisis Counseling Assistance and 
Training Program (CCP)--Revision

    The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's 
(SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) will create a toolkit 
to be used for the purposes of collecting data on the Crisis Counseling 
Assistance and Training Program (CCP). The CCP provides supplemental 
funding to states and territories for individual and community crisis 
intervention services during a Federal disaster.
    The CCP has provided disaster mental health services to millions of 
disaster survivors since its inception and, as a result of 30 years of 
accumulated expertise, it has become an important model for Federal 
response to a variety of catastrophic events. State CCPs, such as the 
recent 2009 Project A'apa Atu (for the Tsunami in American Samoa), 2010 
Tennessee Recovery Project (following devastating flooding), Healing 
Joplin and Project Rebound (following the 2011 tornadoes in Joplin, 
Missouri and Alabama), and most recently the multiple CCPs that 
resulted from 2011 Hurricane Irene, and flooding throughout the summer 
of 2011 have primarily addressed the short-term mental health needs of 
communities through (a) Outreach and public education, (b) individual 
and group counseling, and (c) referral. Outreach and public education 
serve primarily to normalize reactions and to engage people who might 
need further care. Crisis counseling assists survivors to cope with 
current stress and symptoms in order to return to predisaster 
functioning. Crisis counseling relies largely on ``active listening,'' 
and crisis counselors also provide psycho-education (especially about 
the nature of responses to trauma) and help clients build coping 
skills. Crisis counseling typically continues no more than a few times. 
Because crisis counseling is time-limited, referral is the third 
important function of CCPs. Counselors are expected to refer clients to 
formal treatment if the person has developed more serious psychiatric 
problems.
    Data about services delivered and users of services will be 
collected throughout the program period. The data will be collected via 
the use of a toolkit that relies on standardized forms. At the program 
level, the data will be entered quickly and easily into a

[[Page 2741]]

cumulative database to yield summary tables for quarterly and final 
reports for the program. We have confirmed the feasibility of using 
scanable forms for most purposes. Because the data will be collected in 
a consistent way from all programs, they can be uploaded into an 
ongoing national database that likewise provides CMHS with a way of 
producing summary reports of services provided across all programs 
funded.
    The components of the toolkit are listed and described below:
     Encounter logs. These forms document all services 
provided. Completion of these logs is required by the crisis 
counselors. There are three types of encounter logs: (1) Individual 
Crisis Counseling Services Encounter Log; (2) Group Encounter Log; and 
(3) Weekly Tally Sheet.
    [cir] Individual Crisis Counseling Services Encounter Log. Crisis 
counseling is defined as an interaction that lasts at least 15 minutes 
and involves participant disclosure. This form is completed by the 
Crisis Counselor for each service recipient, defined as the person or 
persons who actively participated in the session (e.g., by verbally 
participating), not someone who is merely present. For families, 
complete separate forms for all family members who are actively engaged 
in the visit. Information collected includes demographics, service 
characteristics, risk factors, and referral data.
    [cir] Group Encounter Log. This form is used to identify either a 
group crisis counseling encounter or a group public education 
encounter. A check at the top identifies the class of activities (i.e., 
counseling or education). Information collected includes services 
characteristics, group identity and characteristics, and group 
activities.
    [cir] Weekly Tally Sheet. This form documents brief educational and 
supportive encounters not captured on any other form. Information 
collected includes service characteristics, daily tallies and weekly 
totals for brief educational or supportive contacts, and material 
distribution with no or minimal interaction.
     Assessment and Referral Tool. This tool provides 
descriptive information about intense users of services, defined as all 
individuals receiving a third individual crisis counseling visit. This 
tool will be used beginning three months postdisaster and will be 
completed by the crisis counselor.
     Participant Feedback. These surveys are completed by and 
collected from a sample of service recipients, not every recipient. A 
time sampling approach (e.g., soliciting participation from all 
counseling encounters one week per quarter) will be used. Information 
collected includes satisfaction with services, perceived improvements 
in self-functioning, types of exposure, and event reactions.
     CCP Service Provider Feedback. These surveys are completed 
by and collected from the CCP service providers anonymously at six 
months and one year postevent. The survey will be coded on several 
program-level as well as worker-level variables. However, the program 
itself will be identified and shared with program management only if 
the number of individual workers was greater than 20.
    There are no changes to the Individual Encounter Log, Group 
Encounter Log, the Adult Assessment and Referral Tool, the Participant 
Feedback Survey, the Service Provider Feedback Survey, and the Child/
Youth Assessment and Referral Tool. The Weekly Tally Sheet is the only 
one that has been revised with two additional fields to obtain 
information on social media activities.
    The table below is the estimates of annualized hour burden.

 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Number of     Responses per     Hours per      Total hour
                      Form                          respondents     respondents      responses        burden
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Individual Crisis Counseling Services Encounter              200             280             .08           4,480
 Log............................................
Group Encounter Log.............................             100              33             .07             231
Weekly Tally Sheet..............................             200              33             .2            1,320
Assessment and Referral Tools...................             200              14             .25             700
Participant Feedback Survey.....................           1,000               1             .25             250
Service Provider Feedback Survey................             100               1             .25              25
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................           1,800  ..............  ..............           7,006
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed 
information collection should be sent by February 21, 2012 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 email to: [email protected]. Although commenters are encouraged to send 
their comments via email, 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.

Janine Denis Cook,
Chemist.
[FR Doc. 2012-915 Filed 1-18-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P