[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 62 (Thursday, March 31, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17931-17933]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-7577]
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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
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) 276-1243.
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.
Project: Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (ATTC) National
Workforce Data Collection
The ATTC Network, a nationwide, multidisciplinary resource that
draws upon the knowledge, experience and latest research of recognized
experts in the field of addictions and behavioral health, is a unique
CSAT initiative formed in 1993 in response to a shortage of well-
trained addiction and behavioral health professionals in the public
sector. The ATTC Network works to enhance the knowledge, skills and
aptitudes of the addiction/behavioral health treatment and recovery
services workforce by disseminating current health services research
from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Mental Health,
Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, National Institute of
Justice, and other sources, as well as other SAMHSA programs. To
accomplish this, the ATTC Network (1) develops and updates state-of-
the-art research based curricula and professional development training,
(2) coordinates and facilitates meetings between Single State
Authorities, Provider Associations and other key stakeholders, and (3)
provides ongoing technical assistance to individuals and organizations
at the local, regional and national levels.
In response to the emerging shortages of qualified addiction
treatment and recovery services professionals, SAMHSA/CSAT instructed
the ATTC National Office to lead the ATTC Network in the development
and implementation of a national addiction treatment workforce data
collection effort of those individuals who work in substance use
specialty treatment services. The purpose of this survey and data
collection is to gather information to guide the formation of effective
national, regional, state, and organizational policies and strategies
aimed at successfully recruiting and retaining a sufficient number of
adequately prepared providers who are able to respond to the growing
needs of those affected by substance use and mental health disorders;
including co-occurring disorders and trauma. This data collection will
offer a unique perspective on the clinical treatment field so that CSAT
and the ATTC Network can better understand current successful
strategies and methodologies being used in the workforce and develop
appropriate training for emerging trends in the field.
Although SAMHSA/CSAT is the primary target audience for data
collection findings, it is expected that the data collected and
resulting reports will also be useful to the ATTC Network, as well as
to Single State Agencies, provider organizations, professional
organizations, training and education entities, and individuals in the
workforce.
Overview of Data Collection and Purposes
Data will be collected from two main sources: 1. A random sample of
clinical directors or a designated direct care supervisor from
facilities listed in the I-SATS database. 2. A national sample of
clinical directors and key thought leaders, identified by CSAT in
conjunction with the ATTC network, in the substance use disorders
treatment field. Respondents will be asked to participate in at least
one of three (3) distinct methods. They are:
A web-based Clinical Director Survey (also available in paper
format)
On-line Focus Groups
Key Informant Telephone Interviews
In addition to this original data collection, existing national
data sets
[[Page 17932]]
will also be utilized. Such data systems will include:
Census 2000 datasets
National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-
SSATS)
SAMHSA Treatment Gap Projection Analysis
Treatment Episode Data
Bureau of Labor datasets such as Current Employment Statistics
Annapolis Coalition Data
Clinical Director Survey: The Clinical Director Survey asks 57
questions of the clinical director or a designated direct care
supervisor (direct care refers to staff members who spend a majority of
their time providing clinical care for clients with substance use and/
or co-occurring disorders as their primary diagnosis). For the purpose
of this survey, the clinical director is defined as the person whose
role it is to oversee direct clinical service delivery for this
facility. The instrument asks respondents to report demographic
information about both themselves and the direct care staff they
supervise, information about the facility at which they currently work,
as well as information about their job satisfaction, recruitment and
retention strategies, clinician training and preparation, and staff
turnover.
On-Line Focus Groups: On-line Focus Groups will be utilized to
gather qualitative data from two sources: 1. Clinical supervisors and/
or direct care staff in leadership positions; 2. Thought leaders in
addiction/behavioral health treatment to include Single State
Authorities (SSAs), addiction treatment agency directors, academics,
and policy makers. An on-line platform, IdeaScale.com will be used to
gather qualitative data about future trends in substance use and co-
occurring disorders and trauma treatment. IdeaScale will also be used
to gather information from clinical supervisors and direct care staff
on effective and creative staff development, recruitment, and retention
strategies being used by the agency for which they work. These ideas
will be posted for this community of invited participants to comment on
and discuss; thus allowing a national audience to participate in this
on-line focus group.
Key Informant Telephone Interviews: Based on participation in the
on-line focus groups, a minimum of 40 IdeaScale respondents will be
selected for telephone interviews. The purpose of these interviews is
to enrich understanding surrounding current and future trends in
substance use and co-occurring disorders and trauma treatment as well
as effective workforce development, recruitment, and retention
strategies. An interview script has been developed to guide the
question formation for the interviews.
Overview of Questions Related to Data Collection
The objectives of the national addiction treatment workforce data
collection effort are to understand the national demographics of the
current workforce and how this differs across regions and states, in
addition to exploring issues related to workforce development: 1. Staff
training, recruitment and retention; 2. Professional development; and
3. Support for strategies and methodologies to prepare, recruit,
retain, and sustain the workforce. To accomplish these objectives, CSAT
outlined three primary questions to be addressed by the workforce data
collection:
1. What are the basic demographics of the workforce?
For the purposes of the ATTC data collection effort, this means
that we will comprehensively describe the workforce comprised of direct
care staff, clinical supervisors, and administrators in agencies
represented in the Inventory of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (I-
SATS).
2. What are the anticipated workforce development needs for 2011-2016?
For the purposes of this data collection, the ATTC Network will
identify the growth and capacity-building needs over the next five
years of direct care staff, clinical supervisors, and administrators in
agencies represented in the I-SATS registry.
3. What are the common strategies and methodologies to prepare, retain,
and maintain the workforce?
Identification of potentially effective strategies used to prepare
and recruit individuals to enter the workforce (as previously defined),
and encourage them to remain in the workforce and stay current on
clinical and other job related skills (e.g., evidence based practices).
This will be the first national survey of the substance use
disorders treatment workforce. The quantitative survey and the
qualitative interviews and analysis will be used to provide a snapshot
of the current state of the addiction treatment workforce as it relates
to demographics, workforce development needs, and retention and
maintenance of a strong workforce. These data will provide national
benchmark data that can be used to inform ongoing policy and practice.
Information collected from this workforce data collection will help
CSAT and the ATTC Network to better understand the needs of the
workforce and categorize some best practices for providing support to
the field now and in the future. Emerging trends in addiction and/or
co-occurring and trauma treatment and the existence of mental health
problems in substance use disorder treatment and recovery services will
be identified and shared with those in the addiction/behavioral health
treatment field so appropriate training and funding can be allocated.
The information from this data collection will also help CSAT identify
areas where deficiencies in substance use and/or co-occurring disorder
and trauma treatment exist and provide assistance to regions (and
states) to help them develop and adopt strategies for addressing this.
The chart below summarizes the annualized burden for this project.
[[Page 17933]]
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN31MR11.066
Proposed Project
Send comments to Summer King, SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer,
Room 8-1099, One Choke Cherry Road, Rockville, MD 20857 and e-mail a
copy to [email protected]. Written comments should be received
within 60 days of this notice.
Dated: March 23, 2011.
Elaine Parry,
Director, Office of Management, Technology and Operations.
[FR Doc. 2011-7577 Filed 3-30-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P