[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 10, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1391-1393]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-00208]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

    In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 concerning opportunity for public comment on proposed 
collections of information, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration (SAMHSA) will publish periodic summaries of 
proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects 
or to obtain a copy of the information collection plans, call the 
SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer on (240) 276-0361.
    Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed collections of 
information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions 
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

[[Page 1392]]

Proposed Project: Evaluation of the Projects for Assistance in 
Transition From Homelessness (PATH) Program--Reinstatement

    SAMHSA is conducting the federally mandated Evaluation of the PATH 
program. The PATH grant program, created as part of the Stewart B. 
McKinney Homeless Assistance Amendments Act of 1990, is administered by 
SAMHSA's CMHS' Division of State and Community Systems Development. The 
PATH program is authorized under Section 521 et seq. of the Public 
Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended. The SAMHSA PATH program funds 
each Fiscal Year the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, 
and four U.S. Territories (the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American 
Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). The PATH 
grantees make grants to local, public and non-profit organizations to 
provide the PATH allowable services.
    The SAMHSA Administrator is required under Section 528 of the PHS 
Act to evaluate the expenditures of PATH grantees at least once every 
three years to ensure they are consistent with legislative requirements 
and to recommend changes to the program design or operations.
    The primary task of the PATH evaluation is to meet the mandates of 
Section 528 of the PHS Act. The second task of the PATH evaluation is 
to conduct additional data collection and analysis to further 
investigate the sources of variation in key program output and outcome 
measures that are important for program management and policy 
development. The PATH evaluation builds on the previous evaluation 
which was finalized in 2016 and was conducted as part of the National 
Evaluation of SAMHSA Homeless Programs. Previously, the data 
collections activities also included PATH Intermediary Web Survey, a 
PATH Provider Web Survey, and a PATH Telephone Interview Guide. The 
current PATH evaluation will be limited to the State PATH Contact (SPC) 
Web Survey and PATH Site Visit Discussion Guides to facilitate the 
collection of information regarding the structures and processes in 
place at the grantee and provider level. The SPC Web Survey was 
shortened from 82 to 49 questions. Data regarding the outputs and 
outcomes of the PATH program will be obtained from grantee 
applications, providers' intended use plans (IUPs) and PATH annual 
report data, which is also required by Section 528 of the PHS Act and 
is approved under OMB No. 0930-0205.
    Web Surveys will be conducted with all State PATH Contacts (SPCs). 
The Web Surveys will capture detailed and structured information in the 
following topics: selection, monitoring and oversight of PATH 
providers; populations served; the PATH allowable or eligible services 
provided; sources for match funds; provision of training and technical 
assistance; implementation of Evidence Based Practices (EBPs) and 
innovative practices including the SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and 
Recovery program; data reporting, use of data and the Homeless 
Management Information System; and collaboration, coordination and 
involvement with Continuums of Care and other organizations. The SPCs 
for all grantees (n=56) will be contacted to complete the web surveys. 
The Web Surveys will be administered once per triennial evaluation 
cycle.
    Site Visits will be conducted with a purposive sample of PATH 
grantees and providers to collect more nuanced information than will be 
possible with the web survey. Semi-structured discussions will take 
place with the SPCs, grantee staff, PATH provider staff including the 
Project Director and other key management staffs, outreach workers, 
case managers and other clinical treatment staff, and consumers. Five 
grantees will be selected for Site Visits and visited within each 
grantee will be one to two PATH providers. The Site Visits will be 
utilized to collect information on provider and state characteristics; 
practices and priorities; context within which the grantees and 
providers operate; and services available within the areas the 
providers operate. The successes, barriers, and strategies faced by 
PATH grantees and providers will also be discussed. Focus groups will 
be held with current or former consumers of the PATH program to obtain 
consumer perspectives regarding the impact of the programs. The Site 
Visits will be conducted once per triennial evaluation cycle.
    The estimated burden for the reporting requirements for the PATH 
evaluation is summarized in the table below.

                                               Annual Burden Table
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                                     Number of     Responses per       Total         Hours per      Total hour
       Instrument/activity          respondents     respondent       responses       response         burden
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                                                   Web Surveys
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SPC Web Survey..................          \1\ 56               1              56               1              56
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                                              Site Visit Interviews
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Opening Session with State Staff          \2\ 25               1              25               2              50
SPC Session.....................           \3\ 5               1               5               2              10
State Stakeholder Session.......          \4\ 25               1              25             1.5            37.5
Provider Stakeholder Session....          \5\ 50               1              50             1.5              75
Opening Session with PATH                 \6\ 50               1              50               2             100
 Provider Leadership Staff......
PATH Provider Project Director            \7\ 10               1              10               2              20
 Session........................
PATH Direct Care Provider                 \8\ 50               1              50               2             100
 Session........................
Consumer Focus Groups...........         \9\ 100               1             100             1.5             150
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................             371  ..............             371  ..............           598.5
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\1\ 1 respondent * 56 SPCs = 56 respondents.
\2\ 5 respondents * 5 site visits = 25 respondents.
\3\ 1 respondent * 5 site visits = 5 respondents.
\4\ 5 respondents * 5 site visits = 25 respondents.
\5\ 5 respondents * 10 site visits (2 providers per state) = 50 respondents.
\6\ 5 respondents * 10 site visits (2 providers per state) = 50 respondents.
\7\ 1 respondent * 10 site visits (2 providers per state) = 10 respondents.

[[Page 1393]]

 
\8\ 5 respondents * 10 site visits (2 providers per state) = 50 respondents.
\9\ 10 respondents * 10 site visits (10 Consumers per provider (2 providers per state) = 100 respondents.

    Send comments to Carlos Graham, SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer, 
via email to [email protected]. Written comments should be 
received by March 13, 2023.

Alicia Broadus,
Public Health Advisor.
[FR Doc. 2023-00208 Filed 1-9-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P