SSA - ACF Peer Support Services Survey

ACF Peer Support Services Survey

Administration for Children and Families Generic for Engagement Efforts

0970 – 0630

Supporting Statement Part A

Justification

November 2024

Submitted By:

Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary (IOAS)

Administration for Children and Families

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

4^th Floor, Mary E. Switzer Building

330 C Street, SW

Washington, D.C. 20201

A1. Necessity for the Data Collection

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposes to collect information to better understand how to support peer support services based on lessons learned from existing programs, in order to identify interests and gaps that will inform development of ACF resources.

Background

ACF is looking to collect information on how current peer support services offered within social services programs were developed and maintained, to understand what has worked well, identify challenges and pain points, and explore opportunities where ACF could consider fostering growth. ACF recently conducted a data call across program offices to gauge overall interest and involvement in the peer support services space. Based on the responses there is interest to learn more about the needs related to peer support services.

Hearing the perspective of those operating and serving in peer support roles is vital to ensure ACF is responsive to the needs of those it serves, and that resources and programming are appropriate, useful, and relevant for audiences. Efforts and findings from this survey may inform activities such as planning for new resources and/or programming, improvements to existing programming, exploring emerging areas, and the development of resources, among others.

Legal or Administrative Requirements that Necessitate the Collection

There are no legal or administrative requirements that necessitate the collection. ACF is undertaking the collection at the discretion of the agency.

A2. Purpose of Survey and Data Collection Procedures

Overview of Purpose and Use

This survey will ask peer support service providers and those who are serving, or previously served, in peer support worker roles questions aimed at helping ACF improve future trainings, information, and resources to support the growth and coordination of peer support services. The information gathered will be used by ACF in a number of ways to improve efforts in this area. This includes:

• Directly informing ACF’s development of resources about peer support needs and interests across the diverse populations of beneficiaries that ACF serves.

• Identifying resources needed by programs so that ACF can prioritize addressing previously unidentified gaps.

• Informing plans to structure and allocate resources among program offices.

• Helping to create a way to better track future needs among peer support services.

This proposed information collection meets the goals and uses of the ACF generic clearance for engagement efforts (0970-0630):

• Gathering information from individuals with diverse experiences and perspectives to inform ACF policies and programs.

• Making opportunities for ongoing, two-way collaborative and actionable communications between ACF and its state, local and/or Tribal partners, program participants, communities served or affected by ACF programs, and or others experienced with or interested in ACF programs or similar programs.

• Exploring emerging areas

• Informing program planning

• Informing planning for new funding

• Informing program implementation

• Informing the development and dissemination of resources and products developed under ACF studies, regulatory activities, guidance, outreach and/or training activities.

Overview of Information Collections

Information Collection Title	Respondent, Content, Purpose of Collection	Mode and Duration
Peer Support Services Survey	Respondents: program providers/administrators and peer support workers Content: Survey questions about the experiences of respondents, related needs, and suggestions. Purpose: Understand needs, challenges, and potential policy opportunities	Mode: Web Duration: 15-20 min

Processes for Information Collection

We will work through ACF program offices and engage TA providers and partner organizations to reach intended respondents. Outreach will be conducted via email, newsletter, and social media and include a clear explanation of the purpose and goal of the survey. Those who agree to participate in the survey will do so through the online survey platform Qualtrics. The survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete and will include a mix of multiple-choice and short-answer questions.

The survey will be offered in English and Spanish to increase accessibility to Spanish-speaking communities. Once all the responses have been submitted, they will be synthesized to identify major gaps, needs, and opportunities.

• Question types: Multiple choice

• Target survey length: 15-20 minutes

• Survey window: The survey will be launched as soon as this request is approved. It will be open for four – six weeks or until we have reached at least 150 responses from each respondent group (300 total, or whichever is longer).

• Survey dissemination: The survey will be disseminated through ACF program offices, existing ACF partners (e.g., ACF program office listservs that reach grantees, community partners, and other stakeholders; technical assistance centers). The goal will be to disseminate the survey in a way that will best capture a range of responses from program administrators and those serving in peer support worker roles.

• Anonymity: All responses will be anonymous and deidentified.

• Platform: Qualtrics (desktop and mobile accessible)

A3. Improved Information Technology to Reduce Burden

The peer support survey will be conducted electronically through an online platform (Qualtrics) using skip logic to ensure questions are only shown to the appropriate participants.

A4. Efforts to Identify Duplication

No similar data are gathered or maintained by the agency, nor are they available from other sources known to the agency.

A5. Involvement of Small Organizations

No small businesses will be involved with this information collection.

A6. Consequences of Less Frequent Data Collection

This is a one-time data collection.

A7. Special Circumstances

There are no special circumstances for the proposed data collection efforts.

A8. Federal Register Notice and Consultation

Federal Register Notice and Comments

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR Part 1320 (60 FR 44978, August 29, 1995), ACF published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the agency’s intention to request an OMB review of this information collection request for a new umbrella generic clearance. The notice was published on December 11, 2023, (88 FR 85890), and provided a sixty-day period for public comment. ACF did not receive any comments on the first notice. A second notice was published, allowing a thirty-day period for public comment (89 FR 12352), in conjunction with submission of the request to OMB. ACF did not receive any comments on the second notice.

Consultation with Outside Experts

No consultations have taken place with experts outside of the project team.

A9. Tokens of Appreciation for Respondents

No tokens of appreciation for respondents are proposed for this information collection.

A10. Privacy of Respondents

The surveys do not request personally identifiable information from respondents. There is a very small possibility that an individual could be identified based on information provided about the individual's program and role within the program. Respondents will be assured that no identifying information will be included in any resources developed in relation to these efforts. Additionally, information collected will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. Respondents will be informed of all planned uses of data, that their participation is voluntary, and that their information will be kept private to the extent permitted by law.

A11. Sensitive Questions

This data collection effort does not involve questions related to private matters or personal sensitive information.

A12. Estimation of Information Collection Burden

Burden Estimates

We plan to send the survey out to potential respondents and aim to capture up to 300 responses. Participants will only be asked to complete the survey once, which should take around 15-20 minutes.

Cost Estimates

The cost to peer support worker respondents was calculated using the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) job code for Social and Human Service Assistants [21-1093] and wage data from May 2023, which is $20.46 per hour. To account for fringe benefits and overhead the rate was multiplied by two which is $40.92.

The cost to program provider/administrator respondents was calculated using the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) job code for Social and Community Service Managers [11-9151] and wage data from May 2023, which is $36.72 per hour. To account for fringe benefits and overhead the rate was multiplied by two which is $73.44.

https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm

Instrument	Total Number of Respondents	Total Number of Responses Per Respondent	Average Burden Hours Per Response	Total Burden Hours	Average Hourly Wage	Total Annual Cost
Online survey – peer support worker	150	1	.33 (20 minutes)	50	$40.92	$2,046
Online survey – program provider/administrator	150	1	.33 (20 minutes)	50	$73.44	$3,672
Totals:	300	1	.33 (20 minutes)	100	n/a	$5,718

A13. Cost Burden to Respondents or Record Keepers

There are no additional costs to respondents.

A14. Estimate of Cost to the Federal Government

The total cost to the federal government for the data collection activities under this current request will be $9,132.37.

A15. Change in Burden

This is for an individual information collection under the umbrella generic clearance for ACF engagement activities (0970-0630).

A16. Plan and Time Schedule for Information Collection, Tabulation and Publication

ACF will launch the survey as soon as this request is approved, ideally mid-November through the end of December. There are no planned publications at this time, however information may be used to inform the development of resources that would be disseminated as efforts in this area continue to evolve.

A17. Reasons Not to Display OMB Expiration Date

All instruments will display the expiration date for OMB approval.

A18. Exceptions to Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions

No exceptions are necessary for this information collection.

Attachments

1. Peer Support Services Survey: Program Provider or Program Administrator (English and Spanish)

2. Peer Support Services Survey: Peer Support Worker (English and Spanish)

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