This section contains instruments developed for IAR evaluations of differential response (DR) pilot and demonstration projects in Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, and Nevada by IAR senior analysts Gary Siegel and Tony Loman. To avoid redundancy, generic or most recent versions of the instruments have been posted here. All listed instruments are freely available for public sector use; but they may not be sold in whole or part. The instruments are in pdf format. To view them you must have Adobe Reader or another program capable of reading PDF files installed on your computer. If you have questions or comments about the instruments, email us (see the Contact IAR page) and we will make every effort to answer questions or assist you. Methodological notes related to these evaluations and more general research issues will be added to this section, and we welcome feedback. For background on these instruments and the DR projects in which they were used, the reader is directed to the Papers and Reports section of the website.
Instruments
Methods
INSTRUMENTS
DR Family Questionnaire. Survey instrument used to obtain feedback from experimental and control/comparison group families in evaluation studies of differential response pilot projects. The survey was sent to families shortly after their CPS case had closed. Families always received a stipend for completing and returning the survey.
DR CPS Worker Survey Form. Survey instrument used to obtain feedback from CPS social workers, case managers and supervisors (and sometimes from field workers at community agencies who provided case management) in evaluation studies of differential response pilot projects. The instrument was used in both mail and online html surveys and generally at two intervals, once at the beginning of a pilot project and once near the end, although slightly altered.
DR Case Review Instrument. This instrument was used to obtain information on a random sample of experimental and control cases from CPS social workers and case managers and sometimes from workers in community agencies who were primary case managers. The objective was to get needed and consistent information that was not available from the state's SACWIS. The case review instrument was used in both mail and online html versions and mailed or emailed to workers shortly after the case in question had closed.
Site Visit Interview Schedule for Administrators and CPS Staff Groups. This is a generic version of the interview schedule used for initial local office visits in evaluations of DR pilot projects. Site visits were generally made annually to each county participating in the pilot projects. Subsequent site visits sought updates and changes in staffing organization and attitudes, consequences of changes in policies or practice protocols, views of staff in light of their experiences with the program, community outreach efforts and their consequences, attitudes of key stakeholder groups, unexpected challenges faced by the local office, success and failure stories, and other information related to program implementation.
Site Visit Interview Schedule for CPS Supervisors and Workers.This is a generic version of the interview schedule used when meeting with CPS supervisors and workers individually during DR-related site visits described above.
Site Visit Interview Schedule for CPS Intake Workers or Screeners. This is a generic version of the interview schedule used for DR-related interviews of county CPS workers who conduct intake and make screening decisions about whether incoming reports of child maltreatment should be referred for a traditional investigation response pathway or the alternative/family assessment response being piloted.
METHODS
The Differential Response Logic Model and Assessment of Model Fidelity, November 2011. A two-part monograph that includes 1) a description of the differential response model and its core elements expressed in measurable terms, and 2) a practical discussion of how DR model fidelity was assessed in IAR evaluations of DR pilot projects.
