[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 161 (Tuesday, August 20, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43137-43139]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-17879]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Community Living

[OMB#0985-XXXX]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Adult Protective Services Client Outcome Study

AGENCY: Administration for Community Living, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is announcing an 
opportunity for the public to comment on the proposed collection of 
information listed above. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 
(the PRA), Federal agencies are required to publish a notice in the 
Federal Register concerning each proposed collection of information, 
including each proposed extension of an existing collection of 
information, and to allow 60 days for public comment in response to the 
notice.
    This notice solicits comments on the Proposed new information 
collection and solicits comments on the information collection 
requirements related to the ``Adult Protective Services Client Outcome 
Study''.

DATES: Comments on the collection of information must be submitted 
electronically by 11:59 p.m. (EST) or postmarked by October 21, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Submit electronic comments on the collection of information 
to: Stephanie Whittier Eliason. Submit written comments on the 
collection of information to Administration for Community Living, 
Washington, DC 20201, Attention: Stephanie Whittier Eliason.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Whittier Eliason, 
Administration for Community Living, Washington, DC 20201, (202) 795-
7467, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal 
agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) for each collection of information they conduct or sponsor. 
``Collection of information'' is defined in 44 U.S.C. 3502(3) and 5 CFR 
1320.3(c) and includes agency requests or requirements that members of 
the public submit reports, keep records, or provide information to a 
third party. Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)) 
requires Federal agencies to provide a 60-day notice in the Federal 
Register concerning each proposed collection of information, including 
each proposed extension of an existing collection of information, 
before submitting the collection to OMB for approval. To comply with 
this requirement, ACL is publishing a notice of the proposed collection 
of information set forth in this document.
    With respect to the following collection of information, ACL 
invites comments on our burden estimates or any other aspect of this 
collection of information, including:
    (1) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for 
the

[[Page 43138]]

proper performance of ACL's functions, including whether the 
information will have practical utility;
    (2) the accuracy of ACL's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used to determine burden estimates;
    (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
    (4) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
respondents, including through the use of automated collection 
techniques when appropriate, and other forms of information technology.
    Description: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) in the 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking OMB 
approval to collect data using new information collection tools that 
examine if and how APS programs make a difference in the lives of APS 
clients. APS programs are provided by state and local governments 
nationwide and serve older adults and adults with disabilities in need 
of assistance due to maltreatment, which can include: Physical, 
emotional, and sexual abuse; financial exploitation; neglect; and self-
neglect. APS is an important avenue through which maltreatment is 
reported to law enforcement or other agencies.
    Additionally, APS programs are often the gateway for adults who 
experience maltreatment to access additional community, social, health, 
behavioral health, and legal services to maintain independence in the 
settings in which they prefer to live. APS programs work closely with 
clients and a wide variety of allied professionals to maximize safety 
and independence, while respecting each client's right to self-
determination. At this time, there is no single funding stream for APS 
nor a single set of rules and regulations that APS programs must 
follow. Building the evidence-base for APS programs and practices, 
promoting the use of evidence-based and promising practices, and 
developing guiding standards are key needs for the APS field. The 
proposed new data collection is an important component for building the 
evidence-base for APS programs and practices in improving client 
outcomes.
    Specifically, the data collection will help examine (1) what 
changes clients report as a result of receiving APS services; (2) how 
satisfied clients are with the APS services they receive; (3) to what 
extent clients report APS helps them achieve their goals; (4) to what 
extent clients report APS supports their right to self-determination; 
(5) to what extent APS programs affect client safety (risk of 
maltreatment); (6) how APS program intervene to reduce client risk of 
maltreatment; (7) what factors help or hinder APS efforts to reduce 
risk of maltreatment; (8) to what extent APS programs affect client 
well-being (e.g., quality of life, financial, physical health, etc.); 
(9) how APS programs intervene to improve client-well-being; and (10) 
what factors help or hinder APS efforts to improve client well-being. 
The data collection will be conducted with three target populations: 
(1) APS clients, (2) APS caseworkers, and (3) APS leaders. APS leaders 
will consist of APS state and APS county leaders.
    Data collection with these three target populations will include: A 
brief, anonymous APS client questionnaire, including a de-identified 
client data form; a semi-structured in-person interview with APS 
clients; a semi-structured in-person focus group with APS caseworkers; 
and a semi-structured interview with APS leaders.
    The APS client questionnaire is designed to be as brief as 
possible, while examining key client outcome areas, identified in 
collaboration with a national expert panel consisting of federal 
experts, researchers, practitioners, and program leaders in APS. The 
outcomes areas focus on: Satisfaction with APS, safety, and well-being, 
and will be assessed with nine questions. The question statements 
examining these areas are designed to be short and easy to understand. 
The first item on the questionnaire provides a simple ``yes/no'' 
response option. For the remaining questions, APS clients or a proxy 
(respondents) are asked to rate the extent which they agree with each 
statement using a Likert-type rating scale ranging from `strongly 
disagree' to `strongly agree'. Respondents also have the option of 
sharing anything else about their experience with APS through an open-
ended question at the end of the form. The questionnaire will be hand-
delivered to the client or proxy respondent by the APS caseworker at 
case closure. The respondent will complete the questionnaire and mail 
it back to the research team by using a prepaid return envelope.
    The client data form will be linked to the client questionnaire 
using a pre-populated eight-digit form number. The client data form is 
designed to capture de-identified, basic demographic information and 
additional details about APS clients and their cases.
    These data points are expected to be among the information about 
clients, and their cases, that caseworkers already collect during 
normal APS processes. The form does not collect any personally 
identifiable information. The form will be completed online by APS 
caseworkers. If an APS program prefers another method of completing the 
form, hard copies can be provided and mailed back to the research team 
using a prepaid return envelope.
    Individual interviews with APS clients are designed to gain more 
in-depth knowledge about the experiences and needs of APS clients along 
the key outcome areas assessed in the questionnaire. A standardized, 
semi-structured interview guide will be used to guide the interviews 
with clients who provide informed consent. Focus groups with APS 
caseworkers will be conducted in person, using a standardized, semi-
structured focus group guide. Individual interviews with APS leaders 
will be conducted either in-person or by phone with county and state 
leaders using a standardized, semi-structured, interview guide. Similar 
to client interviews, focus groups with APS caseworkers and interviews 
with APS leaders will focus on the identified outcome areas. Additional 
questions will be asked to gain insight into access and availability of 
services, collaboration and partnerships with other entities in the 
community, and barriers and facilitating factors that affect APS 
services and client outcomes. The interview guide for APS leaders also 
contains questions related to APS polices and procedures.
    The proposed data collection tools may be found on the ACL website 
for review at https://www.acl.gov/about-acl/public-input.
    Estimated Program Burden: ACL estimates the burden associated with 
this collection of information as follows:

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                                                     Number of     Responses per     Hours per     Annual burden
       Respondent/data collection activity          respondents     respondent       response          hours
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Client Questionnaire............................           6,000               1           0.167           1,002
Client Data Form................................           6,000               1           0.167           1,002
Client Interview................................              24               1            0.75              18

[[Page 43139]]

 
APS Caseworker Focus Group......................              84               1             1.5             126
APS Leaders Interview...........................              16               1               1              16
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    Total.......................................          12,124  ..............            3.58           2,164
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    Dated: August 14, 2019.
Mary Lazare,
Principal Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2019-17879 Filed 8-19-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4154-01-P