Keys 4 D/deaf Access NEEDS ASSESSMENT PLAN Keys 4 D/deaf Access is supported by Grant Number 2011-FW-AX-K004 of the Education, Training, and Enhanced Services to End Violence Against and Abuse of Women with Disabilities Grant Program awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. CONTENTS Introductionةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة5 Vision & Mission Statements.ةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.6 Agency Descriptionsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.7 Needs Assessmentةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة11 Purposeةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة11 Goalsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة11 Data Collectionةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة12 Existing Informationةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة12 Ohio Needs Assessmentةةةةةةةةة..ةةةةة...........12 New Needs Assessment Informationةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة..15 Overview of Methodsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.15 Purposeةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة15 Audienceةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة..16 Number of Participantsةة..ةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة17 Recruitment Strategiesةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة..20 Procedural Considerationsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة21 Focus Groupsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة..22 Focus Group Staffةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة..22 Focus Group Proceduresةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة..24 Focus Group Recruitmentةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.27 Recruitment of D/deaf Individuals & Victims/Survivorsةةةةة27 Recruitment of Law Enforcement: Detectives/Sergeants & Commanders/Deputy Chiefsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.30 Recruitment of Service Provider Staff & Leadershipةةةةةة31 Focus Group Participant Consentةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة32 Focus Group Materialsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة..34 Participant Fact Sheet for D/deaf Individuals & Victims/Survivors 34 Participant Fact Sheet for Law Enforcement and Service Provider Staff & Leadershipةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة..37 Recruitment Script for D/deaf Individuals & Victims/Survivors......39 RSVP Form for D/deaf Individuals & Victims/Survivorsةةةة..41 Recruitment/RSVP E-mail for Law Enforcement and Service Provider Staff & Leadershipةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.42 Passive Consent/Confidentiality/Mandatory Reporting Statement 43 Facilitator Script for D/deaf Individualsةةةةةةةةةةةة46 Facilitator Script for Victims/Survivorsةةةةةةةةةةةة.48 Facilitator Script for Law Enforcement and Service Provider Staff & Leadershipةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة..50 Focus Group Questionsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.52 D/deaf Individualsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة...52 Victims/Survivors of Domestic Violenceةةةةةةةة.54 Cleveland Division of Police: Detectives & Sergeantsةة56 Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center Staff: Support, Development, Audiologists, and Speech Pathologistsةة.58 Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center Staff: Interpretersة.60 Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center Staff: Support, Development, and Direct Service.........................62 Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center Staff:Shelter 64 Cleveland Division of Police Leadership: Commanders & Deputy Chiefsةةةةةةةةةةةة.66 Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center Leadership: Administratorsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.68 Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center Leadership: Coordinators & Directorsةةةةةةةةةةةةةة..70 Community Resources for Focus Group Participantsةةةةة..72 Focus Group Debriefing Formةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة..73 Interviewsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.75 Interview Staffةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.75 Interview Proceduresةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.77 Interview Recruitmentةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة80 Recruitment of Law Enforcement: Chief Dispatchers and Chief of Policeةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.80 Recruitment of Service Provider Executive Directorsةةةةة...81 Interview Participant Consentةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة...82 Interview Materialsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.83 Participant Fact Sheet for Chief Dispatchers, Chief of Police, and Executive Directorsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة83 Recruitment/RSVP E-mail for Chief Dispatchers, Chief of Police, and Executive Directorsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.85 Passive Consent/Confidentiality/Mandatory Reporting Statement.86 Interviewer Script for Chief Dispatchers, Chief of Police, and Executive Directorsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة89 Interview Questionsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة91 Law Enforcement: Chief Dispatchersةةةةةةةةة.91 Law Enforcement: Chief of Policeةةةةةةةةةة..93 Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center: Exec. Director.........95 Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Ctr: Exec. Director..97 Surveysةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة99 In-person Written Survey Proceduresةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.99 In-person Written Survey Recruitment of Patrol Officersةةةةةة..100 In-person Written Survey Consentةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة100 In-person Written Survey Materialsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة...101 Recruitment Script, Consent/Confidentiality Statement, & Facilitator Script for In-Person Written Survey for Patrol Officersةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة...101 In-Person Written Survey Questions for Patrol Officersة...........102 Online Survey Proceduresةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة..105 Online Survey Recruitment of Service Provider Board Membersةةة106 Online Survey Consentةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة106 Online Survey Materialsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة..107 Recruitment E-mail for Board Membersةةةةةةةةةة...107 Consent/Confidentiality Statement for Online Surveyةةةةة108 Online Survey Questionsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة109 Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center Board Membersة..109 Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center Board Membersةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة112 Appendicesةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة115 Appendix A: Summary of Existing Information with Citationsةةةة...115 Prevalence ةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة115 Deaf Women Against Violence Everywhere Assessment ةةة117 Appendix B: Confidentialityةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة118 Appendix C: Mandatory Reportingةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة...120 Appendix D: Safety Considerationsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.123 Appendix E: Access Considerationsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة125 Appendix F: Training Plansةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة...126 Appendix G: Work Planةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة..127 Appendix H: PowerPoint of Focus Group Questions for D/deaf Individualsةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.129 Acknowledgements ةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةةة.133 INTRODUCTION KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS is the result of a collaboration created by three organizations in Cuyahoga County, Ohio: Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center (CHSC), and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center (DVCAC). Funding for the work of the collaboration during the three-year grant period is provided by the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women. The partner agencies are committed to working together to identify, develop, and implement needed organizational change that will result in victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing having full access to quality services. An accessible coordinated response to domestic violence will empower individuals to make choices that maximize their safety. Team members worked together for months to foster collaborative relationships and to create a collaboration charter that provides a foundation for our work by illustrating our commitment, framework, and direction. It defines our vision, mission, values, and the terms that we use. It identifies the partnering agencies and describes their work, as well as their commitment and contributions to the project. It outlines the manner in which the collaboration team members will communicate, make decisions, and manage conflict. It further describes how we will work to maintain the boundaries of confidentiality and mandatory reporting. It also outlines our work plan throughout the grant period. Team members are now preparing to conduct a needs assessment to obtain information on law enforcement and service provider environment, effective communication, quality services, general police orders and service provider policies and procedures, and partner agency collaboration. The needs assessment is critical to the identification, development, and implementation of needed organizational change. Law enforcement and domestic violence service providers may not adequately meet the needs of D/deaf individuals. Service providers for D/deaf individuals may not adequately meet the needs of domestic violence victims/survivors. This information is valuable because it will help us to understand what individuals seeking our services need and what staff needs to provide the best services. The provision of services is only meaningful if people know about the services, have access to the services, and believe in the effectiveness of those services. With this needs assessment plan, team members are preparing to obtain information that will be critical to identifying areas of needed change within the partner agencies. It will outline our process for gathering information regarding the experiences and opinions of D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence as well as partner agency policies and procedures and general police orders*. Partner agencies will identify needed change within their own organization to maximize access, safety, service provision, and choice for D/deaf individuals impacted by domestic violence. The information obtained will be used to determine the primary initiatives of our strategic plan. * General Police Orders are long-term written directives of Cleveland Division of Police that are procedural in content. They are comprised of a subject, a purpose, a policy, and procedures. They are divided into the following categories: Organization & Management, Legal, Patrol, Investigations, Juvenile Procedures, Reporting Procedures, Prisoner Handling, Traffic, Communications, and Property. While they outline various procedures, they are not necessarily intended to be a step-by-step guide. VISION & MISSION STATEMENTS VISION STATEMENT KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS envisions victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf and hard of hearing having full access to quality services based on best practice. As a result, individuals who are D/deaf or hard of hearing will have a comprehensive understanding of all available options and will be able to make informed decisions when domestic violence impacts their life. MISSION STATEMENT KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS will create sustainable change for victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing by fostering collaborative relationships among the partner agencies and implementing needed organizational change to maximize law enforcement interaction, service provision, and choice for individuals. Through the development and implementation of new policy and procedures, as well as increased learning opportunities within the criminal justice system, direct service agencies, and for victims/survivors who are D/deaf or hard of hearing, there will be greater awareness, understanding, and sensitivity toward individuals impacted by domestic violence. Furthermore, these new policies and procedures will create environments that will allow victims of domestic violence to obtain services to maximize their safety. The result will be that domestic violence victims/survivors who are D/deaf or hard of hearing will receive an accessible systemic response to their victimization. Critically important to creating sustainable change in our agencies is to ensure that communication is as equally accessible and effective for individuals who are D/deaf or hard of hearing as it is for hearing individuals. Sustainable change will ultimately meet the needs, promote respect, and further empower those who are D/deaf or hard of hearing and who are victims/survivors of domestic violence. AGENCY DESCRIPTIONS Cleveland Division of Police The Cleveland Division of Police, as it is known today, was established on May 01, 1866 with the passage of the Metropolitan Police Act. In 1903, it was classified as a division of the Department of Public Safety, headed by the Director of Public Safety. The highest priority of the Division of Police is to provide public safety. To efficiently and effectively accomplish this, the Division is divided into three areas of responsibility: Administrative Operations, Field Operations, and Homeland Special Operations. Today, more than 1600 men and women make up the second largest police force in the State of Ohio. The Cleveland Division of Police strives to strengthen our neighborhoods and improve the quality of life by delivering superior services with professionalism, respect, integrity, dedication and excellence by working in partnership with the community. The Cleveland Division of Police serves the residents of Cleveland, Ohio and any victim of a crime occurring within the city limits. The Cleveland Division of Police provides a broad range of services: > Response to citizen calls for assistance through uniformed patrol activities > Community interaction via DARE programs, Community Relations, Auxiliary Police, and patrols > Bureau of Traffic provides traffic and crowd control at major events, investigates serious traffic accidents, and ensures the safety of children walking to and from school > Detective bureaus specialize in specific crimes such as auto theft, fraud, arson, homicide, sex crimes, and youth domestic violence > Technical support provides photo lab services as well as forensic and crime scene analysis > Homeland Special Operations is responsible for monitoring and responding to threats to homeland security within the City of Cleveland. Included are the Intelligence Unit, Canine Unit, Bomb Squad, City Hall Security, and Mayorصs Security Detail > Airport Unit is responsible for security at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and the Aviation Unit provides air support to the Division of Police The Cleveland Division of Police provides first responders to domestic violence calls to such a high degree (19,670 calls in 2010) that domestic violence is the number one call in the city. Within the Cleveland Division of Police is a Domestic Violence Unit that investigates complaints resulting in over 5000 court cases per year. The Unit operates in 3 districts and partners with victim service agencies to serve victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center (CHSC) The Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center is the oldest free standing nonprofit hearing, speech, and deafness center in the United States and has over 90 years of experience in serving individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. CHSC is the only local organization devoted solely to serving individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have communication difficulties. Established in 1921 as زThe Cleveland Area Lip Readersص Guild, the organization provided lip reading instruction for hard of hearing adults. After steadily expanding its services during its early decades, this organization merged with Western Reserve Universityصs speech clinic in 1945 to become Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center. CHSCصs affiliation with Case Western Reserve University continues to this day. CHSCصs mission is زto serve, advocate for, and empower individuals with diverse communication abilities and to increase public awareness and sensitivity about hearing loss, deafness, speech-language, and related literacy issues.س Today, CHSC serves more than 10,000 Northeast Ohioans, providing clinical services in speech-language pathology, audiology and pediatric neuropsychology, outreach to families of infants and toddlers who are deaf or have profound hearing loss, and services for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. CHSCصs Community Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the first center of its kind in Ohio, was established in 1975 and provides case management, advocacy, information and referral, and sign language interpreting services. CHSC is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID), and is a certified Medicaid and Medicare provider. Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center serves adults and children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have communication challenges throughout Northeast Ohio. CHSC offers a wide variety of programs and services: > 24-hour sign language interpreting > American Sign Language instruction > C-print > Neuropsychological assessment for individuals 4-21 years of age who are deaf or hard of hearing to evaluate cognitive strengths and weaknesses > Support services for individuals and families > Advocacy > Deaf-to-Deaf advocacy > Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) consultation > Information and referral services > Summer youth programs > Screenings for all ages at the agency, in schools, and in the workplace > Comprehensive hearing testing and assessment of auditory processing skills > Hearing aid sales, fitting, programming, and testing to ensure proper fit and function > Strategies for living with hearing loss and communicating effectively > Second Choices program to teach children about hearing protection, hearing loss prevention, and noise management > Interactive display of assistive listening/alerting devices such as flashing doorbells and vibrating alarms > Financial assistance programs for hearing aids and assistive listening/alerting devices > Family-focused outreach service for infants and toddlers (age birth to 3 years) free of charge > Complete information on communication options, hearing loss, amplification, assistive listening devices, and cochlear implants > Home visits Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center (DVCAC) Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center is a trusted leader in empowering individuals, educating the community, and advocating for justice to end domestic violence and child abuse. DVCAC envisions a community in which all people enjoy lives free from violence and abuse and feel safe and secure in their relationships. Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center is the new name for the recently merged Domestic Violence Center and Bellflower Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse. Bringing together the experience, expertise, dedication, and networks of these two organizations will have a tremendous impact on child abuse and domestic violence in our county while better educating the community about them. Child abuse and domestic violence are traditionally addressed independently, and as separate issues. The goal is to acknowledge that both child and adult victimization occur during child abuse or domestic violence and to better serve children, adult caregivers, and domestic violence victims with an understanding of how each impacts the other. DVCAC acknowledges that child abuse and domestic violence are often related and that they are parts of a continuum of relationship abuse which includes: > Physical and Sexual Child Abuse > Bullying > Teen Dating Abuse > Intimate Partner Violence > Stalking > Elder Abuse/Domestic Violence Grown Old DVCAC has Seven Tenets to its Model of Services: > Prevention > Intervention with Children and Teens > Intervention with Domestic Violence Victims, Non-offending Caregivers, and Adult Survivors of Child Abuse > Intervention with Families > Strong Community Partnerships > Community Education and Professional Trainings > Leadership, Public Policy, and Social Change DVCACصs Purpose is: > To prevent and reduce incidences of domesticتviolence and child abuse through education andتpublicتawareness. > To ensure the safety of the child victim, the non-offending caregiver, or domestic violence victim through a coordinated, holistic approach to individuals and families. > To support the adult and offer guidance through theتprocess of the judicial and DCFS systems. > To meet the needs of the child and adult victim inتdealing with their trauma. > To create the most effective child, adult, and family-focused system response for victims. NEEDS ASSESSMENT PURPOSE The purpose of this Needs Assessment is to collect information on current partner agency accessibility, services, and staff knowledge, police response, general police orders, and service provider policies, procedures, and practices that affect D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence. Gathering information from community participants, law enforcement, and partner agency staff, leadership, and board members, will help to identify strengths and areas needing change. This information will be used to create a strategic plan that will guide the development of needed organizational change in line with our vision and mission statements. GOALS The partner agencies of KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS are fully committed to working together to identify, develop, and implement needed organizational change that will result in victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing having full access to quality services. An accessible coordinated response to domestic violence will further empower individuals to make choices that maximize their safety. We will explore five primary areas in our needs assessment: law enforcement and service provider environment, effective communication, quality services, agency policies and procedures and general police orders, and partner agency collaboration. Therefore, our needs assessment plan is designed: To assess the ability of the partner agencies to provide a welcoming, accessible, safe, and responsive environment by examining staff knowledge, access to resources, as well as comfort level and competence in working with D/deaf individuals impacted by domestic violence. The environment for law enforcement includes the police stations where individuals may seek assistance as well as the scene location for a first responder. To assess the current level of staff ability within each partner agency to communicate effectively with victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing. To identify from local D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence what constitutes safe, welcoming, and accessible quality services and what law enforcement can do to maximize successful interaction. To identify any policies, procedures, general police orders, and practices within each partner agency which effectively aid or hinder law enforcement and service provider staff in responding to D/deaf individuals impacted by domestic violence. To assess the ability of KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS partner agencies to collaborate by examining areas where they can create policy to foster collaborative relationships that will maximize access, safety, law enforcement interaction, service provision, and choice for D/deaf individuals impacted by domestic violence. DATA COLLECTION EXISTING INFORMATION Existing information illustrates the importance of conducting this needs assessment. We have intentionally referenced recent information that has been compiled within the past five years. An overview of prevalence supports the reason for doing our needs assessment by indicating the extent of hearing loss in the United States and how many D/deaf and hearing women experience domestic violence.*** The findings from two previous needs assessments in Ohio will provide a foundation for comparison with the findings from our needs assessment. We will draw upon the current statistics and recent needs assessments as supplemental data in our needs assessment report and in the development of our strategic plan. Existing information provides concrete data with important implications. The number of D/deaf women and hearing women experiencing intimate partner violence and experiencing various negative impacts as a result of that violence is significant.*** The 2009 research update by Powers et al. is directly on point with the need to determine accessibility and the appropriateness of existing services for D/deaf individuals and for victims/survivors of domestic violence.*** It is also directly on point with the need for service providers for D/deaf individuals and service providers for victims/survivors of domestic violence to collaborate on needed changes to agency policies and practices as well as service provision.*** Local law enforcement statistics support the idea that law enforcement and service providers are natural partners in working to ensure full access to a quality systems response for victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing.*** Previous needs assessments conducted in Ohio with victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing provide insight into barriers to system accessibility and the types of services that are meaningful to them. One needs assessment of particular interest is described below. Ohio Needs Assessment: A needs assessment regarding family violence in Ohio was conducted in 2008 by the Office of Criminal Justice Services, a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. Focus groups comprised of various specific populations, including D/deaf victims, were interviewed. Four women participated in this specific focus group in Franklin County. Two female interpreters were present. All four women were victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Barriers experienced: Language: Three of the women felt زshortchangedس, believing hearing individuals have exposure and access to greater amounts of information than the Deaf community. One described her experience in a shelter as زa wonderful place with all of these services, however, there was no communication.س She was unable to participate in support groups because the interpreter was not present daily. The available services were not benefitting her. Furthermore, none of the educational videos included closed captioning. Police: The women believed communication with the police was زhorribleس and that the police only questioned their abusers because they were hearing individuals. One was denied an interpreter, being told زit would take too longس [for one to arrive] and زthey didnصt want to pay for itس. One woman acknowledged that her husband was arrested. Other issues: Three of the women agreed that education and information regarding domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking needs to be shared with the Deaf community. They indicated that such information needs to be shared with adults and youth. They suggested that educational workshops be offered at places familiar to the Deaf community. One woman described first learning what she was experiencing was abuse after seeing a television commercial about domestic violence and further indicated that she still was not really clear about what it meant. One woman indicated that people were asking her for help because they knew she had received help, but she was not زwell enoughس and did not know what to tell them. Primary needs: Increased community education regarding domestic violence: The women indicated that Deaf women need to learn about all forms of abuse and that Deaf adults and youth need access to the same information and services as hearing individuals. Counseling: One woman indicated that after four years, she still needed counseling, but that it was on hold due to finances. Another woman wanted a Deaf female counselor because she would be more comfortable sharing her feelings and because she could easily communicate without an interpreter and not be uncomfortable with three people in the room. Better police training: Two women believed that police officers need to understand Deaf culture, but they also believed the Deaf community needs to understand the procedures. They further indicated that they would like to see interpreters arrive with the police when they call for help. Transportation: Two women expressed needing access to public transportation in their areas. Divorce assistance: Two women suggested a series of educational workshops in the Deaf community, including topics such as domestic violence and alimony. Financial assistance: One woman wanted to collect donations for the Deaf community in order to bring in educational speakers, but she did not know where to look. Ohio Family Violence Needs Assessment: Focus Group Project June 2008 ذ September 2008, State of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services, Ohio Department of Public Safety, a project supported by the Violence Against Women Act Grant Program (2005-WF-VAV-V8827) *** Refer to Appendix A for a summary of existing information with citations. NEW NEEDS ASSESSMENT INFORMATION KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS will conduct this needs assessment to obtain information using focus groups, individual interviews, and surveys. Each method will be conducted in a manner that maximizes participant accessibility, safety, and confidentiality. Questions will focus on assessing welcoming environments, communication accessibility, needed services, general police orders and service provider policies and procedures, and opportunities for agency collaboration. The data collected will reflect the experiences and opinions of D/deaf individuals, victims/survivors of domestic violence, various levels of law enforcement, service provider staff and leadership, and agency board members. The data will also reflect the areas of needed change within each partner agency as well as opportunities for the partner agencies to work together to increase their capacity to serve D/deaf victims/survivors impacted by domestic violence in Cuyahoga County. Overview of Methods: The selected methods of data collection for this needs assessment are focus groups, individual interviews, an in-person written survey, and an online survey. SurveyMonkey, or a comparable vehicle, will be used for the online survey since it can be accessed from any computer. Each method was selected based on its capacity to obtain the maximum amount of data from a particular audience. Focus groups will provide the opportunity to obtain information regarding the knowledge, experiences, and opinions of participants through a group discussion. They will allow for the collection of greater amounts of data in a shorter amount of time by talking with multiple participants at one time. They will also promote the sharing of a wide range of ideas and perspectives. Interviews will provide the opportunity to obtain information in an environment that fosters openness and honesty without concern for the reactions of others. Interviews will also accommodate participants needing flexible scheduling and those who prefer an interview instead of a focus group. The written and online surveys will allow for the efficient collection of information from a large number of participants in a private manner that will foster honest responses. Surveys are also cost effective. Purpose: Focus groups will be conducted to obtain data specific to assessing agency environment, communication accessibility, what constitutes quality services, knowledge and effectiveness of general police orders and service provider policies and procedures, and opportunities for collaboration. Interviews will be conducted to obtain data specific to assessing access to effective communication, general police orders and service provider policies and procedures, ability and commitment to collaborate, and sustainable systemic change. An in-person written survey with law enforcement will be conducted to obtain data specific to communication accessibility and police response as well as knowledge and effectiveness of general police orders. An online survey will be conducted with board members to assess how well access to communication, quality services, and partner agency collaboration are understood and valued as organizational priorities. Audience: Individuals invited to participate in the needs assessment process will be D/deaf individuals who have received or are receiving services from Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, women who have used or are using services from Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center, various levels of law enforcement officers, service provider staff and leadership, and service provider board members. D/deaf individuals and victim/survivors will primarily participate in focus groups with the option to be individually interviewed. Service provider staff and leadership will participate in focus groups with the option to be individually interviewed. Board members will participate in an online survey. Chief dispatchers, executive directors, and the chief of police will participate in an interview. Additional levels of law enforcement will participate in focus groups or an in-person written survey. The following comprise the key audiences: D/deaf individuals who have received or are receiving services from Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center: This audience has firsthand knowledge of Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center services and will provide us with information about existing strengths, barriers, and suggestions for improvement to make current services more accessible, welcoming and responsive to their needs. Questions for D/deaf individuals will be carefully designed to address the specific goals of this needs assessment and to minimize disclosure and discussion of personal abuse incidents. Women who are receiving services from Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center: This audience has firsthand knowledge of the best supportive practices of Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center, including the shelter, and suggestions for how these services can be more responsive. The women can provide insight regarding the needs of victims/survivors of domestic violence in Cuyahoga County and the accessibility, safety, and quality of support at Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center. Questions for victims/survivors will be carefully designed to address the specific goals of this needs assessment and to minimize disclosure and discussion of personal abuse incidents. Various levels of law enforcement: Patrol officers, chief dispatchers, detectives, sergeants, commanders, deputy chiefs, and the chief of police all have unique perspectives regarding the interaction of law enforcement with D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence. They also have unique perspectives regarding how the police department can be more accessible and responsive within the structure of general police orders. Questions for law enforcement will be carefully designed to address the specific goals of this needs assessment within the context of their unique knowledge base and perspective. The audience of detectives and sergeants will be comprised of individuals assigned to the Domestic Violence Unit and the Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit. These detectives and sergeants generally interact with victims/witnesses by appointment, although there can be walk-ins. Private interview rooms are available for such appointments. The chief of police will be interviewed using the leadership questions tailored to highlight his unique perspective. Service provider staff and leadership: Staff from various areas/departments within each agency can describe their experiences in providing services to D/deaf individuals and to victims/survivors of domestic violence. In addition, their knowledge and understanding of the needs of staff, as well as policies and procedures, can provide insight into strengths and barriers. Furthermore, they can provide suggestions regarding agency collaboration and how it can be maximized. This information is vital to creating a coordinated system response to D/deaf individuals impacted by domestic violence. Within each agency, staff from various areas/departments will participate in focus groups together, allowing for a rich discussion with diverse perspectives and experiences. Questions for service provider staff and leadership will be carefully designed to address the specific goals of this needs assessment to help understand their experiences, comfort level, and needs when working with D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors. Questions will also explore the effectiveness of any current policies and procedures. Executive directors will be interviewed using the leadership questions with an emphasis on their unique perspective. Service provider board members: This audience can provide insight into what degree access to effective communication, quality services, and agency collaboration are understood and valued as organizational priorities. Board members are responsible for supporting services and programs that reflect the mission of each agency. They also impact fiscal matters. Information from board members is valuable for creating needed sustainable change. Questions for board members will be carefully designed to obtain information regarding their knowledge of communication accessibility, systems change, organizational strengths and challenges, and opportunities for collaboration. Number of Participants: The majority of focus groups will be comprised of 4-6 or 6-8 participants who will be asked 5-7 open-ended questions to assess law enforcement and service provider environment, access to effective communication, quality services and law enforcement response, agency policies and procedures and general police orders, and partner agency collaboration. Questions will be structured with one primary thought per question and will include optional prompts which may be used to guide the discussion. Not all prompts will be used in all focus groups; they will only be used when necessary. Certain prompts will ask the primary question in another way for the purpose of clarification and others will guide the discussion to a deeper level. The hope is that a natural discussion will develop in each focus group, rather than a facilitator led question and answer session. A total of 18 focus groups will be scheduled for 90 minutes each. The targeted number of participants is 79 -123. The number of focus groups and the number of participants in each focus group are determined by the number reasonably expected to be recruited to maximize the scope and quality of information obtained. This number of focus groups is manageable for collaboration team staff to conduct while completing additional needs assessment activities and fulfilling regular professional duties and obligations. The following chart outlines the expected focus group participants: Focus Group Participants Number of Groups Number of Participants per Group Total Number of Participants Cleveland Division of Police: Detectives & Sergeants 2 4 - 8 8 -16 Cleveland Division of Police Leadership: Commanders & Deputy Chiefs 1 5 - 11 5 -11 D/deaf Individuals who have used CHSC support services 2 4 - 6 8 -12 D/deaf Individuals who have only used CHSC interpreter services 2 4 - 6 8 -12 CHSC Staff: Support & Development 1 4 - 6 4 - 6 CHSC Staff: Sign Language Interpreters 1 4 - 6 4 - 6 CHSC Staff: Speech Pathologists & Audiologists 1 4 - 6 4 - 6 CHSC Leadership: Administrators 1 4 - 6 4 - 6 Victims/Survivors in DVCAC Support Group 2 4 - 6 8 -12 Victims/Survivors in DVCAC Shelter 1 4 - 6 4 - 6 DVCAC Staff: Support & Development 1 4 - 6 4 - 6 DVCAC Staff: Direct Service 1 6 - 8 6 - 8 DVCAC Staff: Shelter 1 6 - 8 6 - 8 DVCAC Leadership: Coordinators & Directors 1 6 - 8 6 - 8 Total # of Group Participants 18 79 ذ 123 A total of 6 interviews will be conducted with chief dispatchers, executive directors, and the chief of police. The number of interviews is determined by the number reasonably expected to be recruited to maximize the scope and quality of information obtained. This number of interviews is manageable for collaboration team staff to conduct while completing additional needs assessment activities and fulfilling regular professional duties and obligations. It is unknown how many individuals, if any, invited to participate in a focus group will request to participate in an interview instead of a focus group. Interview staff will have additional time designated in their schedules to accommodate such requests. Interviews will each be scheduled for one hour and will be comprised of 5-7 open-ended questions designed to assess: * access to effective communication * quality services and law enforcement response * service provider policies and procedures and general police orders * partner agency collaboration. Questions will be structured with one primary thought per question and will include optional prompts which may be used to guide the interview. Not all prompts will be used in all interviews; they will only be used when necessary. Certain prompts will ask the primary question in another way for the purpose of clarification and others will guide the interview to a deeper level. The following chart outlines the expected number of interview participants: Interview Participants Number of Interviews Total Cleveland Division of Police: Chief Dispatchers 3 3 Cleveland Division of Police: Chief of Police 1 1 Executive Director: Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center 1 1 Executive Director: Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center 1 1 Individuals who prefer to participate in an interview instead of a focus group Unknown Unknown Total Number of Interview Participants Minimum of 6 Minimum of 6 The Cleveland Division of Police currently has 1505 sworn officers, including all ranks. Of this number, 810 are patrol officers. A total of 65 ذ 100 Cleveland Division of Police patrol officers will be asked to complete an in-person written survey. A written survey will be scheduled for patrol officers at 4 roll calls. The Cleveland Division of Police is divided into five police districts. Within each district, patrol officers are divided into three shifts. Each shift is referred to as a platoon. There is A Platoon, B platoon, and C Platoon. Each shift has two start times to ensure there are always patrol officers on the road. Start times are as follows: A Platoon: 6:30 am and 7:30 am B Platoon: 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm C Platoon: 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm We will randomly select three platoons (A, B, and C) from the five districts. There will be one survey scheduled during each of the 3 shifts. The 4th survey will be scheduled during the second shift at a different location from the first survey scheduled during the second shift. Once a platoon is randomly selected, we will do a survey for both start times on that platoon. If the data obtained from the first 3 roll calls is substantially similar, the 4th survey will not be conducted. The determination to survey 65 - 100 patrol officers was made to obtain a representative sample of patrol officers that will generate quality data and be manageable for collaboration team members to staff in addition to other needs assessment activities and regular professional duties and obligations. The logistics of meeting with patrol officers in focus groups or individually would substantially limit participation. Since their input is valuable, an in-person written survey will be the most efficient way to include them. Questions will be structured to elicit information regarding communication accessibility and police response as well as general police orders. Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center board members and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center board members will be asked to complete an online survey. All 33 Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center board members and all 25 Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center board members will be invited to participate. The online survey, which is quick and easily administered, will accommodate the time limitation of participants. It will also maximize participation from all board members. Questions will be structured to assess how well access to effective communication, quality services, and agency collaboration are understood and valued as organizational priorities. Recruitment Strategies: Recruitment is structured to ensure that all potential participants are well informed of the purpose of this needs assessment and what their role will be in the process. Collaboration team members, with additional partner agency staff as needed, will be responsible for the recruitment of focus group, interview, and survey participants. KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS team members will make every effort to recruit a wide range of needs assessment participants. Given that there are different categories of participants, the recruitment process will vary in consideration of each specific intended audience. Only individuals who are age 18 years and older will be invited to participate. Collaboration team members are responsible for identifying potential participants from their respective agencies. Needs assessment participants will not be recruited to have audiences comprised of victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing. Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center will recruit D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals, agency staff and leadership, including the executive director, and agency board members. Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center will recruit victims/survivors of domestic violence, agency staff and leadership, including the executive director, and agency board members. Cleveland Division of Police will recruit chief dispatchers, patrol officers, detectives, sergeants, commanders, deputy chiefs, and the chief of police. In an effort to maximize safety, the guiding principle will be that the team member with the most direct access to participants will extend the invitation. A face-to-face conversation with team members and potential participants or e-mail/texts will be the methods used to recruit for focus groups and interviews. D/deaf individuals will be invited by videophone, e-mail, or text to meet with a team member for face-to-face recruitment. Victims/survivors will be recruited in-person at support group sessions or at the shelter. E-mail will be used with law enforcement and service provider staff and leadership. Public advertising will not be used. Team members participating in the recruitment process will follow a script designed for each designated audience. The script will include information regarding the collaboration and our project. It will include information to address accessibility, confidentiality, mandatory reporting, and safety. It will also include information to describe the focus group session. The recruitment script will be used to ensure consistent messaging across the various audiences. Each script will vary only as needed to relate to a specific audience. Scripts will not be distributed to potential participants. The Participant Fact Sheet is a tool for use in recruiting focus group and interview participants that will aid in ensuring consistent messaging. At the conclusion of the recruitment session for D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors, participant fact sheets will be collected. Written materials regarding the needs assessment will not be given to D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors to keep in order to minimize any safety risks related to their participation. Procedural Considerations: There are procedural considerations which are specific to each method of data collection. These procedures will be explained in the Focus Group, Interview, and Survey sections of this needs assessment plan as they relate to each section. Additional procedural considerations address the broader topics of Confidentiality (Appendix B), Mandatory Reporting (Appendix C), Safety Considerations (Appendix D), Access Considerations (Appendix E), Training Plans (Appendix F), and the Work Plan (Appendix G) and are fully explained in the appendix indicated. FOCUS GROUPS FOCUS GROUP STAFF: Each focus group will be staffed with a group facilitator, a recorder, and a support person who is a licensed social worker. Focus groups with D/deaf participants will be co-facilitated by the two collaboration team members fluent in American Sign Language. Two facilitators are necessary in order to minimize missed information and to maximize session focus. Groups with D/deaf participants will also have a certified American Sign Language interpreter present for the entire session to voice for the recorder. KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS team members will staff all focus groups. A team member will not facilitate a focus group comprised of his/her own co-workers or individuals he/she supervises. The project coordinator will be the recorder for all focus groups. If the project coordinator is unavailable to fill the recorder position, another collaboration team member will substitute. The role of each focus group staff member is described below. The Focus Group Facilitator will: * Manage the session from opening through closing. * Welcome the participants and try to make everyone comfortable. * Introduce the focus group staff and describe their roles. * Inform the participants of general details such as break times and the location of restrooms. * Discuss the purpose of the focus group and review the consent/confidentiality/mandatory reporting statement. * Describe the focus group procedures. * Inform the participants that there are no right or wrong answers. * Remain neutral and will not participate in the discussion other than to ask questions as provided in the script developed by collaboration team members and to offer prompts as needed to further a discussion. * Follow the script designed for each audience to describe the purpose and roles of the group staff, create a relaxed atmosphere where participants will feel free to express their opinions and experiences, and stimulate the discussion while keeping in line with the questions. * Summarize participant comments, as needed, on a flipchart for all participants to see. * Monitor the session time. * Close the session and thank the participants. * Participate in a debriefing session with the recorder at the end of each session to identify key themes and comments. * Sign off on the gift card tally as a witness to its accuracy. The Focus Group Recorder will: * Observe and objectively document the response of participants during the session. * Use a laptop computer to document the information provided during the session. The data obtained will be saved on a flashdrive and will be securely stored at the office of the project coordinator. In the event of technical difficulties, information from the session may be handwritten and formatted into computer notes at a later time. * Sit in an area of the room that will minimize distraction for the participants and will not participate in the discussion in any way. The recorder may request that something be repeated by raising a hand. * Maintain participant anonymity and will not identify the participants in any manner in the focus group notes. * Document responses using direct quotes and may also document an emotion that is expressed with a response. * Prepare a summary of the data collected after each session. The data collected will be stored in a locked file cabinet in the office of the project coordinator or in an electronic format on a password protected computer. It will be shredded/deleted after the approval of the Strategic Plan. * Conduct a debriefing session with the facilitator at the end of each session to identify key themes and comments. * Document the date, the number of participants, and the number of gift cards distributed at each focus group session on the focus group debriefing form. After each focus group/interview session, the facilitator/interviewer will sign off on the tally as a witness to its accuracy. The Focus Group Support Person will: * Check in participants and distribute gift cards. * Provide emotional support, safety planning, and/or referrals for service for any focus group participant as needed. * Work to ensure participant safety and confidentiality by being in a designated location outside of the focus group room. Participants will be informed that the support person is a mandated reporter of suspected child abuse/neglect, the abuse/neglect/exploitation of an elder adult, and the suspected abuse/neglect of a developmentally disabled individual. * Oversee the accessibility, safety, and comfort level needs of the participants. The support person will speak with a participant in a private area to ensure the participantصs safety and well being if a participant needs to step out of the room during a session or needs to leave. * Escort a participant to a private location if the participant requests to speak with the support person. * Set up the refreshments for participants. The Focus Group Certified American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreter will: * Abide by the code of professional conduct, including confidentiality, of the National Association of the Deaf and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf according to certification requirements. FOCUS GROUP PROCEDURES: The procedure for each focus group, with exceptions as noted, will be as follows: Focus groups for D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence will be held at the location where the individual is receiving or has received services. Focus groups interviews for law enforcement and service provider staff and leadership will be held at the agency where each individual is employed. Accommodations for participants will be provided as agreed in advance based on responses to the RSVP form. Participants will have an opportunity to indicate needed accommodations and will be informed as to whether or not those accommodations will be provided. Upon arriving for the focus group, a gift card will be given to each participant to thank them for their willingness to share their time, knowledge, and opinions. The gift card is for participants to keep whether they remain for the entire session or leave early. Law enforcement and service provider staff and leadership will not receive a gift card. The focus group facilitator will follow a script, specific to each audience, to maximize uniformity across audiences and to address issues of accessibility, safety, consent, confidentiality, and mandatory reporting. The focus group facilitator will introduce himself/herself and the focus group staff to the participants. For D/deaf individuals, focus group sessions will be run by co-facilitators who are fluent in American Sign Language. An interpreter will be present for voicing and for additional assistance as needed. The facilitator will check-in with participants to ensure that individual accommodations meet the needs of each participant. The focus group facilitator will discuss general details such as breaks and the location of restrooms. Refreshments will be provided based on responses to the RSVP form regarding any allergies or special accommodations. The purpose of the focus group will be stated. The consent/confidentiality/mandatory reporting statement will be provided for participants to read to themselves and the form will be read aloud or signed in American Sign Language to the group. Statements provided to participants to read will be collected prior to beginning the focus group questions. Participants will be given the opportunity to ask questions about the consent/confidentiality/mandatory reporting statement and express any concerns they may have. Participants will be informed of the procedures the focus group will follow and will be encouraged to show respect for all participants. Participants will be informed that there are no right or wrong answers to the focus group questions. D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors will be informed that only their experiences with community agencies or specific needs regarding service provision will be discussed; there will not be any questions regarding personal information. For the focus groups specific to victims/survivors of domestic violence, participants will be informed that the discussion will not include personal experiences related to violence, abuse, or neglect. Service provider staff and leadership and law enforcement will be informed that only questions specific to assessing communication accessibility, general police orders or service provider policies and procedures, services or response to individuals, as well as ability and commitment to collaborate will be asked. Focus group questions will be structured to minimize the likelihood of a participant disclosing a personal event of violence, abuse, or neglect. In the event such a disclosure is made, the group facilitator will take the following steps: If the disclosure is not accompanied by any visible emotional distress of the participant, the facilitator will acknowledge the disclosure and direct the discussion back to the present topic. At the conclusion of the focus group session, the facilitator will speak privately with the participant to offer an opportunity to discuss options and any referrals for services with the support person. If the disclosure is accompanied by visible emotional distress of the participant, the session will be briefly suspended while the facilitator escorts the participant to the location of the focus group support person. The support person will meet with the participant to provide an opportunity to validate feelings and to discuss options and referrals. Upon returning, the facilitator will proceed and direct the discussion back to the present topic. All collaboration team members are mandated reporters per Ohio law. In the event a disclosure is made that meets the criteria for mandatory reporting (refer to Appendix C), the facilitator will determine whether to make the initial telephone report to the appropriate authority immediately or at the close of the session. A participant making such a disclosure will be offered an opportunity to discuss options and referrals for services with the support person. Participants may leave the focus group at any time for any reason. In an effort to maximize confidentiality, D/deaf individuals and victim/survivors will be asked not to refer to one another by name if any participants happen to know each other. In addition, all focus group participants will be asked not to share information about what any participant shared during the discussion with anyone after the focus group session is completed. Participants will be informed that personal identifying information will not be included in the discussion notes or in the final report. D/deaf participants and victims/survivors will be informed that participation in a focus group or a decision not to participate will not affect their eligibility for services or the quality of services they receive. Law enforcement and partner agency staff and leadership will be informed that no other staff member or their supervisor(s) will be told what a particular individual says during the focus group session. Participation or a decision not to participate will not affect their employment. The facilitator will begin the focus group discussion with the questions developed for that particular audience. Questions and prompts specific to each audience will be used to maximize the discussion in each group. For D/deaf individuals, powerpoint slides will be used to display each question as it is asked in order to provide participants with a visual of the question (see Appendix H). Participants will discuss each question on a volunteer basis. Focus group sessions will not be audio or video recorded. The facilitator will close each session by thanking the participants, reminding them of confidentiality issues, and by giving participants an opportunity to discuss any needs that must be addressed regarding safety or anything else. Focus group staff will complete a focus group debriefing form. Focus group responses will be compiled by the project coordinator and reviewed by the collaboration team. Data obtained through focus groups will be kept in a locked file cabinet in the office of the project coordinator or in an electronic format on a password protected computer until the strategic plan is approved. Raw data will then be shredded or deleted. FOCUS GROUP RECRUITMENT: Recruitment of D/deaf Individuals & Victims/Survivors of Domestic Violence Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center team members will engage in the personal recruitment of D/deaf individuals known to the agency. Potential participants will be invited by videophone, e-mail, text, or face-to-face to have a conversation regarding recruitment by videophone or in-person. Potential participants will have a recruitment script signed in American Sign Language and will receive a participant fact sheet to describe the project and address general questions about the purpose and process of the focus groups. Potential participants will then be given an opportunity to ask questions. Potential participants will also receive an RSVP form that will indicate the date and time of the focus group. The schedule of focus groups will be determined by team members prior to beginning the recruitment process. The RSVP form will also allow participants to request accommodations that will meet accessibility needs. Participants requesting a reminder of the focus group date/time will receive a reminder 3 days prior to the focus group using the contact method indicated on the RSVP form. Participants may also request a reminder card at the time of their recruitment. Potential participants will be offered the option of an individual interview if they do not feel comfortable participating in a focus group. Any requested interviews will be scheduled at a time mutually convenient for the participant and interview team. Potential participants will be assured that they will not face any negative consequences based on whether or not they choose to participate. Participation in the needs assessment requires a commitment of time and a willingness to share knowledge, experiences, and opinions. In appreciation, participants will receive a $20 gift card to Walmart. This vendor was chosen because it offers a wide selection of products to meet a variety of needs and interests. Walmart has multiple locations throughout Cuyahoga County and is easily accessible to participants from most areas. Gift cards will be purchased with Office on Violence Against Women grant funds. For auditing purposes, the recorder will document the date, the number of participants, and the number of gift cards distributed. After each focus group/interview session, the facilitator/interviewer will sign off on the tally as a witness to its accuracy. A gift card will be given to each participant who checks in for a focus group or interview. Receipt of the gift card is not contingent on providing a response to any of the focus group or interview questions. In addition, the gift card is for participants to keep whether they remain for the entire session or leave early. A participant may feel at risk returning home with a gift card. If a participant does not feel safe accepting the gift card when checking in, arrangements will be made for the card to be given at a later time. Refreshments will be provided at focus groups. Refreshments for participants will be provided at the expense of collaboration team members; OVW grant funds will not be used for refreshments. The type of refreshments provided to D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence will be determined after a review of the RSVP forms regarding dietary accommodations. Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center team members will engage in the personal recruitment of victims/survivors of domestic violence known to the agency. There are 6 support groups held in various locations in the community. They are lead by agency justice system advocates. The supervisor of the justice system advocates will be informed of the need assessment project by a collaboration team member. The team member will then speak with the advocates to recruit 2 different support groups to represent different areas of the community. A collaboration team member will attend a support group session at both locations to explain the project and recruit participants from the support group face-to-face. At the shelter, a collaboration team member will meet with the shelter director to make arrangements for recruitment and focus group scheduling. Given that individuals in shelter are not mandated to participate in any shelter activities, in-person recruitment will occur at an open group session. Due to the shelter environment, if more than 10 individuals express the desire to participate in the focus group, another focus group will be scheduled on a separate day so as not to have too many participants in one group. Understanding group dynamics within the shelter environment, the offering of an incentive to focus group participants is expected to generate widespread interest. Potential participants will hear a recruitment script and receive a participant fact sheet to describe the project and address general questions about the purpose and process of the focus groups. Potential participants will then be given an opportunity to ask questions. Potential participants will also receive an RSVP form that will indicate the date and time of the focus group. The schedule of focus groups will be determined by team members prior to beginning the recruitment process. The RSVP form will also allow participants to request accommodations that will meet accessibility needs. Participants requesting a reminder of the focus group date/time will receive a reminder 3 days prior to the focus group using the contact method indicated on the RSVP form. Participants may also request a reminder card at the time of recruitment. Victims/survivors in the shelter will not receive a reminder due to the fact that recruitment will occur within a few days of the focus group. Recruitment will be done within a few days of the focus group session due to the potential of high shelter resident turnover. Potential participants will be offered the option of an individual interview if they do not feel comfortable participating in a focus group. Any requested interviews will be scheduled at a time mutually convenient for the participant and interview team. Potential participants will be assured that they will not face any negative consequences based on whether or not they choose to participate. Participation in the needs assessment requires a commitment of time and a willingness to share knowledge, experiences, and opinions. In appreciation, participants will receive a $20 gift card to Walmart. This vendor was chosen because it offers a wide selection of products to meet a variety of needs and interests. Walmart has multiple locations throughout Cuyahoga County and is easily accessible to participants from most areas. Gift cards will be purchased with Office on Violence Against Women grant funds. For auditing purposes, the recorder will document the date, the number of participants, and the number of gift cards distributed. After each focus group/interview session, the facilitator/interviewer will sign off on the tally as a witness to its accuracy. A gift card will be given to each participant who checks in for a focus group or interview. Receipt of the gift card is not contingent on providing a response to any of the focus group or interview questions. In addition, the gift card is for participants to keep whether they remain for the entire session or leave early. A participant may feel at risk returning home with a gift card. If a participant does not feel safe accepting the gift card when checking in, arrangements will be made for the card to be given at a later time. Refreshments will be provided at focus groups. Refreshments for participants will be provided at the expense of collaboration team members; OVW grant funds will not be used for refreshments. The type of refreshments provided to D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence will be determined after a review of the RSVP forms regarding dietary accommodations. Recruitment of Law Enforcement - Detectives/Sergeants and Commanders/Deputy Chiefs Focus groups will be comprised of either detectives/sergeants or commanders/deputy chiefs; there will not be a focus group comprised of detectives/sergeants and commanders/deputy chiefs together. The collaboration team member from Cleveland Division of Police will send an internal memo to the detectives and sergeants in the Domestic Violence Unit and Sex Crimes/Child Abuse Unit inviting them to participate in a focus group. The internal memo will include the invitation letter and a participant fact sheet to describe the project and address general questions about the purpose and process of the focus groups. Potential participants will then be given an opportunity to ask questions prior to the focus group via e-mail or in-person. For commanders and deputy chiefs, the collaboration team member from Cleveland Division of Police will submit a memo through the chain of command requesting to conduct a focus group during a command staff meeting. Command staff meetings generally last for one hour and agenda items are not limited. The memo will include the invitation e-mail and a participant fact sheet to describe the project and address general questions about the purpose and process of the focus group. Focus group participants will be comprised of those in attendance for the meeting who consent to participation after being informed of the project and the procedures. Potential participants will receive notice of the date/time/location of the focus group. The schedule of focus groups will be determined by team members prior to beginning the recruitment process. Focus groups and interviews for law enforcement will be scheduled during regular work hours. Law enforcement will be given an opportunity to request any specific accommodations in their RSVP to the recruiter via e-mail. A return e-mail to the needs assessment recruiter will be sufficient to indicate a willingness to participate and the preference of a focus group or individual interview. Potential participants recruited via e-mail will be informed that a response regarding their interest in participating will be expected within one week. Participants will receive an e-mail reminder of the date/time/location of the focus group or interview 3 days prior to the session. Potential participants will be offered the option of an individual interview if they do not feel comfortable participating in a focus group. Any requested interviews will be scheduled at a time mutually convenient for the participant and interview team. Potential participants will be assured that they will not face any negative consequences based on whether or not they choose to participate. Refreshments will be provided at focus groups. Refreshments for participants will be provided at the expense of collaboration team members; OVW grant funds will not be used for refreshments. Recruitment of Service Provider Staff and Leadership A team member from each partner agency will be responsible for inviting staff and leadership, including the executive director, from their own agency to participate in a focus group or interview. Focus groups will be comprised of either staff or leadership; there will not be a focus group comprised of staff and leadership together. Team members will recruit staff and leadership through in-person one-on-one conversations or an e-mail invitation. Potential participants will hear a recruitment script or receive an e-mail invitation. Each potential participant will also receive a participant fact sheet to describe the project and address general questions about the purpose and process of the focus groups or interviews. Potential participants will then be given an opportunity to ask questions. Potential participants will also receive notice of the date/time/location of the focus group or interview. The schedule of focus groups will be determined by collaboration team members prior to beginning the recruitment process. Interviews will be scheduled at a time mutually convenient for the participant and the interview team. Focus groups and interviews for service provider staff and leadership will be scheduled during regular work hours. Service provider staff and leadership, including executive directors, will be given an opportunity to request any specific accommodations in their RSVP to the recruiter via e-mail. A return e-mail to the needs assessment recruiter will be sufficient to indicate a willingness to participate and the preference of a focus group or individual interview. If contacted via e-mail, potential participants will be informed that a response regarding their interest in participating will be expected within one week. Participants will receive an e-mail reminder of the date/time/location of the focus group or interview 3 days prior to the session. Potential participants will be offered the option of an individual interview if they do not feel comfortable participating in a focus group. Potential participants will be assured that they will not face any negative consequences based on whether or not they choose to participate. Refreshments will be provided at focus groups. Refreshments for participants will be provided at the expense of collaboration team members; OVW grant funds will not be used for refreshments. FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANT CONSENT: KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS has the responsibility of providing needs assessment participants with a basis for informed consent. We will exercise great care in making sure that all participants are informed of confidentiality safeguards, mandatory reporting, and the consent process before they agree to participate in a focus group, interview, or survey. Participants in focus groups will be given the opportunity to exercise passive consent. Passive consent is appropriate to maintain confidentiality since it does not require any documentation of the identity of a participant. A statement regarding consent, confidentiality, and mandatory reporting will be provided in writing to focus group participants. Participants will be asked to read the statement. It will also be read aloud or signed to participants as part of the script at the beginning of each session in order to accommodate varying levels of literacy and to maximize full understanding of the statement. Any questions regarding consent will be answered as thoroughly as possible before participants are asked if they understand the consent statement. Once any questions are answered, participants will be asked if they understand the statement. If participants acknowledge that they understand the statement, they will be informed that if they remain in the session, they are expressing their consent to participate in the focus group. When an understanding of the statement has been acknowledged, if a participant leaves the session, it will be understood that the individual has chosen to discontinue participation and will not be answering questions. Regardless of whether or not an individual consents to participate in a particular session, D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence will receive the incentive of a $20 gift card to Walmart. Individuals with a legal guardian will not be recruited, so guardian consent will not be required. The consent statement will include the following information: * the name of the collaboration conducting the focus group/interview * the purpose of the focus group/interview * the length of the focus group/interview * a description of the process * a description of the steps being taken to ensure confidentiality * a statement that participation is strictly voluntary * a description of the incentive, if any, that will be given to the participant regardless of consent * a statement that participants agree to have their responses anonymously recorded and included in the needs assessment report for the purpose of developing a strategic plan * the offer to answer any questions prior to a participant deciding whether or not to give consent FOCUS GROUP MATERIALS: Participant Fact Sheet for D/deaf Individuals & Victims/Survivors of Domestic Violence We appreciate your interest in participating in our needs assessment. We thought you might be interested in learning more about our project. We will take this time to answer some questions often asked by individuals who, like you, have been invited to participate in this project. What is KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS? KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS is an agreement between Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center to work together. We are working together to determine what our organizations do well and what types of changes our organizations may need to make to be accessible, welcoming, and safe for D/deaf individuals impacted by domestic violence. We are also working together to identify what individuals define as quality services. In addition, we are working together to identify policies and procedures within our organizations that help or hinder our response to individuals and how our organizations can continue working together. Why have you been invited? We have invited you to tell us about your experiences with social service agencies and with law enforcement. We want to learn what works well, what does not work well, and any suggestions you may have for improvements. You are the expert in knowing your experiences and what works well for you. We are asking you to share that information with us. Do I have to say something? No. You do not have to say anything during the session. Your participation is strictly voluntary. You can leave if you feel uncomfortable staying. We sincerely hope that you will choose to tell us about your experiences with organizations and how they can be accessible, welcoming and safe while providing you with quality services that you need. If I do say something, will you use my name? No. We will not use your name in anything that we write about the session. We may use something that you tell us in our final report, but we will not indicate who said it. Do I receive anything for participating? Yes. To thank you for your participation, you will receive a $20 gift card to Walmart. What if I lose the gift card? Once you receive the gift card, it is your responsibility to keep it in a safe place. We cannot give you a new gift card if it is lost or stolen. What if I do not feel safe taking the gift card home? You decide whether or not it is safe for you to take the gift card home. If you decide it is not safe for you to take it home, the person who invited you to participate will keep it for you until you feel that it is safe for you to have it. How are you going to use the information I share with you? We will put all of the information we gather into a report. The report will help us develop a plan that will guide us in making necessary changes to communication access, policies and procedures, and services at our own organizations. Talking with us will not affect any services that you may already be receiving. Who will see the report? The report will be shared with the Office on Violence Against Women because they are funding our grant to work on this project. It will also be shared with the Vera Institute of Justice because they are helping us by providing technical support throughout the project. In addition, the report will be shared with the people who work with us at our organizations. We want them to know what you think will make our organizations accessible, welcoming, and safe for individuals coming for information and support. We also want them to know what services you think may help individuals impacted by domestic violence. The information in the report will help our organizations know what changes are needed. The leaders of our organizations may choose to share the report with others as well. If you decide to participate and want to see our results, you are welcome to contact us to review the final report after it has been approved by the Office on Violence Against Women. What should I tell people if they ask about this group? It is your decision how much information you want to give someone asking you about this group. You can tell people that you are sharing information about your experiences that will help our organizations provide the best and most needed services that we can. If you decide to participate, we do ask that you respect everyoneصs privacy and not discuss what anyone says during the group session. We want everyone to feel comfortable and safe to share their experiences and ideas without worrying that someone will talk about them outside of the group. If I agree to participate and then, for some reason, cannot come, who should I contact? If you agree to participate and then find out that you cannot come to the session, you can contact the person who invited you or one of the team members. If you still want to participate, we will see if we can re-schedule to speak with you another time. For D/deaf individuals: Please know that focus group sessions will be run by co-facilitators who are fluent in American Sign Language. An interpreter will be present for voicing and for additional assistance as needed. Interviews will be conducted with one interviewer who is fluent in American Sign Language. An interpreter will be present for voicing and for additional assistance as needed. Thank you. We truly appreciate your time and interest in helping us to make our organizations better places for everyone who contacts us for help. Participant Fact Sheet for Law Enforcement and Service Provider Staff & Leadership We appreciate your interest in participating in our needs assessment. We thought you might be interested in learning more about our project. We will take this time to answer some questions that you may have considered since being invited to participate in this project. What is KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS? KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS is a collaboration with Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center. It is funded through a grant from the Office on Violence Against Women. The project is a three-year initiative that began in October 2011 and is divided into two phases. During the planning and development phase we will create a collaboration charter, complete a community needs assessment, prepare a report on the findings, and then use our findings to complete a strategic plan. During the implementation phase, we will follow the strategic plan to make needed organizational change that will maximize accessibility, safety, choice, and services for victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing. Why have you been invited to participate? Our goal is to identify and make any needed systems change. You can provide valuable information regarding your organization, current services, current general police orders or service provider policies and procedures, ideas for collaboration, and suggestions regarding any needed improvements. When and where will the focus groups and interviews be held? Focus groups and interviews for law enforcement and service provider staff and leadership will be held where the participant is employed. Focus groups and interviews will be held during regular business hours. Will individual responses remain confidential? Yes. Individual responses will be kept confidential. Personal identifying information will not be included in the recorded notes or in the final report. A response to any question is voluntary; you will not be called on to give a response. Will the name of each partner organization be used in any way? Yes. The final report will describe the data obtained from Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center. In order to make any needed change at our organizations, we need to show where we obtained the data. We are working toward ensuring that victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing will receive an accessible systemic response to their victimization. How will the information I provide be used? We will put the data we collect into a report. The report will help us develop a strategic plan that will guide us in making necessary changes to general police orders and service provider policies and procedures. It will also guide us in making necessary changes to police response and the provision of services in our organizations. Organizations must make needed changes to provide an environment where individuals can obtain and give information through the mode of communication that best meets their needs. We are working to make needed systems change that will maximize law enforcement interaction, safety, service provision, and choice for D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence. If you decide to participate and want to see our results, you are welcome to contact us to review the final report after it has been approved by the Office on Violence Against Women. Who will see the report? The report will be sent to our technical assistant from Vera Institute of Justice and to Office on Violence Against Women. The executive directors and the chief of police from the collaborating agencies will also receive a copy of the report. Partner agency leadership may share the report with others as needed. If I agree to participate and then have a scheduling conflict, who should I contact? If you agree to participate and then have a scheduling conflict, you can contact the person who invited you at the number provided to you. If you still want to participate, we will try to re-schedule to speak with you another time. Thank you. We truly appreciate your time and interest in helping us to make our organizations better places for everyone who contacts us for assistance. Recruitment Script for D/deaf Individuals & Victims/Survivors of Domestic Violence KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS is an agreement between Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center to work together to determine what our organizations do well and what changes they need to make to be accessible, welcoming, and safe for D/deaf individuals impacted by domestic violence. In addition, we are working together to identify what individuals think are quality services. We are also working together to identify policies and procedures within our organizations that help or hinder our response to individuals and how our organizations can continue working together. We will be meeting with people who have contacted our agencies for assistance, staff members and leadership from our agencies, agency board members, and law enforcement officers from all levels of the police department. The information we collect will be used to write a report. KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS invites you to participate in a group discussion regarding your experiences, knowledge, and opinions as they relate to questions that have been specifically designed for you. We invite you to tell us about your experiences with our organizations and to describe the response you received. We also want to learn how you think we can improve services and how you think our agencies can work together. You are the expert in knowing your experiences and what you need. We are asking you to share that information with us. Participation is completely voluntary. Your safety and confidentiality are important to us. We will only discuss your interaction with community agencies and our partner organizations and the services they provide. The information you share with us will be used anonymously in our notes and in our final report. If you disclose any abuse or neglect that meets the legal mandatory reporting requirements in Ohio, a KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS team member will make the necessary report to the appropriate authority. The group session will be scheduled for 1 ? hours. The date, time, and location of your session will be on your RSVP form. If you choose, we will provide a reminder to you. The RSVP form will also include questions that will help us to accommodate your needs during the session as best we can. We do not expect more than 6 participants to be in the group. Refreshments will be provided. You will receive a $20 gift card to Walmart as a thank you for your willingness to participate. Please let us know if you would like to participate, but do not want to be in a group; we can schedule an individual interview. If you agree to participate and something changes so that you are unable to participate, please contact the person who invited you. If you still want to participate, we may be able to schedule to meet with you another time. We have prepared a fact sheet to answer some common questions. Letصs review that information now. (Review participant fact sheet appropriate for each audience.) Thank you! We truly appreciate your time and we hope that you will choose to discuss your experiences, knowledge, and opinions with us so that we can continue to do what we are doing well and so that we can identify any needed changes. Please let us know if you have any questions that will help you make your decision on whether or not to participate. RSVP FORM for D/deaf & Victim/Survivor Focus Group Participants If you are interested in participating in a focus group or interview conducted by KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS, please provide the following information to help us accommodate your needs during the session as best we can. The information provided on this form will remain confidential. The form will be shredded after the session. Thank you for participating! I would like to participate in (check one): Focus Group _____ Interview _____ I prefer NOT to be contacted with a reminder: _____ OR I prefer to only receive a reminder card before I leave today: _____ OR I prefer to be contacted with a reminder as follows: Personal Cell Phone Number: _______________ Is it safe to leave a voicemail or text message? _____ Yes _____ No Home Phone Number: ____________ Voice _____ Videophone _____ Is it safe to leave a voicemail/signmail message? _____ Yes _____ No Work Number: _______________ Voice _____ Videophone _____ Is it safe to leave a voicemail/signmail message? _____ Yes _____ No Friendصs Phone Number: ___________ First Name of Friend: _________ Is it safe to leave a voicemail/signmail message? _____ Yes _____ No E-Mail Address: ______________________________ In order to participate, I will need the following: _____ American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreter _____ Other Language Interpreter Which language? ___________ _____ Assistance with Written Materials _____ Braille _____ Large Print _____Help with Reading _____ Listening Device _____ Wheelchair Access _____ Dietary Needs/Food Allergies (for focus group refreshments) Please Specify: _________________________ _____ Other Accommodation Needs? Please Specify: ______________ Focus Group/Interview Date: __________ Time: _______ Location: _________ Recruitment/RSVP E-mail for Law Enforcement and Service Provider Staff & Leadership KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS is a collaboration with Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center. It is funded through a grant from the Office on Violence Against Women. The project is a three-year initiative that began in October 2011 and is divided into two phases. During the planning and development phase we will create a collaboration charter, complete a community needs assessment, prepare a report on the findings, and then use our findings to complete a strategic plan. During the implementation phase, we will follow the strategic plan to make needed organizational change that will maximize accessibility, safety, choice, and services for victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing. We will be meeting with D/deaf individuals, victims/survivors of domestic violence, staff members and leadership from the service provider agencies, service provider board members, and law enforcement officers from all levels of the police department. The information we collect will be included in a report. KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS invites you to participate in a discussion regarding your experiences, knowledge, and opinions as they relate to questions that have been specifically designed for you. Participation is completely voluntary. The information you share with us will be used anonymously in our notes and in our final report. Focus groups will be scheduled for 1 ? hours. The date, time, and location of the focus group are included in this e-mail. Refreshments will be provided at focus groups. Please let us know if you would like to participate, but do not want to be in a focus group; we can schedule an individual interview. If you agree to participate and something changes so that you are unable to participate, please contact the person who invited you. If you still want to participate, we may be able to schedule to meet with you another time. We have prepared a fact sheet to answer some common questions. (Attach the participant fact sheet appropriate for each audience to the recruitment e-mail.) Thank you! We truly appreciate your time and we hope that you will talk with us about your knowledge and experiences. Please let us know if you have any questions that will help you make your decision on whether or not to participate. Please respond by (insert date) if you are willing to participate. In addition, please indicate in your response if you need any specific accommodations (i.e. large print materials, interpreter, etc.) in order to participate. We ask you to provide that information to help us accommodate your needs during the session as best we can. Any such requests will remain confidential. Focus Group Date: ____________ Time: _________ Location: ___________ Passive Consent/Confidentiality/Mandatory Reporting Statement for Focus Groups KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS is meeting with people to learn what ways our agencies are accessible and what ways they are not accessible for _____*_____. Similarly, we want to learn in what ways our agencies are or are not responsive to the needs of _____*_____. We also want to determine how our organizations can continue working together. Your participation will help us to improve accessibility and responsiveness where it is needed. (*insert D/deaf individuals, victims/survivors of domestic violence, or D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence in line with the appropriate audience) Please listen to the following information carefully before you decide whether or not to consent to participate. After I have finished reading aloud or signing, please ask any questions you may have. We believe that you can share some valuable information with us. That is why we have invited you to participate. The session will be scheduled for 60 or 90 minutes (90 minutes for D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors and 60 minutes for law enforcement and service provider staff, leadership, and executive directors. Only ___ questions will be asked (insert the number associated with the questions for each audience). Your participation is completely voluntary and you may leave at any time. You decide whether or not you want to respond to a question. To show appreciation for your willingness to participate, you will receive a $20 gift card to Walmart (only applies to D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence). The gift card is yours to keep even if you do not consent to participate or if you need to leave early. We do not expect the questions to make you feel uncomfortable. For D/deaf individuals & victims/survivors of domestic violence: We will only be asking you to tell us about your experiences with community agencies and our organizations and to describe the response you received. We will also ask you how you think we can improve services and how you think our agencies can work together. If you do feel uncomfortable at some point, we will have someone available to speak with you privately. For law enforcement and service provider staff, leadership, and executive directors: We will only be asking you about access to effective communication, quality services, general police orders or agency policies and procedures, and partner agency collaboration. Our goal is to strictly maintain the privacy and confidentiality of all participants. If you happen to know someone else in the group, please do not say that personصs name during the session (for D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence). When the discussion is finished, please do not discuss anyoneصs personal information or anyoneصs comments outside of the group. As we will discuss further in a few minutes, we are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse/neglect, the abuse/neglect/exploitation of an elder adult, and suspected abuse/neglect of an individual with developmental disabilities. If you share any information during the group session or with a staff member in private that meets the legal guidelines requiring a mandatory report to be made, we will make the necessary report to the proper authority. By participating in this focus group, you are giving us permission to anonymously include your responses in our notes and final report. Your name will not be included. This focus group will be conducted with the following confidentiality guidelines in mind: Participant names are not to be used by staff or other participants, even if they know one another. We cannot guarantee confidentiality among the participants. We do ask that each participant respect one anotherصs privacy. We ask that each participant refrain from sharing anything discussed by others in the group with anyone outside of the group. You may tell people that you participated in a focus group and you may share your own information about your focus group experience, but please know that by doing so, you may put your own confidentiality at risk. Our goal is to keep your information anonymous. Any information you share will be kept in a locked file cabinet or in an electronic format on a password protected computer and will be shredded or deleted upon completion of the project. Personal identifying information will not be included in group session notes or in the final report. For D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence: Participation in the focus group will not affect your eligibility for services or the quality of services you receive. For partner agency staff and leadership: Information provided by partner agency staff and leadership will not be shared with supervisors/administration in any identifiable manner that could result in a punitive response. If you become uncomfortable during the group session, you may choose to speak privately with our support person. Conversations with the support person will remain confidential unless the conversation includes information that requires a mandatory report. KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS team members are mandatory reporters of suspected abuse/neglect of a child, the abuse/neglect/exploitation of an elder adult, and the suspected abuse/neglect of an individual with developmental disabilities. If you share any information during the group session or with a staff member in private that meets the legal guidelines requiring a mandatory report to be made, we will make the necessary report to the proper authority. Information shared during this focus group will be used for the purpose of evaluating five primary areas in our needs assessment: law enforcement and service provider environment, access to effective communication, quality services and interactions with law enforcement, agency policies and procedures and general police orders, and partner agency collaboration. We will then use the information to make needed change within our agencies to maximize accessibility and to provide a welcoming and safe environment. We will also use the information to maximize the provision of quality services that individuals need in order to best make their own decisions. In addition, we will use the information to revise or create general police orders and service provider policies and procedures as needed. We will also use the information to ensure that our agencies continue working together. The information shared will not be used for any purpose outside of this project. Facilitator Script for Focus Groups with D/deaf Individuals Welcome and thank you for agreeing to participate in our discussion! My name is __________ , and this is __________, and we will be facilitating the discussion today. We appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge, experiences, and opinions with us. We are meeting with you and with others to learn what our organizations do well and what changes they need to make to be accessible, welcoming, and safe for D/deaf individuals. In addition, we want to learn what you believe to be quality services. We also would like to hear what suggestions you have for how our organizations can work together. Please help yourself to the beverages and snacks that have been provided. We want you to be as comfortable as possible. If there is something that you need, please ask. Restrooms are located __________. We do not have a break scheduled, but feel free to take a break if you need to do so. To thank you for joining us today, you have received a $20 gift card to Walmart. If you cannot take the gift card home with you today, please let me know and we will make other arrangements. We will be asking a variety of questions to guide our discussion. __________ is here to take notes on her computer or on paper for us. She will only take notes about the comments that are shared; she will not identify who made the comment. There is also a sign language interpreter in the room. Our interpreter has had special training and will maintain your confidentiality. To assist the interpreter, we ask that only one person speak or sign at a time. You may remember that we will only be discussing your experiences with community agencies and with our organizations and your suggestions for how we can improve. We will not be discussing types of abuse or any personal incidents of abuse. You are the expert in knowing your interaction with organizations and what you need from them. We are asking you to share that information with us. If a question is asked that makes you feel uncomfortable or upsets you in any way, please bring it to my attention. We have a support person who is a licensed social worker in another room who is available to speak with you privately. Consent/confidentiality/mandatory reporting statement to be distributed and read aloud/signed to the participants. Ask if there are any questions regarding consent, confidentiality, or mandatory reporting related to participation in the discussion. Collect the statement from the participants when all questions, if any, have been answered. Your participation in the discussion is completely voluntary and you may choose to answer all, some, or none of the questions. You may leave at any time and for any reason. Whether or not you participate will not affect any services you are receiving or may receive from any partner agency. We will be asking ___ questions. We encourage you to be as specific as you can be in your responses. The information you share with us will be helpful to identify strengths and areas needing change. Please let me recognize you before you begin speaking so that everyone will have an opportunity to participate in our discussion. We ask that you be completely honest in your responses. There are no right or wrong answers. We want you share your experiences, insight, and suggestions. We also encourage you to respect your fellow participants. You may not agree with everyone, but remember that each one of you has a right to your own opinion. Are there any questions before we begin our discussion? We will now begin our discussion. (The Facilitator/Interviewer will ask the questions designed for this particular audience.) Thank you for your time and the information you have shared with us today. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with me or with our support person, __________, before you leave. We are looking forward to using the experiences you have shared with us to identify, develop, and implement needed organizational change that will result in victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing having full access to quality services and quality interaction with law enforcement. Facilitator Script for Focus Groups with Victims/Survivors of Domestic Violence Welcome and thank you for agreeing to participate in our discussion! My name is __________ and I will be facilitating the discussion today. We appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences, knowledge, and opinions with us. We are meeting with you and with others to learn what our organizations do well and what changes they need to make to be accessible, welcoming, and safe for individuals impacted by domestic violence. In addition, we want to learn what you believe to be quality services. We also would like to hear what suggestions you have for how our organizations can work together. Please help yourself to the beverages and snacks that have been provided. We want you to be as comfortable as possible. If there is something that you need, please ask. Restrooms are located __________. We do not have a break scheduled, but feel free to take a break if you need to do so. If you have a cell phone with you, please turn it off or set it to the زsilentس mode to limit distractions during the session. To thank you for joining us today, you will find a $20 gift card to Walmart in front of you. If you cannot take the gift card home with you today, please let me know and we will make other arrangements. I will be asking a variety of questions to guide our discussion. __________ is here to take notes on her computer or on paper for us. She will only take notes about the comments that are shared; she will not identify who made the comment. You may remember that we will only be discussing your experiences with community agencies and with our organizations and your suggestions for how we can improve. We will not be discussing types of abuse or any personal incidents of abuse. You are the expert in knowing your interaction with our organizations and what you need from them. We are asking you to share that information with us. If a question is asked that makes you feel uncomfortable or upsets you in any way, please bring it to my attention. We have a support person who is a licensed social worker in another room who is available to speak with you privately. Consent/confidentiality/mandatory reporting statement to be distributed and read aloud to the participants. Ask if there are any questions regarding consent, confidentiality, or mandatory reporting related to participation in the discussion. Collect the statement from the participants when all questions, if any, have been answered. Your participation in the discussion is completely voluntary and you may choose to answer all, some, or none of the questions. You may leave at any time and for any reason. Whether or not you participate will not affect any services you are receiving or may receive from any partner agency. I will be asking ___ questions. I encourage you to be as specific as you can be in your responses. The information you share with us will be helpful to identify strengths and areas needing change. Please let me recognize you before you begin speaking so that everyone will have an opportunity to participate in our discussion. I ask that you be completely honest in your responses. There are no right or wrong answers. We want you share your experiences, insight, and opinions. I also encourage you to respect your fellow participants. You may not agree with everyone, but remember that each one of you has a right to your own opinion. Are there any questions before we begin our discussion? We will now begin our discussion. (The Facilitator/Interviewer will ask the questions designed for this particular audience.) Thank you for your time and the information you have shared with us today. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with me or with our support person, __________, before you leave. We are looking forward to using the experiences and opinions you have shared with us to identify, develop, and implement needed organizational change that will result in victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing having full access to quality services and quality interaction with law enforcement. Facilitator Script for Focus Groups with Law Enforcement and Service Provider Staff & Leadership Welcome and thank you for agreeing to participate in our discussion! My name is __________ and I will be facilitating the discussion today. We appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge, experiences, and opinions with us. I will be asking a variety of questions to guide our discussion. __________ is here to take notes on her computer for us. She will only take notes about the comments that are shared; she will not identify who made the comment. Please help yourself to the beverages and snacks that have been provided (focus groups only). We want you to be as comfortable as possible. If there is something that you need, please ask. We do not have a break scheduled, but feel free to take a break if you need to do so. If you have a cell phone with you, please turn it off or set it to the زsilentس mode to limit distractions during the session. You may remember that KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS is a collaboration with Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center. It is funded through a grant from the Office on Violence Against Women. The project is a three-year initiative that began in October 2011 and is divided into two phases. During the planning and development phase we will create a collaboration charter, complete a community needs assessment, prepare a report on the findings, and then use our findings to complete a strategic plan. During the implementation phase, we will follow the strategic plan to make needed organizational change that will maximize accessibility, safety, choice, and services for victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing. In short, our goal is to make needed systems change. We are meeting with you today to get your input regarding the following: for law enforcement: communication accessibility, police response, knowledge and effectiveness of general police orders, and opportunities for collaboration. We appreciate your unique perspectives regarding the interaction of law enforcement with D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence. We also appreciate your unique perspectives regarding how the police department can be more accessible and responsive within the structure of general police orders. for service provider staff and leadership: communication accessibility, quality services, agency policies and procedures, and opportunities for collaboration. We appreciate the unique perspective that you can provide regarding the accessibility and responsiveness of your own organization. We also appreciate your knowledge and understanding of the needs of staff as well as policies and procedures. The information you share with us is part of the data we are collecting. We are also meeting with D/deaf individuals, victims/survivors of domestic violence, additional staff from the partner agencies, board members, and members of law enforcement from various levels of the police department. Consent/confidentiality/mandatory reporting statement to be distributed to the participants. Ask if there are any questions regarding consent, confidentiality, or mandatory reporting related to participation in the discussion. Collect the statement from the participants when all questions, if any, have been answered. Our discussion today will help us to determine what our organizations do well and what changes they need to make to be accessible, welcoming, and safe for D/deaf individuals impacted by domestic violence. It will also help us to assess whether our organizations are providing what individuals believe to be quality services and how our organizations can work together. It will also help to assess any relevant existing general police orders or policies and procedures and any need for new general police orders or policies and procedures to be created. Your participation in the discussion is completely voluntary and you may choose to answer all, some, or none of the questions. You may leave at any time and for any reason. Whether or not you participate will not affect your employment in any way. I will be asking ___ questions. I encourage you to be as specific as you can be in your responses. The information you share with us will be helpful to identify strengths and areas needing change. Please let me recognize you before you begin speaking so that everyone will have an opportunity to participate in our discussion. I ask that you be completely honest in your responses. There are no right or wrong answers. We want you to share your knowledge, experience, insight, and opinions. The information you share will not be shared with your employer in any way that identifies you as the person providing that information. Please respect your fellow participants. You may not agree with everyone, but remember that each one of you has a right to your own opinion. Are there any questions before we begin our discussion? We will now begin our discussion. (The Facilitator/Interviewer will ask the questions designed for this particular audience.) Thank you for your time and the information you have shared with us today. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with me before you leave. We are looking forward to using the information and experiences you have shared with us to identify, develop, and implement needed organizational change that will result in victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing having full access to quality services and quality interaction with law enforcement. FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS for D/deaf Individuals Begin with the question in bold and allow people to respond. Certain prompts may be used in order to clarify the question if people do not respond spontaneously. Certain prompts may be used to take the discussion to a deeper level. 1. Think about a good experience you have had when you contacted a social service agency for assistance. What made it feel welcoming to you? Prompts: * How did the staff make you feel welcome and comfortable? Via Videophone? In-person? * How would you like staff to interact with you when you describe your needs? * If you think about a negative experience you have had, what made it a negative experience? Was it the staff? Was it the facility/building? 2. What positive experiences have you had contacting D/deaf service providers for assistance? Hearing service providers? What negative experiences with either? Prompts: * What makes it easy for you to contact a hearing service provider? What makes it difficult? What would cause you NOT to contact a hearing service provider for help? * What communication difficulties, if any, did you encounter? * What difficulties, if any, have you had in communicating with agencies in Cuyahoga County? * What makes you trust a hearing service provider? A D/deaf service provider? * What makes it easy to contact a D/deaf service provider? What makes it difficult? What would cause you NOT to contact a D/deaf service provider? * What can Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center do, if anything, to improve in this area? 3. How do you learn about services available for D/deaf individuals? Prompts: * How, and in what form, can we get information about services for D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals to the most people? o How: Member of the Deaf Community? Libraries? Internet? Church? Friends/Family? o In what form: Social Media? Texting? Pamphlets? Websites? Videos? 4. If you could help us design the very best way for agencies to provide the highest quality services for D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals, what would you want to include? Prompts: * What is the most important thing agencies need to know when they are helping a D/deaf or hard of hearing individual? * What generally happens when a D/deaf or hard of hearing individual contacts an agency for help? Via Videophone? In-person? * What should not happen? * What would happen at your first visit that would make you want to come back? 5. If you have ever contacted the police, please describe what the experience was like for you. Prompts: * Were the police helpful? * Did you feel the police were able to understand you? If not, please describe your experience. * Did you feel that you were able to understand the police officer? If not, please describe your experience. * Would you hesitate to call the police for assistance? Why or why not? 6. How can D/deaf and hearing service providers work together to provide quality services? Can you give an example? Prompts: * How can they help each other? * What can they do to work as a team? * If service providers work together, how does that help you? 7. Is there something you have not had a chance to tell us that you really want us to know about services for D/deaf individuals? FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS for Victims/Survivors of Domestic Violence Begin with the question in bold and allow people to respond. Certain prompts may be used in order to clarify the question if people do not respond spontaneously. Certain prompts may be used to take the discussion to a deeper level. 1. Think about a good experience you have had when you contacted a social service agency for assistance. What made it feel safe and welcoming to you? Prompts: * How did the staff make you feel welcome and comfortable? Via Telephone? In-person? * How would you like staff to interact with you when you describe your needs? * If you think about a negative experience you have had, what made it a negative experience? Was it the staff? Was it the facility/building? * What allows you to tell a service provider about your experience with domestic violence? (Trusting? Safe enough?) What makes you decide not to share your experiences? * What can Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center do, if anything, to improve in this area? 2. How did you learn about services available for victims/survivors of domestic violence? Prompts: * What is the best way to get information about available services and resources to victims/survivors? * How, and in what form, can we get information about services for victims/survivors to the most people? o How: Libraries? Internet? Church? Salon? Friends/Family? o In what form: Social Media? Pamphlets? Websites? Videos? 3. If you have ever contacted the police, what was the experience like for you? Prompts: * Were the police helpful? * Did you feel the police understood your safety concerns? * Did you feel that you were able to understand the information the police gave to you? If not, please describe your experience. * Would you hesitate to call the police for assistance? Why or why not? 4. If you could help us design the very best way for an agency to provide the highest quality services for victims/survivors of domestic violence, what would you want to include? Prompts: * What is the most important thing agencies need to know when they are helping a victim/survivor of domestic violence? * What would happen when a victim/survivor contacts an agency for help? Via Telephone? In-person? * What should not happen? * What would happen at your first visit that would make you want to come back? 5. Is there something you have not had a chance to tell us that you really want us to know about services for victims/survivors of domestic violence? FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS for Cleveland Division of Police: Detectives & Sergeants Begin with the question in bold and allow people to respond. Certain prompts may be used in order to clarify the question if people do not respond spontaneously. Certain prompts may be used to take the discussion to a deeper level. 1. Think about a time when you interviewed a D/deaf victim/witness. If you have not done so, then think about what you would do in that situation. Prompts: * How do you know when you will be interacting with a D/deaf or hard of hearing individual? Do you know ahead of time? Is there any documentation to alert you? * How did you communicate? Did you ask anyone to assist? If so, who and why? * How can the department improve its ability to meet the communication needs of D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? * Who determines if someone is qualified to interpret for a D/deaf individual needing police assistance? * Who makes the arrangements for an interpreter? * Do any general police orders or any other policies/procedures exist to guide you in meeting an individualصs communication needs? * What resources were you able to draw upon? What would have been helpful to you? * Are you able to offer materials in different formats if an individual is unable to understand or use the standard materials? 2. Tell us about any interactions you have had with D/deaf individuals in the course of your police work. If no interactions in the course of your police work, tell us about ANY interactions you have had with D/deaf individualsةif none at all, tell us what you think you would do. Prompts: * How do you determine an individualصs communication preference? * How comfortable are you interacting with a D/deaf individual? What, if anything, makes you uncomfortable when interacting with a D/deaf individual? * What resources (general police orders, supervisor, training, technology, relationships, etc.) do you draw upon when serving D/deaf individuals? * What works well? What needs to be improved? * What general police orders, if any, exist to guide you in how to respond to D/deaf individuals? * What general police order modifications or new general police orders are needed? * What resources are needed to allow officers to better interact with victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing? * How do you obtain American Sign Language interpreting services when needed? 3. How is training provided to you? Prompts: * What training have you received on D/deaf culture and unique safety issues? How do you get training? Who provides the training? How often? * What types of training should be available to better support detectives/sergeants in responding to D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? Victims/survivors of domestic violence? How often should that training occur? * What makes it easy or difficult for you to attend trainings? * What training opportunities do you see among the police department, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center? 4. How are changes in general police orders or other departmental policies and procedures communicated to you? Prompts: * How do you receive training on new general police orders? How often? * What are the challenges to adjusting to change? 5. Is there something you have not had a chance to tell us that you want us to know about what Cleveland Division of Police needs to effectively interact with D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS for Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center Staff: Support, Development, Audiologists, and Speech Pathologists Begin with the question in bold and allow people to respond. Certain prompts may be used in order to clarify the question if people do not respond spontaneously. Certain prompts may be used to take the discussion to a deeper level. 1. How do you communicate with D/deaf individuals who come into the agency? Prompts: * How often do you communicate with a D/deaf individual at the agency? * How do you determine an individualصs communication preference? * How do you contact interpreters? How often? Who initiates that? Are there policies and/or procedures to guide you? * Are agency materials available in alternative formats? How does an individual request materials in alternate formats? 2. Think about a time when you suspected you might be working with an individual who was experiencing domestic violence. How did you assist that individual? Prompts: * What made you suspect the individual was experiencing domestic violence? * How comfortable are you working with a victim/survivor of domestic violence? What makes you feel comfortable (or uncomfortable) addressing this subject with an individual? * Who would you call for assistance, if needed? Do you have a working relationship with agencies that serve victims/survivors of domestic violence? If so, which one(s)? * What do you need in order to better serve victims/survivors of domestic violence? 3. If an individual comes to your office and discloses that she is experiencing domestic violence, what guides your response? Prompts: * What does your agency have in place that will help you in this situation? What is missing within your agency to help you in this situation? * Are there policies for how to respond to victims/survivors of domestic violence? What works well? What needs to be improved? How? * What are the strengths of your policies and procedures? Weaknesses? * What changes do you see that could be made? * How does your agency support you in following these policies and procedures? * How familiar are you with mandatory reporting requirements regarding child abuse and domestic violence? 4. What types of training do you receive at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center? Prompts: * Do you receive training specific to deafness, Deaf culture, and audism? Who provides the training? How often does the training occur? * How would you benefit from training on domestic violence and safety issues? What training do you receive? From who? How often? * What makes it easy or difficult to obtain training? 5. How is organizational change communicated to you at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center? Prompts: * How does change happen within your organization? * What is the process? What motivates change? Who initiates it? 6. Is there something you have not had a chance to tell us that you want us to know about what your agency needs to provide services for D/deaf individuals impacted by domestic violence? FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS for Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center Staff: Interpreters Begin with the question in bold and allow people to respond. Certain prompts may be used in order to clarify the question if people do not respond spontaneously. Certain prompts may be used to take the discussion to a deeper level. 1. Tell us about a time when you worked with other Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center departments. How are you called upon to interpret within the agency? How often? What types of assignments? Prompts: * Is there a procedure for other departments to follow? Who initiates the request for an interpreter? * What are the challenges? What works well? * What suggestions do you have for improvement, if anything? 2. What types of training do you receive at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center? Prompts: * How would you benefit from training on domestic violence and safety issues? What training do you receive? From who? How often? * Do you receive training specific to interpreting in law enforcement situations? From who? How often? * Do you receive training specific to mandatory reporting? From who? How often? * What makes it easy or difficult to obtain training? 3. Think about a time when you have provided interpreting services with law enforcement. What unique issues, if any, have you encountered? Prompts: * How are you contacted to provide interpreting services for individuals interacting with law enforcement? How often? * What was your impression of the comfort level of law enforcement? * How competent did law enforcement appear regarding their interaction with a D/deaf individual? 4. Think about a time when you have interpreted for an individual in a domestic violence situation? Prompts: * How comfortable are you interpreting for assignments involving domestic violence? What would increase your level of comfort/confidence? * How do you generally receive assignments involving a domestic violence situation? * Who, if anyone, do you turn to for support and guidance? Have you ever contacted another agency? If so, which one(s)? 5. How is organizational change communicated to you at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center? Prompts: * How does change happen within your organization? * What is the process? What motivates change? Who initiates it? 6. Is there something you have not had a chance to tell us that you want us to know about what your agency needs to provide services for D/deaf individuals impacted by domestic violence? FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS for Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center Staff: Support, Development, and Direct Service Begin with the question in bold and allow people to respond. Certain prompts may be used in order to clarify the question if people do not respond spontaneously. Certain prompts may be used to take the discussion to a deeper level. 1. Tell us about a time you served a victim/survivor who was D/deaf. Prompts: * How did you communicate with each other? How did you determine the individualصs communication preference? Are agency materials available in alternative formats if an individual is unable to understand or use the standard materials? How does an individual request materials in alternative formats? * Who, if anyone, did you call for support or guidance? Do you have a working relationship with agencies that serve D/deaf individuals? If so, which one(s)? * What resources (policies, training, technology, relationships, etc.) do you draw upon when serving D/deaf individuals? * What training have you received on D/deaf culture and unique safety issues? * What works well? What did not go well? What needs to be improved? * How do you obtain American Sign Language interpreting services when needed? Is there a policy or procedure to follow? * How comfortable are you working with a D/deaf individual? What makes you feel comfortable (or uncomfortable) working with a D/deaf individual? 2. What types of training do you receive at Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center? Prompts: * Do you receive training specific to deafness, Deaf culture, and audism? Who provides the training? How often does the training occur? * Do you receive training regarding accessibility? Who provides the training? How often does the training occur? * Do you receive training regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act? Who provides the training? How often? * What makes it easy or difficult to obtain training? 3. What policies and procedures do you have available at your agency that guide you in responding to a D/deaf individual impacted by domestic violence? Prompts: * Are there policies for how to respond to D/deaf individuals? What works well? What needs to be improved? How? * What are the strengths of your policies and procedures? Weaknesses? * What changes do you see that could be made? * How does your agency support you in following these policies and procedures? 4. How is organizational change communicated to you at Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center? Prompts: * How does change happen within your organization? * What is the process? What motivates change? Who initiates it? 5. Is there something you have not had a chance to tell us that you want us to know about what your agency needs to provide services for D/deaf individuals who are victims/survivors of domestic violence? FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS for Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center Staff: Shelter Begin with the question in bold and allow people to respond. Certain prompts may be used in order to clarify the question if people do not respond spontaneously. Certain prompts may be used to take the discussion to a deeper level. 1. Tell us about a time you served a victim/survivor who was D/deaf. Prompts: * How did you communicate with each other? How did you determine the individualصs communication preference? Are agency materials available in alternative formats if an individual is unable to understand or use the standard materials? How does an individual request materials in alternative formats? * Who, if anyone, did you call for support or guidance? Do you have a working relationship with agencies that serve D/deaf individuals? If so, which one(s)? * What resources (policies, training, technology, relationships, etc.) do you draw upon when serving D/deaf individuals? * What training have you received on D/deaf culture and unique safety issues? * What do you need in order to better serve D/deaf individuals? * What works well? What needs to be improved? * How do you obtain American Sign Language interpreting services when needed? * How comfortable are you working with a D/deaf individual? What makes you feel comfortable (or uncomfortable) working with a D/deaf individual? * What impact did having a D/deaf individual in the shelter have on other residents? If the residents had concerns, how did you respond? 2. What types of training do you receive at Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center? Prompts: * Do you receive training specific to deafness, Deaf culture, and audism? Who provides the training? How often does the training occur? * Do you receive training regarding accessibility? Who provides the training? How often does the training occur? * Do you receive training regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act? Who provides the training? How often? * What makes it easy or difficult to obtain training? 3. What policies and procedures are in place to guide you in providing services to a D/deaf individual in the shelter? Prompts: * Are there policies for how to respond to D/deaf individuals? What works well? What needs to be improved? How? * What are the strengths of your policies and procedures? Weaknesses? * What changes do you see that could be made? * How does your agency support you in following these policies and procedures? * Are you able to access needed accommodations on a 24-hour basis? * Who assists you in accessing needed accommodations? * What do you need in order to provide the needed accommodations? 4. How is organizational change communicated to you at Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center? Prompts: * How does change happen within your organization? * What is the process? What motivates change? Who initiates it? 5. Is there something you have not had a chance to tell us that you want us to know about what the shelter needs to provide services for D/deaf individuals who are victims/survivors of domestic violence? FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS for Cleveland Division of Police Leadership: Commanders & Deputy Chiefs Begin with the question in bold and allow people to respond. Certain prompts may be used in order to clarify the question if people do not respond spontaneously. Certain prompts may be used to take the discussion to a deeper level. 1. What concerns, if any, have officers brought to your attention when they were assisting a victim/survivor who was D/deaf or hard of hearing? Prompts: * Were there general police orders to guide you? How did they help or how did they not help? * Do any general police orders or any other policies/procedures exist to guide officers in meeting the communication needs of an individual? * Who, if anyone, did you turn to for information and direction? What made you contact that person or agency? Do you have a working relationship with agencies that serve D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? If so, which one(s)? Do you have a working relationship with agencies that serve victims/survivors of domestic violence? If so, which one(s)? * What makes you feel confident in the direction you give staff? What do you find to be helpful to you as a resource? Training? Working relationships in the community? * How does Cleveland Division of Police budget for accommodations? Who do you consult regarding the provision of accommodations? 2. What would you need to better support officers in responding to D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? Prompts: * Would it be beneficial to track the number of calls/reports involving D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? In what way? * How do officers determine an individualصs communication preference? How do officers obtain American Sign Language interpreting services when needed? Are you able to offer materials in different formats if an individual is unable to understand or use the standard materials? * What resources (general police orders, supervisor, training, technology, relationships, etc.) do officers draw upon when serving D/deaf individuals? * What general police orders exist to guide officers in how to respond to D/deaf individuals? What modifications to general police orders or new general police orders, if any, are needed? * What resources are needed to better support officers in responding to D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? 3. How do you respond to the training needs of officers? * What training does the department provide regarding deafness, D/deaf culture, and unique safety issues? How often? Who provides the training? * What training does the department provide regarding domestic violence? How often? Who provides the training? * What training does the department provide regarding mandatory reporting requirements? How often? Who provides the training? * How are training priorities set? * How do you budget for the development and provision of training? 4. How does change occur within Cleveland Division of Police? Prompts: * How does change occur regarding general police orders? How is change communicated to officers regarding new general police orders? How often? * How is change prioritized? How are concerns brought to your attention? How do you respond? * What are barriers to change? Funding sources? Staff resistance? Budget constraints? Organizational communication? Political climate? Staffing levels? 5. Is there something you have not had a chance to tell us that you want us to know about what Cleveland Division of Police needs to effectively interact with D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS for Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center Leadership: Administrators Begin with the question in bold and allow people to respond. Certain prompts may be used in order to clarify the question if people do not respond spontaneously. Certain prompts may be used to take the discussion to a deeper level. 1. What concerns, if any, have staff brought to your attention regarding a client/consumer who was, or who they suspected was, experiencing domestic violence? Prompts: * Were there policies and procedures to guide you? How did they help or how did they not help? Is there a Domestic Violence Policy at your agency? * Who, if anyone, did you turn to for support or guidance? What made you contact that person or agency? Do you have a working relationship with agencies that serve victims/survivors of domestic violence? If so, which one(s)? * What guidance have you given regarding confidentiality or mandatory reporting concerns? * What makes you feel comfortable/confident in the support you give staff? What do you find to be helpful to you as a resource? Training? Working relationships in the community? 2. What would you need to better support staff in providing services to D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? Prompts: * What policy modifications or new policies are needed? * What types of training should be available to better support the staff in meeting the needs of D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? How often should that training occur? * What policies exist to guide staff in mandatory reporting requirements? What training exists? * What resources are needed to better support the staff in providing services to D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? 3. How do you respond to the training needs of staff? Prompts: * What type of regular training do you provide? How often? * Who provides the training? * How do you budget for the development and provision of staff training? 4. How is organizational change made at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center? Prompts: * How does change happen within your organization? * What is the process? What motivates change? Who initiates it? * How is change communicated to you? How do you communicate change to staff? * How are decisions to expand or eliminate services made? * What can be a barrier to organizational change within your agency? Funding sources? Staff resistance? Budget constraints? Board support? Organizational communication? 5. Is there something you have not had a chance to tell us that you want us to know about what your agency needs to provide services for D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS for Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center Leadership: Coordinators & Directors Begin with the question in bold and allow people to respond. Certain prompts may be used in order to clarify the question if people do not respond spontaneously. Certain prompts may be used to take the discussion to a deeper level. 1. What concerns, if any, have staff brought to your attention when they were assisting a victim/survivor who was D/deaf or hard of hearing? Prompts: * Were there policies and procedures to guide you? How did they help or how did they not help? * Who, if anyone, did you turn to for support or guidance? What made you contact that person or agency? Do you have a working relationship with agencies that serve D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? If so, which one(s)? * What makes you feel comfortable/confident in the support you give staff? What do you find to be helpful to you as a resource? Training? Working relationships in the community? * How does Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center budget for accommodations? Who do you consult regarding the provision of accommodations? 2. How do you respond to the training needs of staff? Prompts: * What type of regular training do you provide? How often? * Who provides the training? * How do you budget for the development and provision of staff training? 3. What would you need to better support staff in providing services to D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? Prompts: * What resources are needed to better support the staff in providing services to D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? * What types of training should be available to better support the staff in meeting the needs of D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? How often should that training occur? * What policy modifications or new policies, if any, are needed? 4. How is organizational change made at Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center? Prompts: * How does change happen within your organization? * What is the process? What motivates change? Who initiates it? * How is change communicated to you? How do you communicate change to staff? * How are decisions to expand or eliminate services made? * What can be a barrier to organizational change within your agency? Funding sources? Staff resistance? Budget constraints? Board support? Organizational communication? 5. Is there something you have not had a chance to tell us that you want us to know about what your agency needs to provide services for D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANTS Cleveland Division of Police (v) 216.623.5000 Monday through Friday 6:30 am to 10:30 pm Call for administrative purposes & general information. (v) 216.621.1234 Non-emergency number for situations where the police are needed, but there is no immediate danger. (v) 911 Emergency number to call when someone is hurt and needs help, someone is hurting someone else, there is smoke or fire, or someone is taking something that belongs to someone else. www.city.cleveland.oh.us Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center Community Center for the D/deaf and Hard of Hearing (v) 216.231.8787 General information (v) 216.231.0787 24-hour sign language interpreting (vp) 216.370.7126 Community videophone www.chsc.org Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center 24-Hour Domestic Violence Helpline: (v) 216.391.HELP Family Helpline (v) 216.229.8800 www.dvcac.org ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Cleveland Rape Crisis Center 24-Hour Hotline: (v) 216.619.6192 Cuyahoga County Adult Protective Services 24-Hour Elder Abuse Hotline: (v) 216.420.6700 Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (v) 216.241.8230 Cuyahoga County Department of Children & Family Services 24-Hour Child Abuse Hotline: (v) 216.696.KIDS Legal Aid Society of Cleveland (v) 216.687.1900 (intake line) Mental Health Services/Mobile Crisis Team 24-Hour Mental Health Crisis and Suicide Hotline: (v) 216.623.6888 United Way Information & Referral to Health and Human Services 24-Hour Hotline: (v) 211 (v) 216.436.2100 www.211neohio.org FOCUS GROUP DEBRIEFING FORM Immediately following the close of each focus group session, the facilitator, assistant, and recorder will participate in a debriefing meeting. This form will serve as a guide for the discussion. It will be used to summarize the data obtained and to evaluate the process. Completed forms will be given to the project coordinator. Focus Group: ____________________________________________________ Date: _________________________ Time: __________________________ Location: ______________________ Number of Participants: ____________ Number of gift cards distributed: _____ Facilitator Signature: ______________ Focus Group Staff: Facilitator: __________________________________________________ Recorder: __________________________________________________ Observations: Memorable Quotes: __________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Notable Themes: ____________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Chain Reaction Responses: ____________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Areas of Conflict or Tension: ___________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ What did you learn that you find to be significant? ________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Evaluation: Observations about the process: ________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Successful strategies: ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Shortcomings: ______________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Recommended changes for future groups: ________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Additional observations/impressions/comments? _________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ INTERVIEWS INTERVIEW STAFF: Interviews will be scheduled for one hour at a time and location acceptable to the participant and the interview team. The interview will consist of the interviewer and an interview recorder. A support person will be available only during an interview with a D/deaf individual or victim/survivor of domestic violence. The Interviewer will: * Manage the session from opening through closing. * Welcome the participant and try to make the participant comfortable. Distribute a gift card to D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence who participate in an interview. * Introduce the interview staff and describe their roles. * Inform the participants of general details such as break times and the location of restrooms. * Discuss the purpose of the interview and review the consent/confidentiality/mandatory reporting statement. * Describe the interview procedures. * Inform the participant that there are no right or wrong answers. * Remain neutral and will not participate in the discussion other than to ask questions as provided in the script developed by collaboration team members and to offer prompts as needed to further a discussion. * Follow the script designed for each audience to describe the purpose and roles of the interview staff, create a relaxed atmosphere where the participant will feel free to express opinions and experiences, and stimulate the discussion while keeping in line with the questions. * Monitor the session time. * Close the session and thank the participant. * Sign off on the gift card tally as a witness to its accuracy. The Interview Recorder will: * Observe and objectively document the response of participant during the session. * Use a laptop computer to document the information provided during the session. The data obtained will be saved on a flashdrive and will be securely stored at the office of the project coordinator. In the event of technical difficulties, information from the session may be handwritten and formatted into computer notes at a later time. * Sit in an area of the room that will minimize distraction for the participant and will not participate in the discussion in any way. The recorder may request that something be repeated by raising a hand. * Maintain participant anonymity and will not identify the participant in any manner in the interview notes. * Document responses using direct quotes and may also document an emotion that is expressed with a response. * Prepare a summary of the data collected after each session. The data collected will be stored in a locked file cabinet in the office of the project coordinator or in an electronic format on a password protected computer. It will be shredded/deleted after the approval of the Strategic Plan. * Document the date, the number of participants, and the number of gift cards distributed at an interview session with a D/deaf individual or victim/survivor. After each interview session, the interviewer will sign off on the tally as a witness to its accuracy. The Interview Support Person will: * Provide emotional support, safety planning, and/or referrals for service, as needed, for any D/deaf individual or victim/survivor of domestic violence who participates in an interview. * Work to ensure participant safety and confidentiality by being in a designated location outside of the interview room. D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence will be informed that the support person is a mandated reporter of suspected child abuse/neglect, the abuse/neglect/exploitation of an elder adult, and the suspected abuse/neglect of a developmentally disabled individual. * Oversee the accessibility, safety, and comfort level needs of a D/deaf individual or victim/survivor of domestic violence. The support person will speak with a participant in a private area to ensure the participantصs safety and well being if a participant needs to step out of the room during a session or needs to leave. * Escort a participant to a private location if the participant requests to speak with the support person. Interviews will be conducted by a collaboration team member who is not a co-worker or supervisor of the individual being interviewed. The project coordinator will be the recorder for all interviews. If the project coordinator is unavailable to fill the recorder position, another collaboration team member will substitute. The recorder will be present to observe and objectively document responses throughout the interview. Interviews will not be audio or video recorded. Interviews will be conducted with chief dispatchers, executive directors and the chief of police to capture the perspectives of individuals with decision-making authority regarding general police orders and service provider policies and procedures, budgets, and opportunities for collaboration. An interview will also be offered to individuals invited to participate in a focus group who choose not to attend a group session, but are willing to participate in an interview. Interviews may also be conducted with individuals who express an interest to participate in a focus group, but where the minimum number of focus group participants is not achieved. Individuals recruited for a focus group who participate in an individual interview will follow the procedures, modified as needed, that reflect the information intended for the focus group audience for which they were originally recruited. In addition, they will be asked the questions designed for the focus group audience for which they were originally recruited. INTERVIEW PROCEDURES: The procedure for each interview, with exceptions as noted, will be as follows: Any interviews with D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence will be held at the location where the individual is receiving or has received services. Interviews with law enforcement and service provider staff and leadership will be held at the agency where each individual is employed. Accommodations for participants will be provided as agreed in advance. Participants will have an opportunity to indicate needed accommodations and will be informed as to whether or not those accommodations will be provided. An interview with a D/deaf individual will be conducted with one interviewer who is fluent in American Sign Language. An interpreter will be present for voicing and for additional assistance as needed. Upon arriving for the interview, a gift card will be given to the participant as a thank you for the willingness to share his/her time, knowledge, experiences, and opinions. The gift card is for the participant to keep whether s/he remains for the entire session or leaves early. Law enforcement and partner agency staff, leadership, and board members will not receive a gift card. The recorder will document the date and the number of gift cards distributed at each interview session. After each interview session, the interviewer will sign off on the tally as a witness to its accuracy. The interviewer will follow a script, specific to each audience, to maximize uniformity across interviews and will discuss issues of accessibility, safety, consent, confidentiality, and mandatory reporting. The interviewer will introduce himself/herself and the recorder to the participant. Refreshments will be provided only for D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors participating in an interview. The interviewer will describe the purpose of the interview. The consent/confidentiality/mandatory reporting statement will be provided for the participant to read. In addition, the interviewer will summarize the statement for the participant. The statement provided to the participant to read will be collected prior to beginning the interview questions. The participant will be given the opportunity to ask questions about the consent/confidentiality/mandatory reporting statement and express and concerns s/he may have. The participant will be informed that only partner agency environment, communication accessibility, general police orders or service provider policies and procedures, ability and commitment to collaborate, and sustainable systemic change will be discussed. If a D/deaf individual or victim/survivor requests an interview, the participant will be informed that only experiences with community agencies or specific needs regarding service provision will be discussed; there will not be any questions regarding personal information. A victims/survivor of domestic violence who requests an interview will also be informed that the discussion will not include personal experiences related to violence, abuse, or neglect. The participant will be informed that there are no right or wrong answers. In an effort to ensure confidentiality, the participant will be informed that personal identifying information will not be included in the interview notes or in the final report. Interview questions will be structured to minimize the likelihood of a participant disclosing a personal event of violence, abuse, or neglect. In the event such a disclosure is made, the interviewer will take the following steps: If the disclosure is not accompanied by any visible emotional distress of the participant, the interviewer will acknowledge the disclosure and direct the discussion back to the present topic. At the conclusion of the interview, the interviewer will speak privately with the participant to offer the opportunity to discuss options and referrals. If the disclosure is accompanied by visible emotional distress of the participant, the interviewer will end the questioning and speak with the participant to provide an opportunity to validate feelings and to discuss options and referrals. The interview will terminate at that point. All collaboration team members are mandated reporters per Ohio law. In the event a disclosure is made that meets the criteria for mandatory reporting (refer to Appendix C), the interviewer will determine whether to make the initial telephone report immediately or at the close of the session. A participant making such a disclosure will have an opportunity to discuss options and referrals for services. The interviewer will indicate that the participant may terminate the interview at any point and for any reason. Law enforcement and partner agency staff and leadership will be informed that no other staff member or member of leadership will be told what a particular individual says during the interview. The interviewer will conduct the interview with the questions developed for that audience. Questions and prompts specific to each audience will be used to maximize the quality of interview data. The participant will respond to each question on a volunteer basis. The interviewer will close each interview by thanking the participant, reminding him/her of confidentiality issues, and by giving the participant an opportunity to discuss any needs that must be addressed regarding safety or anything else. Interview responses will be compiled by the project coordinator and reviewed by the collaboration team. Data obtained through interviews will be kept in a locked file cabinet in the office of the project coordinator or in an electronic format on a password protected computer until the strategic plan is approved. Raw data will then be shredded or deleted. INTERVIEW RECRUITMENT: Recruitment of Law Enforcement: Chief Dispatchers and Chief of Police The collaboration team member from the Cleveland Division of Police will contact the supervisor of the chief dispatchers in order to obtain permission for the chief dispatchers to be recruited via e-mail invitation for an interview. The e-mail will include the invitation and a participant fact sheet to describe the project and address general questions about the purpose and process of the interviews. Potential participants will then be given an opportunity to ask questions prior to the interview via e-mail or in-person. For Cleveland Division of Police, the chief of police and his secretary will receive a recruitment e-mail from a collaboration team member requesting to have an interview time placed on the chiefصs calendar. The e-mail will include the e-mail invitation and the participant fact sheet. The secretary will respond to the recruiter with the interview time via e-mail. Potential participants will receive notice of the date/time/location of the interview. Interviews will be scheduled at a time mutually convenient for the participant and interview team. Interviews for law enforcement will be scheduled during regular work hours. Law enforcement will be given an opportunity to request any specific accommodations in their RSVP to the recruiter via e-mail. A return e-mail to the needs assessment recruiter will be sufficient to indicate a willingness to participate in an individual interview. Potential participants recruited via e-mail will be informed that a response regarding their interest in participating will be expected within one week. Participants will receive an e-mail reminder of the date/time/location of the interview 3 days prior to the session. Chief Dispatchers will be assured that they will not face any negative consequences based on whether or not they choose to participate. Recruitment of Service Provider Executive Directors Executive directors will be specifically invited to participate in an interview. For Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, the executive director and his executive assistant will receive a recruitment e-mail from a collaboration team member requesting to have an interview time placed on the executive directorصs calendar. The e-mail will include the e-mail invitation and the participant fact sheet. The executive assistant will respond to the recruiter with the interview time via e-mail. For Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center, the executive director and her executive assistant will receive a recruitment e-mail from the project director requesting to have an interview time placed on the executive directorصs calendar. The e-mail will include the e-mail invitation and the participant fact sheet. The executive assistant will respond to the recruiter with the interview time via e-mail. Potential participants will receive notice of the date/time/location of the interview. Interviews will be scheduled at a time mutually convenient for the participant and interview team. Interviews for law enforcement will be scheduled during regular work hours. A return e-mail from the executive assistant to the needs assessment recruiter will be sufficient to indicate a willingness to participate in an individual interview. Executive assistants for the executive directors will be asked to confirm a date for the interview via e-mail within one week of the invitation. Executive Directors will be given an opportunity to request any specific accommodations in their RSVP to the recruiter via e-mail. Participants will receive an e-mail reminder of the date/time/location of the interview 3 days prior to the session. INTERVIEW PARTICIPANT CONSENT: KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS has the responsibility of providing needs assessment participants with a basis for informed consent. We will exercise great care in making sure that all participants are informed of confidentiality safeguards, mandatory reporting, and the consent process before they agree to participate in a focus group, interview, or survey. Participants in interviews will be given the opportunity to exercise passive consent. Passive consent is appropriate to maintain confidentiality since it does not require any documentation of the identity of a participant. A statement regarding consent, confidentiality, and mandatory reporting will be provided in writing to interview participants. Participants will be asked to read the statement. It will also be read aloud or signed to the participant as part of the script at the beginning of each session in order to accommodate varying levels of literacy and to maximize full understanding of the statement. Any questions regarding consent will be answered as thoroughly as possible before the participant is asked if the consent statement is understood. Once any questions are answered, the participant will be asked if the consent statement is understood. If the participant acknowledges understanding the statement, the participant will be informed that remaining in the session expresses consent to participate in the interview. When an understanding of the statement has been acknowledged, if the participant leaves the session, it will be understood that the individual has chosen to discontinue participation and will not be answering questions. Regardless of whether or not an individual consents to participate in a particular session, D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence will receive the incentive of a $20 gift card to Walmart. Individuals with a legal guardian will not be recruited; guardian consent will not be required. The consent statement will include the following information: * the name of the collaboration conducting the focus group/interview * the purpose of the focus group/interview * the length of the focus group/interview * a description of the process * a description of the steps being taken to ensure confidentiality * a statement that participation is strictly voluntary * a description of the incentive that will be given, regardless of consent * a statement that participants agree to have their responses anonymously recorded and included in the needs assessment report for the purpose of developing a strategic plan * the offer to answer any questions prior to a participant deciding whether or not to give consent INTERVIEW MATERIALS: Participant Fact Sheet for Chief Dispatchers, Chief of Police, and Executive Directors We appreciate your interest in participating in our needs assessment. We thought you might be interested in learning more about our project. We will take this time to answer some questions that you may have considered since being invited to participate in this project. What is KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS? KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS is a collaboration with Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center. It is funded through a grant from the Office on Violence Against Women. The project is a three-year initiative that began in October 2011 and is divided into two phases. During the planning and development phase we will create a collaboration charter, complete a community needs assessment, prepare a report on the findings, and then use our findings to complete a strategic plan. During the implementation phase, we will follow the strategic plan to make needed organizational change that will maximize accessibility, safety, choice, and services for victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing. Why have you been invited to participate? Our goal is to identify and make any needed systems change. You can provide valuable information regarding your organization, current services, current general police orders or agency policies and procedures, ideas for collaboration, and suggestions regarding any needed improvements. When and where will the focus groups and interviews be held? Focus groups and interviews for law enforcement and partner agency staff and leadership will be held where the participant is employed. Focus groups and interviews will be held during regular business hours. Will individual responses remain confidential? Yes. Individual responses will be kept confidential. Personal identifying information will not be included in the recorded notes or in the final report. A response to any question is voluntary; you will not be called on to give a response. Will the name of each partner organization be used in any way? Yes. The final report will describe the data obtained from Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center. In order to make any needed change at our organizations, we need to show where we obtained the data. We are working toward ensuring that victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing will receive an accessible systemic response to their victimization. How will the information I provide be used? We will put the data we collect into a report. The report will help us develop a strategic plan that will guide us in making necessary changes to general police orders and service provider policies and procedures. It will also guide us in making necessary changes to police response and the provision of services in our organizations. Organizations must make needed changes to provide an environment where individuals can obtain and give information through the mode of communication that best meets their needs. We are working to make needed systems change that will maximize law enforcement interaction, safety, service provision, and choice for D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence. Who will see the report? The report will be sent to our technical assistant from Vera Institute of Justice and to Office on Violence Against Women. The executive directors and the chief of police from the collaborating agencies will also receive a copy of the report. Partner agency leadership may share the report with others as needed. If I agree to participate and then have a scheduling conflict, who should I contact? If you agree to participate and then have a scheduling conflict, you can contact the person who invited you at the number provided to you. If you still want to participate, we will try to re-schedule to speak with you another time. Thank you. We truly appreciate your time and interest in helping us to make our organizations better places for everyone who contacts us for assistance. Recruitment/RSVP E-mail for Chief Dispatchers, Chief of Police, and Executive Directors KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS is a collaboration with Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center. It is funded through a grant from the Office on Violence Against Women. The project is a three-year initiative that began in October 2011 and is divided into two phases. During the planning and development phase we will create a collaboration charter, complete a community needs assessment, prepare a report on the findings, and then use our findings to complete a strategic plan. During the implementation phase, we will follow the strategic plan to make needed organizational change that will maximize accessibility, safety, choice, and services for victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing. We will be meeting with D/deaf individuals, victims/survivors of domestic violence, staff members and leadership from the service provider agencies, service provider board members, and law enforcement officers from all levels of the police department. The information we collect will be included in a report. KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS invites you to participate in an interview regarding your experiences, knowledge, and opinions as they relate to questions that have been specifically designed for you. Participation is completely voluntary. The information you share with us will be used anonymously in our notes and in our final report. Interviews will be scheduled for 1 hour. Interviews will be scheduled at a time mutually convenient to a participant and the interview team. If you agree to participate and something changes so that you are unable to participate, please contact the person who invited you. If you still want to participate, we may be able to schedule to meet with you another time. We have prepared a fact sheet to answer some common questions. (Attach the participant fact sheet appropriate for each audience to the recruitment e-mail.) Thank you! We truly appreciate your time and we hope that you will talk with us about your knowledge and experiences. Please let us know if you have any questions that will help you make your decision on whether or not to participate. Please respond by (insert date) if you are willing to participate. In addition, please indicate in your response if you need any specific accommodations (i.e. large print materials, interpreter, etc.) in order to participate. We ask you to provide that information to help us accommodate your needs during the session as best we can. Any such requests will remain confidential. Passive Consent/Confidentiality/Mandatory Reporting Statement for Interviews KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS is meeting with people to learn what ways our agencies are accessible and what ways they are not accessible for _____*_____. Similarly, we want to learn in what ways our agencies are or are not responsive to the needs of _____*_____. We also want to determine how our organizations can continue working together. Your participation will help us to improve accessibility and responsiveness where it is needed. (*insert D/deaf individuals, victims/survivors of domestic violence, or D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence in line with the appropriate audience) Please listen to the following information carefully before you decide whether or not to consent to participate. After I have finished reading aloud or signing, please ask any questions you may have. We believe that you can share some valuable information with us. That is why we have invited you to participate. The session will be scheduled for 60 or 90 minutes (90 minutes for D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors and 60 minutes for law enforcement and service provider staff, leadership, and executive directors. Only ___ questions will be asked (insert the number associated with the questions for each audience). Your participation is completely voluntary and you may leave at any time. You decide whether or not you want to respond to a question. To show appreciation for your willingness to participate, you will receive a $20 gift card to Walmart (only applies to D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence). The gift card is yours to keep even if you do not consent to participate or if you need to leave early. We do not expect the questions to make you feel uncomfortable. For D/deaf individuals & victims/survivors of domestic violence: We will only be asking you to tell us about your experiences with our organizations and to describe the response you received. We will also ask you how you think we can improve services and how you think our agencies can work together. If you do feel uncomfortable at some point, we will have someone available to speak with you privately. For law enforcement, including leadership and the chief of police, and service provider staff, leadership, and executive directors: We will only be asking you about access to effective communication, quality services, general police orders or agency policies and procedures, and partner agency collaboration. Our goal is to strictly maintain the privacy and confidentiality of each participant. As we will discuss further in a few minutes, we are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse/neglect, the abuse/neglect/exploitation of an elder adult, and suspected abuse/neglect of an individual with developmental disabilities. If you share any information during the interview session or with a staff member in private that meets the legal guidelines requiring a mandatory report to be made, we will make the necessary report to the proper authority. By participating in this interview, you are giving us permission to anonymously include your responses in our notes and final report. Your name will not be included. This interview will be conducted with the following confidentiality guidelines in mind: Participant names are not to be used by staff or other participants, even if they know one another. Our goal is to keep your information anonymous. Any information you share will be kept in a locked file cabinet or in an electronic format on a password protected computer and will be shredded or deleted upon completion of the project. Personal identifying information will not be included in group session notes or in the final report. For D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence: Participation in the interview will not affect your eligibility for services or the quality of services you receive. For partner agency staff and leadership: Information provided by partner agency staff and leadership will not be shared with supervisors/administration in any identifiable manner that could result in a punitive response. If you become uncomfortable during the interview, you may choose to speak privately with our support person. Conversations with the support person will remain confidential unless the conversation includes information that requires a mandatory report. KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS team members are mandatory reporters of suspected abuse/neglect of a child, the abuse/neglect/exploitation of an elder adult, and the suspected abuse/neglect of an individual with developmental disabilities. If you share any information during the interview or with a staff member in private that meets the legal guidelines requiring a mandatory report to be made, we will make the necessary report to the proper authority. Information shared during this interview will be used for the purpose of evaluating five primary areas in our needs assessment: law enforcement and service provider environment, access to effective communication, quality services and interactions with law enforcement, agency policies and procedures and general police orders, and partner agency collaboration. We will then use the information to make needed change within our agencies to maximize accessibility and to provide a welcoming and safe environment. We will also use the information to maximize the provision of quality services that individuals need in order to best make their own decisions. In addition, we will use the information to revise or create general police orders and service provider policies and procedures as needed. We will also use the information to ensure that our agencies continue working together. The information shared will not be used for any purpose outside of this project. Interviewer Script for Interviews with Chief Dispatchers, Chief of Police, and Executive Directors Welcome and thank you for agreeing to participate in our discussion! My name is __________ and I will be facilitating the discussion today. We appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge, insight, and opinions with us. I will be asking a variety of questions to guide our discussion. __________ is here to take notes on her computer for us. She will only take notes about the comments that are shared; she will not identify who made the comment. Please help yourself to the beverages and snacks that have been provided (focus groups only). We want you to be as comfortable as possible. If there is something that you need, please ask. We do not have a break scheduled, but feel free to take a break if you need to do so. If you have a cell phone with you, please turn it off or set it to the زsilentس mode to limit distractions during the session. You may remember that KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS is a collaboration with Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center. It is funded through a grant from the Office on Violence Against Women. The project is a three-year initiative that began in October 2011 and is divided into two phases. During the planning and development phase we will create a collaboration charter, complete a community needs assessment, prepare a report on the findings, and then use our findings to complete a strategic plan. During the implementation phase, we will follow the strategic plan to make needed organizational change that will maximize accessibility, safety, choice, and services for victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing. In short, our goal is to make needed systems change. We are meeting with you today to get your input regarding the following: for law enforcement: communication accessibility, police response, knowledge and effectiveness of general police orders, and opportunities for collaboration. We appreciate your unique perspectives regarding the interaction of law enforcement with D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence. We also appreciate your unique perspectives regarding how the police department can be more accessible and responsive within the structure of general police orders. for service provider staff and leadership: communication accessibility, quality services, agency policies and procedures, and opportunities for collaboration. We appreciate the unique perspective that you can provide regarding the accessibility and responsiveness of your own organization. We also appreciate your knowledge and understanding of the needs of staff as well as policies and procedures. The information you share with us is part of the data we are collecting. We are also meeting with D/deaf individuals, victims/survivors of domestic violence, additional staff from the partner agencies, board members, and members of law enforcement from various levels of the police department. Consent/confidentiality/mandatory reporting statement to be distributed to the participants. Ask if there are any questions regarding consent, confidentiality, or mandatory reporting related to participation in the discussion. Our discussion today will help us to determine what our organizations do well and what changes they need to make to be accessible, welcoming, and safe for D/deaf individuals impacted by domestic violence. It will also help us to assess whether our organizations are providing what individuals believe to be quality services and how our organizations can work together. It will also help to assess any relevant existing general police orders or policies and procedures and any need for new general police orders or policies and procedures to be created. Your participation in the discussion is completely voluntary and you may choose to answer all, some, or none of the questions. You may leave at any time and for any reason. Whether or not you participate will not affect your employment in any way. I will be asking ___ questions. I encourage you to be as specific as you can be in your responses. The information you share with us will be helpful to identify strengths and areas needing change. Please let me recognize you before you begin speaking so that everyone will have an opportunity to participate in our discussion. I ask that you be completely honest in your responses. There are no right or wrong answers. We want you to share your knowledge, experience, insight, and opinions. The information you share will not be shared with your employer in any way that identifies you as the person providing that information. Please respect your fellow participants. You may not agree with everyone, but remember that each one of you has a right to your own opinion. Are there any questions before we begin our discussion? We will now begin our discussion. (The Facilitator/Interviewer will ask the questions designed for this particular audience.) Thank you for your time and the information you have shared with us today. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak with me before you leave. We are looking forward to using the information and experiences you have shared with us to identify, develop, and implement needed organizational change that will result in victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing having full access to quality services and quality interaction with law enforcement. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS INTERVIEW QUESTIONS for Cleveland Division of Police: Chief Dispatchers Begin with the question in bold and allow people to respond. Certain prompts may be used in order to clarify the question if people do not respond spontaneously. Certain prompts may be used to take the discussion to a deeper level. 1. What has been your experience when taking an Ohio relay call or video phone call from a D/deaf individual? Prompts: * What is your initial reaction when you receive a relay/video call? * Please describe what a relay/video call is like for you and your staff. * How effective was your training in how to respond to a relay/video call? * What additional training, if any, do you feel would increase your confidence when communicating with a D/deaf individual? * Who would you contact for assistance, if needed? 2. What types of information do officers request from radio regarding their interactions with a D/deaf individual? Prompts: * What information would you give an officer who is requesting an interpreter for a D/deaf individual? * What resources do you draw upon when assisting an officer? * Are there procedures for how new information is added to available resource information? 3. What types of training do dispatchers receive regarding domestic violence? Prompts: * Definition of domestic violence? Dynamics of domestic violence? State domestic violence law? Department policy regarding how to respond to domestic violence call? Dealing with social, cultural, and language, and communication differences? Techniques to address victim safety? How to handle repeat calls? Other? * What, if anything, do you feel is missing from the training that would assist you when handling a domestic violence call? 4. What issues or unique challenges, if any, have dispatchers brought to your attention regarding situations where they were assisting a D/deaf or hard of hearing individual? Prompts: * In what ways are you able and/or unable to provide dispatchers the support they need when they are assisting a D/deaf or hard of hearing individual? * What existing challenges, if any, make it difficult to provide dispatchers the support they need? (lack of training? lack of resources?) * In what ways do existing department policies and procedures help you provide staff with clear guidance and support when they are assisting a D/deaf or hard of hearing individual? In what ways do they fall short? * What policy modifications or new policies would you recommend? 5. Is there something you have not had a chance to tell us that you want us to know about what dispatchers need to assist patrol officers in effectively responding to D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? INTERVIEW QUESTIONS for Cleveland Division of Police: Chief of Police Begin with the question in bold and allow for a response. Certain prompts may be used in order to clarify the question if a response is not spontaneous. Certain prompts may be used to take the discussion to a deeper level. 1. What concerns, if any, have officers brought to your attention when they were assisting a victim/survivor who was D/deaf or hard of hearing? Prompts: * Were there general police orders to guide you? How did they help or how did they not help? * Do any general police orders or any other policies/procedures exist to guide officers in meeting the communication needs of an individual? * Who, if anyone, did you turn to for information and direction? What made you contact that person or agency? Do you have a working relationship with agencies that serve D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? If so, which one(s)? Do you have a working relationship with agencies that serve victims/survivors of domestic violence? If so, which one(s)? * What makes you feel confident in the direction you give officers? What do you find to be helpful to you as a resource? Training? Working relationships in the community? * How does Cleveland Division of Police budget for accommodations? Who do you consult regarding the provision of accommodations? 2. What would you need to better support officers in responding to D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? Prompts: * How do officers determine an individualصs communication preference? How do officers obtain American Sign Language interpreting services when needed? Are you able to offer materials in different formats if an individual is unable to understand or use the standard materials? * What resources (general police orders, supervisor, training, technology, relationships, etc.) do officers draw upon when serving D/deaf individuals? * What general police orders exist to guide officers in how to respond to D/deaf individuals? What modifications to general police orders or new general police orders, if any, are needed? * What resources are needed to better support officers in responding to D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? * Would it be beneficial to track the number of calls/reports involving D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? In what way? 3. How do you respond to the training needs of officers? Prompts: * What training does the department provide regarding deafness, D/deaf culture, and unique safety issues? How often? Who provides the training? * What training does the department provide regarding domestic violence? * How often? Who provides the training? * What training does the department provide regarding mandatory reporting requirements? How often? Who provides the training? * How are training priorities set? * How do you budget for the development and provision of training? 4. How does change occur within Cleveland Division of Police? Prompts: * How does change happen within the police department? * What is the process? What motivates change? Who initiates it? * How does change occur regarding general police orders? How is change communicated to officers regarding new general police orders? How often? * What are barriers to change? Funding sources? Staff resistance? Budget constraints? Organizational communication? Political climate? Public opinion? Staffing levels? 5. If change is recommended as a result of this collaboration, how would it be communicated throughout the department and to other city officials, if at all? Prompts: * How are priorities regarding change set? * How are new initiatives developed? * How do priorities remain stable over political administrations? * How do you promote cooperation when changing priorities? 6. Is there something you have not had a chance to tell us that you want us to know about what Cleveland Division of Police needs to effectively interact with D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? INTERVIEW QUESTIONS for Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center: Executive Director Begin with the question in bold and allow people to respond. Certain prompts may be used in order to clarify the question if people do not respond spontaneously. Certain prompts may be used to take the discussion to a deeper level. 1. What concerns, if any, have staff brought to your attention regarding a client/consumer who was, or who they suspected was, experiencing domestic violence? Prompts: * Were there policies and procedures to guide staff? How did they help or how did they not help? Is there a Domestic Violence Policy at your agency? * Who, if anyone, does staff turn to for support or guidance? Do you have a working relationship with agencies that serve victims/survivors of domestic violence? If so, which one(s)? * What guidance is staff given regarding confidentiality or mandatory reporting concerns? * What makes you feel comfortable/confident in the support you give staff? What do you find to be helpful to you as a resource? Training? Working relationships in the community? 2. What would you need to better support staff in providing services to D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? Prompts: * What policy modifications or new policies are needed? * What types of training should be available to better support the staff in meeting the needs of D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? How often should that training occur? * What policies exist to guide staff in mandatory reporting requirements? What training exists? * What resources are needed to better support the staff in providing services to D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? 3. How do you respond to the training needs of staff? Prompts: * What type of regular training do you provide? How often? * Who provides the training? * How do you budget for the development and provision of staff training? 4. How is organizational change made at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center? Prompts: * How does change happen within your organization? * What is the process? What motivates change? Who initiates it? * How is change communicated to you? How do you communicate change to staff? * How are decisions to expand or eliminate services made? * What can be a barrier to organizational change within your agency? Funding sources? Staff resistance? Budget constraints? Board support? Organizational communication? * How are budgets modified as a result of organizational change? 5. If changes are recommended as a result of this collaboration, how would that be communicated up or down? Prompts: * How are priorities regarding change set? * How are new initiatives developed? * How do you promote cooperation when changing priorities? How do you balance the needs of the different agency departments? * How do priorities remain stable over changes in board leadership and strategic planning? 6. What types of organizations collaborate with Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center? Prompts: * In your experience, what makes for a successful collaboration? If you have experience to the contrary, what makes for an unsuccessful collaboration? * What opportunities do you see for collaboration among Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center? 7. Is there something you have not had a chance to tell us that you want us to know about what your agency needs to provide services for D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? INTERVIEW QUESTIONS for Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center: Executive Director Begin with the question in bold and allow people to respond. Certain prompts may be used in order to clarify the question if people do not respond spontaneously. Certain prompts may be used to take the discussion to a deeper level. 1. What concerns, if any, have staff brought to your attention when they were assisting a victim/survivor who was D/deaf or hard of hearing? Prompts: * Were there policies and procedures to guide staff? How did they help or how did they not help? * Who, if anyone, does staff turn to for support or guidance? Do you have a working relationship with agencies that serve D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? If so, which one(s)? * What makes you feel comfortable/confident in the support you give staff? What do you find to be helpful to you as a resource? Training? Working relationships in the community? * How does Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center budget for accommodations? Who do you consult regarding the provision of accommodations? 2. How do you respond to the training needs of staff? Prompts: * What type of regular training do you provide? How often? * Who provides the training? * How do you budget for the development and provision of staff training? 3. What would you need to better support staff in providing services to D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? Prompts: * What resources are needed to better support the staff in providing services to D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? * What types of training should be available to better support the staff in meeting the needs of D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? How often should that training occur? * What policy modifications or new policies, if any, are needed? 4. How is organizational change made at Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center? Prompts: * How does change happen within your organization? * What is the process? What motivates change? Who initiates it? * How is change communicated to you? How do you communicate change to staff? * How are decisions to expand or eliminate services made? * What can be a barrier to organizational change within your agency? Funding sources? Staff resistance? Budget constraints? Board support? Organizational communication? * How are budgets modified as a result of organizational change? 5. If changes are recommended as a result of this collaboration, how would that be communicated up or down? Prompts: * How are priorities regarding change set? * How are new initiatives developed? * How do you promote cooperation when changing priorities? How do you balance the needs of the different agency departments? * How do priorities remain stable over changes in board leadership and strategic planning? 6. What types of organizations collaborate with Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center? Prompts: * In your experience, what makes for a successful collaboration? If you have experience to the contrary, what makes for an unsuccessful collaboration? * What opportunities do you see for collaboration among Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center? 7. Is there something you have not had a chance to tell us that you want us to know about what your agency needs to provide services for D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? SURVEYS: IN-PERSON WRITTEN SURVEY PROCEDURES: The procedure for the in-person written survey with patrol officers will be as follows: The collaboration team member from the Cleveland Division of Police will attend each selected roll call to introduce KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS, explain the purpose of the needs assessment, explain the survey procedure, answer any questions, and to administer the survey. Since this team member is an officer with a police rank higher than a patrol officer, it is expected that this team member represents support for the project and will easily engage the patrol officers. The available time frame for each survey is short and this team member will be able to maximize attention from the patrol officers quickly. Participants will not be asked to provide their name on the written survey; surveys will not be able to be linked to individual participants to maximize confidentiality. The project coordinator, or another collaboration team member, will also be present and will collect all of the surveys at the end of the allotted time. The purpose of having someone other than the Cleveland Division of Police team member collect the surveys is to increase the level of confidentiality for the patrol officers present for roll call. Due to the limited length of a roll call session (15 minutes) and the need for shift-related information to be disseminated to the officers during that time, six minutes will be allotted for the introduction, instructions and completion of the survey. The survey will be designed in the arial font with a font size of 14 to maximize the readability of the survey in a short time. Patrol officers in attendance will each receive a written survey from the Cleveland Division of Police collaboration team member. That team member will provide an introduction to the collaboration and the project. That team member will also provide an explanation of the survey procedure, including informed consent and confidentiality. Any questions from the patrol officers regarding the survey will be answered. At the end of the six minutes, all surveys will be collected by the project coordinator or a collaboration team member other than the Cleveland Division of Police team member. Survey responses will be compiled by the project coordinator and reviewed by the collaboration team. All written surveys will be secured in a locked file cabinet in the office of the project coordinator until the strategic plan is approved by Office on Violence Against Women. All surveys will then be shredded. IN-PERSON WRITTEN SURVEY RECRUITMENT of PATROL OFFICERS: The collaboration team member from the Cleveland Division of Police will attend each pre-selected roll call to introduce KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS, explain the purpose of the needs assessment, explain the survey procedure, and to recruit the patrol officers present for roll call to participate in the survey. The collaboration team member will follow the designated recruitment script. Potential participants will then be given an opportunity to ask questions. The submission of a fully or partially completed survey will indicate a willingness to participate. Potential participants will be assured that they will not face any negative consequences based on whether or not they choose to participate. IN-PERSON WRITTEN SURVEY CONSENT: Implied or passive consent will be accepted for patrol officers completing an in-person written survey. The introduction to the survey will include a statement about implied/passive consent. Completion and submission of a survey will indicate consent. By not submitting a survey, individuals will be expressing a lack of consent to participate. If a partially completed survey is submitted, questions left blank will indicate a lack of consent to participate in those questions. IN-PERSON WRITTEN SURVEY MATERIALS: Recruitment Script, Consent/Confidentiality Statement, and Facilitator Script for In-Person Written Survey for Patrol Officers KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS invites you to participate in an in-person written survey to assess how well agency environment, access to effective communication, quality services, service provider policies and procedures, and partner agency collaboration are understood and valued as organizational priorities. KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS is a collaboration with Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center. It is funded through a grant from the Office on Violence Against Women. The project is a three-year initiative that began in October 2011. Ultimately, our goal is to make needed organizational change within the partner agencies that will maximize accessibility, safety, choice, and services for victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing. You will each receive a written survey with questions designed specifically for you. At the end of five minutes, all surveys will be collected by __________ (insert name of collaboration team member present to collect the surveys). Please listen to the following information carefully before you decide whether or not to consent to participate. We believe that you can share some valuable information with us. That is why we have invited you to participate and answer some questions specifically designed for you. Your participation is completely voluntary. You decide whether or not you want to respond to a question. The consent process for survey participation will be the completion of all or part of the survey. Failure to complete any part of the survey will indicate a lack of consent to participate. You will not be asked to provide your name on the written survey; surveys will not be able to be linked to individual participants to maximize confidentiality. Upon completion, surveys will not be collected by a police officer in order to increase the level of confidentiality for you. Please ask any questions you may have about the project or survey procedures. If there are no questions, we thank you! We truly appreciate your time and we hope that you will complete the survey. You may begin the survey. IN-PERSON WRITTEN SURVEY QUESTIONS for Cleveland Division of Police: Patrol Officers 1. To what degree do you believe Cleveland Division of Police needs to provide more information to officers on how to respond to D/deaf individuals? ( ) Completely Agree ( ) Somewhat Agree ( ) Mildly Disagree ( ) Do Not Agree If you completely agree or somewhat agree, please indicate the types of training you believe are needed: Please check all that apply: ( ) D/deaf Culture ( ) D/deaf Victims & Unique Safety Issues ( ) D/deaf Offenders ( ) Americans with Disabilities Act ( ) D/deaf Victims of Hearing Offenders ( ) Other (please indicate): ____________________ 2. When responding to an assignment or when you arrive on scene, how do you know if an individual is D/deaf or hard of hearing? 1. _____________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________ 3. What measures would you take in order to communicate with a D/deaf individual? Please check all that apply: ( ) Contact radio for direction ( ) Allow a family member or friend of the D/deaf individual to interpret ( ) Contact a supervisor for direction ( ) Make arrangements for a professional interpreter to assist ( ) Write notes back and forth with the individual ( ) Other (please indicate): _________________________ 4. If you have ever responded to a scene involving a D/deaf individual, what were the most challenging barriers to being able to do your job? 1. ______________________________________________ 2. ______________________________________________ 5. When you are on scene, in what ways are you able to provide victims of domestic violence with a safe and comfortable environment to describe the incident and any immediate needs? Please check all that apply: ( ) Giving the victim enough time to describe the incident ( ) Providing a private area for the victim to describe the incident ( ) Interviewing children with sensitivity (away from the perpetrator, with age-appropriate questions, at eye level with the children, and with a caring tone) ( ) Providing 24-hour resources available to support victims ( ) Separating the victim and offender ( ) Other Please describe: ____________________________ What would help you on scene to provide victims with a safe and comfortable environment and to obtain the information you need to do your job? 1. ______________________________________________________ 2. ______________________________________________________ 6. Which of the following types of information are routinely provided by dispatchers or are available to officers via in-car computers when responding to domestic violence calls? Please check all that apply: ( ) Information regarding the current incident ( ) Information regarding previous incidents at the same address ( ) Previous histories of parties involved ( ) Pending criminal cases (misdemeanor & felony) ( ) Resources for domestic violence victims, including victim rights ( ) Outstanding warrants associated with the address ( ) Existence of protection orders (criminal & civil) ( ) Suspect on bond or probation ( ) Existence of gun licenses associated with the address ( ) Other Please describe: _______________________________ ( ) No information is available via in-car computers ( ) Donصt know What information is currently unavailable that you feel would be helpful? 1. ______________________________________________________ 2. ______________________________________________________ 7. Is there something you have not had a chance to tell us that you want us to know about what patrol officers need to effectively respond to D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence? If so, please explain: 1. _______________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________ ONLINE SURVEY PROCEDURES: The Executive Directors of Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center will e-mail all board members of their respective agencies requesting participation in the survey. The e-mail will include information about KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS, accessibility, informed consent, confidentiality, safety, and a link to the survey. An accommodation statement will appear at the beginning of the survey session. This statement will indicate to participants that they have the option of completing the survey in alternative formats. Information will be provided during recruitment and in the accommodation statement that a participant can access the survey in paper format or in large print. A consent statement will appear at the beginning of the survey session. The statement will include information regarding the project, the purpose of the needs assessment, and general facts. Participants will be able to review that information before deciding whether or not to participate. Since there will be no way to link surveys to individual participants, the submission of the surveys will be completely confidential. A safety statement will appear at the beginning of the survey session. Some participants may be victims/survivors of domestic violence. This statement will indicate to participants that some of the questions in the survey will reference domestic violence. Participants will be able to review the statement before deciding whether or not to participate. Participants will be informed that they can terminate their participation in the survey at any time and for any reason by exiting the web page. The survey will be designed to be able to be completed within twenty minutes. A follow-up e-mail will be sent to remind board members that 3 days remain in order to complete the survey. The Executive Director, on behalf of the collaboration, will send an e-mail to thank the board members for their participation. The Project Coordinator will be responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of survey responses. Survey responses will be secured in a locked file cabinet in the office of the project coordinator or in an electronic format on a password protected computer until the strategic plan is approved by Office on Violence Against Women. All surveys will then be shredded or deleted. Survey responses will be compiled by the project coordinator and reviewed by the collaboration team. ONLINE SURVEY RECRUITMENT OF SERVICE PROVIDER BOARD MEMBERS: The Executive Directors of Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center will e-mail all board members of their respective agencies to invite participation in the survey. The e-mail will include information about KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS, accessibility, informed consent, confidentiality, safety, and a link to the survey. The participant fact sheet will be included in the e-mail invitation. Board members will be informed that the survey will be designed to be able to be completed within twenty minutes. The invitation will include information regarding the length of time the survey will available to access online. An e-mail will be sent as a courtesy reminder to inform board members when 3 days remain within the designated time frame to complete the survey. The reminder will be sent as a method to maximize the recruitment of participants. There may be some individuals who intend to complete the survey and may need a reminder so as not to miss the available participation dates. The submission of a fully or partially completed survey will indicate a willingness to participate. ONLINE SURVEY CONSENT: Implied or passive consent will be accepted for patrol officers completing an in-person written survey. The introduction to the survey will include a statement about implied/passive consent. Completion and submission of a survey will indicate consent. By not submitting a survey, individuals will be expressing a lack of consent to participate. If a partially completed survey is submitted, questions left blank will indicate a lack of consent to participate in those questions. ONLINE SURVEY MATERIALS: Recruitment E-mail for Board Members KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS invites you to participate in an online survey to help us assess how well agency environment, access to effective communication, quality services, and partner agency collaboration are understood and valued as organizational priorities. KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS is a collaboration with Cleveland Division of Police, Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center, and Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center. It is funded through a grant from the Office on Violence Against Women. The project is a 3-year initiative that began in October 2011. It is divided into two phases. During the planning and development phase we will create a collaboration charter, complete a community needs assessment, prepare a report on the findings, and use our findings to complete a strategic plan. During the implementation phase, we will follow the strategic plan and make needed organizational change to maximize accessibility, safety, choice, and services for victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing. We will be gathering information from D/deaf individuals, victims/survivors of domestic violence, staff members and leadership from the service provider agencies, service provider board members, and law enforcement officers from all levels of the police department. The information we collect will be included in a report. We invite you to respond to some questions that have been specifically designed for you. Participation is completely voluntary. Since there will be no way to link surveys to individual participants, the submission of a survey will be completely confidential. The information you share with us will be used in our notes and in our final report. The online survey is designed to be able to be completed within 20 minutes. You will be able to access the survey beginning date/time and ending date/time. In an effort to provide a survey accommodating various needs, you have the option of completing this survey in alternative formats. You may access the survey in paper format or in large print. We have prepared a fact sheet to answer some common questions. (Attach the participant fact sheet appropriate for each audience to the recruitment e-mail.) Thank you! We truly appreciate your time and we hope that you will talk with us about your knowledge and experiences. Please let us know if you have any questions that will help you make your decision on whether or not to participate. Consent/Confidentiality Statement for Online Survey for Board Members KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS is conducting this survey to gather information regarding your awareness/perceptions of communication accessibility and welcoming environment, systems change, organizational strengths and challenges, and opportunities for collaboration regarding __________ (insert Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center or Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center). We believe that you can share some valuable information with us. That is why we have invited you to participate and answer some questions specifically designed for you. Please review the following information before deciding whether or not to participate in this online survey: In an effort to provide a survey accommodating various needs, you have the option of completing this survey in alternative formats. You may access the survey in paper format or in large print. Your participation is completely voluntary. You decide whether or not you want to respond to a question. The consent process for survey participation will be the completion of all or part of the survey. Failure to complete any part of the survey will indicate a lack of consent to participate. Since there will be no way to link surveys to individual participants, the submission of the surveys will be completely confidential. If you are a victim/survivor of domestic violence, please know that some questions in the survey will reference domestic violence. Any participant may terminate participation in the survey at any time and for any reason by exiting the web page. Thank you! We truly appreciate your time and we hope that you will complete the survey. ONLINE SURVEY QUESTIONS ONLINE SURVEY QUESTIONS for Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center: Board Members 1. To what degree does Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center meet the communication needs of D/deaf individuals? ( ) Completely ( ) Somewhatةwe can improve in this area ( ) Poorlyةwe need extensive improvement in this area ( ) I am unaware If improvement is needed, what do you suggest? 1. _______________________________________ 2. _______________________________________ 2. From the list below, please select the types of services that best support the D/deaf community: Please check all that apply: ( ) Support services/case management ( ) Sign Language classes ( ) Interpreting services ( ) Accessible website ( ) Employ qualified D/deaf individuals ( ) Community education ( ) Organized social activities ( ) Community meetings & presentations ( ) Advocacy ( ) Clinical/counseling services ( ) Other Please describe: ____________________________ 3. To what extent do you see challenges for Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center to increase awareness of domestic violence issues? ( ) Significant ( ) Moderate ( ) Minimal ( ) None What challenges do you see? 1. _________________ 2. _________________ 4. From the list below, please select the activities that Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center should do to increase awareness of domestic violence issues: Please check all that apply: ( ) Develop collaborative relationships with domestic violence service providers ( ) Train all staff on domestic violence and unique safety issues for D/deaf individuals ( ) Offer domestic violence information in alternative formats (ie. videos in sign language) ( ) Have a working knowledge of mandatory reporting requirements ( ) I do not think there is a need for any activities ( ) Other Please describe: _________________________________ 5. To what degree would you be willing to support new initiatives for Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center to better serve victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing? ( ) Definitely would ( ) Likely would ( ) UnsureةI would need more information ( ) Likely would not ( ) Definitely would not If you would be willing, in what ways would you commit to supporting such initiatives? Please check all that apply: ( ) Budget allocations ( ) Sourcing new funding ( ) Public support/advocacy ( ) Collaboration building activities ( ) Programming changes ( ) Policy changes ( ) Media campaigns ( ) Other Please specify: _______________________ 6. What, if anything, would be different at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center with additional staff members/volunteers who are D/deaf or hard of hearing? Please check all that apply: ( ) Increase number of D/deaf individuals using agency services ( ) Increase in-house interpreting budget ( ) Necessitate training of all staff re: D/deafness & Deaf culture ( ) Necessitate additional sign language training for staff ( ) Increase adaptive equipment ( ) Strengthen agency image in the Deaf community 7. How does the Deafness Advocacy Committee contribute to board discussion and subsequent recommendations? 1. ____________________________________________________ 2. ____________________________________________________ 8. What suggestions do you have to strengthen and sustain successful partnerships among the collaborating agencies? 1. _______________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________ 9. To what degree do you see this collaboration as being consistent with the mission statement and initiatives of Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center? ( ) Completely consistent ( ) Somewhat consistent ( ) Not consistent If there are any inconsistencies, how can they be addressed? 1. ___________________________________ 2. ___________________________________ ONLINE SURVEY QUESTIONS for Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center: Board Members 1. To what degree does Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center meet the communication needs of D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals? ( ) Completely ( ) Somewhatةwe can improve in this area ( ) Poorlyةwe need extensive improvement in this area ( ) I am unaware If improvement is needed, what do you suggest? 1. _______________________________________ 2. _______________________________________ 2. To what extent do you see challenges for Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center in providing quality services for D/deaf individuals impacted by domestic violence? ( ) Significant ( ) Moderate ( ) Minimal ( ) None What challenges do you see? 1. _________________ 2. _________________ 3. From the list below, please select the activities that Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center should do to provide quality services to victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing? Please check all that apply: ( ) Provide access to effective communication ( ) Train all staff on Deaf culture and unique safety issues ( ) Employ qualified D/deaf individuals ( ) Include the cost of sign language interpreters in the budget ( ) Offer agency information in alternative formats (ie. videos in sign language) ( ) Have a working knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act ( ) I do not think there is a need for any activities ( ) Other (please describe): _______________________________ 4. To what degree would you be willing to support new initiatives for Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center to better serve victims/survivors of domestic violence who are D/deaf or hard of hearing? ( ) Definitely would ( ) Likely would ( ) UnsureةI would need more information ( ) Likely would not ( ) Definitely would not If you would be willing to support such initiatives, in what ways would you commit to supporting them? Please check all that apply: ( ) Budget allocations ( ) Sourcing new funding ( ) Public support/advocacy ( ) Collaboration building activities ( ) Programming changes ( ) Policy changes ( ) Media campaigns ( ) Other Please specify: _______________________ 5. What suggestions do you have to strengthen and sustain successful partnerships among the collaborating agencies? 1. _______________________________________________________ 2. _______________________________________________________ 6. To what degree do you see this collaboration as being consistent with the mission statement and initiatives of Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center? ( ) Completely consistent ( ) Somewhat consistent ( ) Not consistent If there are any inconsistencies, how can they be addressed? 1. __________________________________________________ 2. __________________________________________________ APPENDICES APPENDIX A: SUMMARY OF EXISTING INFORMATION with CITATIONS A review of the existing information has deepened the critical thinking of collaboration team members. We are including the summaries in this appendix to introduce the findings to those who are new to issues for D/deaf and hard of hearing individuals impacted by domestic violence. Similarly, we are including the summaries to introduce the findings to those who are new to issues faced by law enforcement and service providers as they interact with this vulnerable population. We believe that sharing the existing information will help to promote support for needed and sustainable change within our organizations. Prevalence: Hearing loss is the sixth most common chronic condition, affecting 23 million (9.4%) United States residents. www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/aag/pdf/2010/prc_success.pdf Approximately 17% of Americans are deaf or hard of hearing. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (2010) www.nidcd.nih.gov Approximately 69% of female victims experienced some form of intimate partner violence for the first time before 25 years of age. National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2010 Summary Report, Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately 81% of women who experienced rape, stalking or physical violence by an intimate partner reported significant short or long term impacts related to the violence experienced in this relationship such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, injury, fear, concern for safety, and missing at least one day of school or work. National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2010 Summary Report, Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A study of 46 adult females (80% deaf, 20% hard of hearing) who previously received or were currently receiving mental health services in community outpatient clinics for deaf and hard of hearing individuals showed that nearly 75% of the sample reported experiencing psychologically or emotionally abusive behaviors by an intimate partner, and nearly 60% reported a history of physical violence by an intimate partner. Slightly more than 25% of the participants reported experiencing sexual violence by an intimate partner. Close to 33% of the participants reported experiencing life-threatening intimate partner violence. Johnston-McCabe, Paula, Levi-Minzi, Micol, Van Hasselt, Vincent B., Vanderbeek, August, زDomestic Violence and Social Support in a Clinical Sample of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Womenس, Journal of Family Violence (2011) 26:63-69 A study of 305 women with diverse disabilities, including Deaf women, found that 68% of the participants reported physical, sexual, emotional, and/or disability related violence in the past year. Furthermore, the study suggests that additional research is needed on the effectiveness, accessibility, and appropriateness of existing services for interpersonal violence and victims/survivors with disabilities. Programs designed for the general population of victims/survivors need to be evaluated for their responsiveness to disabled/Deaf women. Similarly, disability organizations need to be evaluated for their capacity to identify and refer disabled/Deaf individuals for appropriate victim services. As victim service agencies and disability organizations begin to collaborate on cross-training activities, it is important to evaluate the benefits of policy and practice changes resulting from the collaborations and to make recommendations for successful collaborations that will serve victims/survivors who are disabled/Deaf. Powers, Laurie E., Hughes, Rosemary B., and Lund, Emily M., زInterpersonal Violence and Women with Disabilities: A Research Update (September 2009) VAWnet: The National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women, www.vawnet.org In Cuyahoga County, Ohio, there were 3187 reported domestic violence incidents in 2011 that resulted in an arrest under Ohio Revised Code 2919.25. In addition, there were 532 reported domestic violence incidents resulting in arrest under other sections of the Ohio Revised Code. There were also 4191 reported domestic violence incidents that resulted in no charges being filed. These numbers are low due to the fact that of the 66 police agencies in Cuyahoga County that report statistics to the office of the Ohio Attorney General, 10 did not submit monthly Domestic Summary Statistics and 3 did not submit all monthly Domestic Summary Statistics. 2011 Domestic Violence Incidents by County And Agency, www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov In 2011, Cleveland Division of Police received 18,590 domestic-related calls through its Communication Control Section, including incidents in progress or that just occurred and reports-only situations where the suspect was not on scene or in the area. Of those calls, 17,739 were assigned to a basic patrol unit. This resulted in 5638 domestic violence reports being made, and of those, 4770 of them involved an adult female victim. It is likely that numerous other reports were made that did not have زdomestic violenceس in the title. The Cleveland Division of Police does not currently keep statistics regarding the number of domestic violence incidents involving D/deaf individuals. Cleveland Division of Police, www.city.cleveland.oh.us Deaf Women Against Violence Everywhere (DWAVE) Needs & Resources Assessment: Deaf Women Against Violence Everywhere (now known as Deaf World Against Violence Everywhere) conducted a needs and resources assessment in 2010. DWAVE is a non-profit organization located in Columbus, Ohio that offers intervention and prevention to the Deaf and Hearing communities around issues of relationship and sexual violence. DWAVE conducted an online survey using American Sign Language and English. A total of seventy Deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind individuals participated. Nearly all of the participants (99%) used American Sign Language as their main form of communication. The majority of participants (97%) indicated they had personally experienced verbal, sexual, or physical violence. Up to 70% of the participants indicated they had experienced a specific type of violence in a previous relationship and up to 33% of the participants indicated they were experiencing a specific type of violence in a current relationship. Less than half of the participants (43%) indicated that they had previously attended a workshop on relationship or sexual violence. Furthermore, the majority of participants (86%) indicated Deaf adults need more education regarding relationship and sexual violence. Needs and Resources Assessment Key Results (powerpoint), Deaf Women Against Violence Everywhere, Information Gathered Winter 2010, Funded by Ohio Department of Health/VAWA, Office of Healthy Ohio, Bureau of Health Promotion and Risk Reduction, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Prevention Program, supported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention APPENDIX B: CONFIDENTIALITY KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS team members are firmly committed to the confidentiality of all needs assessment participants. In an effort to ensure their confidentiality, the following steps will be taken: Identifying information and contact information will be obtained on the RSVP form in order to know how many participants have indicated a willingness to participate and to be able to contact them if a reminder is requested. Identifying information will also be obtained in order to connect a participant with any specific accommodation request. RSVP forms will be secured by the project coordinator until completion of the respective focus group or interview and will then be shredded. Needs assessment participants will receive a written copy of the consent/confidentiality statement, including mandatory reporting requirements, when they arrive for the focus group/interview. The statement will be reviewed and discussed prior to beginning the focus group/interview. By Ohio law, KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS team members are mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse/neglect, suspected abuse/neglect/exploitation of an adult, and suspected abuse/neglect of a developmentally disabled individual. Needs assessment participants will be advised of the legal requirements to report suspected abuse/neglect. In addition, they will be informed that their identity and personal information will be kept confidential except for disclosures that meet mandatory reporting requirements. Names will not be used to identify participants during focus groups. Focus group participants will be advised that what is said in the room during the focus group is to remain in the room and is not to be discussed outside of the room when they leave in order to promote open discussion. There is no way to control what people say outside of the focus group, but the request to maintain confidentiality will be made. Needs assessment participants will receive a written description of how the information they provide will be used in the needs assessment report when they arrive for the focus group/interview. They will also be informed that a copy of the completed report will be available to review upon request. Data collected during focus groups/interviews/surveys will not include identifying participant information. The Needs Assessment Report will be comprised of cumulative data, qualitative and quantitative information, and direct participant quotes, with no identifying participant information contained in the report. As part of this needs assessment, information regarding staff and organizational policies, procedures, and practices at the partner agencies will be disclosed. This information may include, but is not limited to, personal disclosures from staff regarding incidents of abuse, various job?related concerns, fiscal information, service delivery protocols, and personnel issues. Such internal partner agency information will only be used within the context of the purpose and goals of this needs assessment. Information about partner agency staff and internal policies, procedures, and practices will be treated with great care and will not be shared outside of the collaboration team. Information obtained during the needs assessment will only be used to write the needs assessment report. The report will not be shared outside of the collaboration team members until it is reviewed and approved by Vera Institute of Justice and Office on Violence Against Women. Participant responses recorded during the needs assessment will be secured in a locked file cabinet in the office of the project coordinator or in an electronic format on a password protected computer until the strategic plan has been reviewed and approved by Vera Institute of Justice and Office on Violence Against Women. All data obtained during the needs assessment will be shredded or deleted after full approval of the strategic plan. APPENDIX C: MANDATORY REPORTING Ohio law does not include D/deaf individuals, specifically, in the mandatory reporting statutes. It does make provisions for the mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse/neglect, the abuse/neglect/exploitation of an elder adult, and the suspected abuse/neglect of an individual with developmental disabilities. Mandatory reporting involving a D/deaf individual is necessary if the situation meets the requirements of any of the existing statutes. Collaboration team members recognize that confidentiality does not negate a responsibility under Ohio law to report suspected child abuse/neglect, the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an elder adult, and suspected abuse/neglect of a developmentally disabled individual. Per Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 2151.421(A)(1)(a), a child is an individual زunder eighteen years of ageس or an individual زmentally retarded, developmentally disabled, or physically impairedس who is زunder twenty- one years of ageس. For a victim of elder abuse, the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 5101.60(B), defines an adult as زany person sixty years of age or older within this state who is handicapped by the infirmities of aging or who has a physical or mental impairment which prevents the person from providing for the personصs own care or protection, and who resides in an independent living arrangementس. Per ORC 2151.421(A)(1)(a), only certain professionals who are زacting in an official or professional capacityس and know, or have زreasonable cause to suspect based on facts that would cause a reasonable person in a similar position to suspectس the abuse/neglect of a child are required to report it. ORC 2151.421(A)(1)(b) outlines the certain professionals who are required to report: زةspeech pathologist or audiologistة person engaged in social work or the practice of professional counselingس, and many others. In addition, ORC 2151.421(B) states that زanyone who knows, or has reasonable cause to suspectةthat a childة has suffered or faces a threat of sufferingة abuse or neglectةmay report or cause reports to be madeةس. Furthermore, per ORC 2151.421(D)(1), زwhen a municipal or county peace officer receives a report concerning the possible abuse or neglect of a child or the possible threat of abuse or neglect of a child, upon receipt of the report, the municipal or county peace officer who receives the report shall refer the report to the appropriate public children services agencyس. All collaboration team members and many additional staff members of the partner agencies are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse/neglect. For mandated professionals, failure to report suspected child abuse/neglect is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree or first degree as outlined in ORC 2151.99(C)(1)(2). Per ORC 5101.61(A), زةany peace officer, ةand any person engaged in social work or counseling having reasonable cause to believe that an adult is being abused, neglected, or exploited, or is in a condition which is the result of abuse, neglect, or exploitation shall immediately report such belief to the county department of job and family servicesس. Furthermore, per ORC 5101.61(B), زany person having reasonable cause to believe that an adult has suffered abuse, neglect, or exploitation may report, or cause reports to be made of such beliefس. All collaboration team members and many additional staff members of the partner agencies are mandated to report the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an adult. Per ORC 5123.61(C)(1), زany person listed in division (C)(2) of this section, having reason to believe that a person with mental retardation or a developmental disability has suffered or faces a substantial risk of suffering any wound, injury, disability, or condition of such a nature as to reasonably indicate abuse or neglect of that person, shall immediately report or cause reports to be made of such information toةa law enforcement agency or to the county board of developmental disabilitiesس. ORC 5123.61(C)(2)(b) states زall of the following persons are required to make a report under division (C)(1) of this section: anyة social worker, psychologistس or زةpeace officerةس. All collaboration team members and many additional staff members of the partner agencies are mandated reporters of suspected abuse/neglect of an individual with developmental disabilities. During the needs assessment phase of this project, participants will not be asked to describe any specific domestic violence incidents. Understanding that an incident of domestic violence may not meet the statutory definition of abuse, team members recognize that there is a possibility that disclosures requiring a mandatory report may occur. Needs assessment participants will be advised of the legal requirements to report suspected abuse/neglect. In addition, they will be informed that their identity and personal information will be kept confidential except for: disclosures of known or suspected child abuse/neglect which will be reported to the Cuyahoga County Department of Children & Family Services per the Ohio Revised Code. disclosures of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of an adult which will be reported to Cuyahoga County Adult Protective Services per the Ohio Revised Code. disclosures of abuse/neglect of an individual with a developmental disability which will be reported to law enforcement or the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities. ORC 2151.421(C)(1) requires a written report to include زthe names and addresses of the child and the childصs parents or the person or persons having custody of the child, if knownس. ORC 2151.421(C)(2) further requires a report to include زthe childصs age and the extent of the childصs injuries, abuse, or neglect that is known or reasonably suspectedةto have occurred or of the threat of injury, abuse or neglect that is known or reasonably suspectedةto exist, including any evidence of previous injuries, abuse, or neglectس. Similarly, ORC 5101.61(C)(1) requires a written report to include زthe name, address, and approximate age of the adult who is the subject of the reportس. ORC 5101.61 (C)(3) further requires a written report to include زthe nature and extent of the alleged abuse, neglect, or exploitation of the adultس. ORC 5123.61(D)(1)(2) requires a written report to include زthe names and addresses of the person with mental retardation or a developmental disability and the personصs custodian, if knownس as well as the age of the person. By gathering limited identifying and personal participant information and not inquiring about specific incidents of domestic violence, it will likely minimize the number of situations that might require a mandatory report as outlined in the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) during the needs assessment phase of this project. In the event a disclosure is made during a needs assessment focus group or interview that requires a mandatory report as outlined in the Ohio Revised Code, the report will be made as outlined in the focus group and interview procedures sections of this needs assessment plan. APPENDIX D: SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS will make every effort to provide a safe environment for participants throughout the needs assessment process. In order to maximize physical, emotional, and organizational safety, the following steps will be taken: When scheduling focus groups and interviews, participants will be asked if they would like a reminder telephone call or e-mail one or two days prior to the focus group or interview. E-mails will not reference services for victims/survivors of domestic violence; they will only provide the requested reminder information regarding date/time of the focus group/interview which will be referred to as an زappointmentس on the reminder. Telephone calls will be conducted with the following safety measures in mind: * Only individuals requesting a telephone call will be contacted * Calls will be made from a blocked or otherwise unidentifiable telephone number * Only female team members will make telephone calls * Messages will not be left with a non-participant or on answering machines/voicemail unless the participant has indicated that it is safe to do so * If a non-participant answers the telephone, and the participant is unavailable, the team member will indicate that she will call back another time if it has been indicated that it is not safe to leave a message. Cleveland Division of Police focus groups/interviews will take place at Cleveland Division of Police headquarters. Focus groups will take place in a police academy training room or the conference room of a deputy chief. Interviews will take place in a conference room or personal private office. The Cleveland Division of Police surveys will be conducted at police district locations. Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center focus groups/interviews will take place at Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center. Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center focus groups/interviews will take place at Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center, the shelter, and for support group participants, at confidential locations in the community. To the best of our ability, the selected locations will provide a safe and comfortable environment for participants and the facilitation team/interviewer. Modifications requested for safety purposes will be made to the best of our ability. Anyone can terminate participation at any time; no one will be expected to answer questions that trigger discomfort. During the introduction, the facilitator/interviewer will emphasize that the purpose is to collect audience specific information on access to effective communication, interaction with law enforcement, what constitutes quality services, agency policies and procedures, general police orders, and opportunities for sustainable collaboration. The facilitator/interviewer will also emphasize that identifying information will not be used and questions regarding individual experiences relating to violence or abuse will not be asked. The facilitator/interviewer will explain that the questions are specifically designed to minimize the potential of any discussion of individual experiences which may trigger memories of violence or abuse. In the event a participant appears likely to disclose a personal experience, the facilitator will re-direct the conversation back to the subject of the question or will engage the facilitatorصs/interviewerصs assistant to pursue whether or not the participant would like to speak with the licensed social worker, depending on the context of the situation. Needs assessment participants will be informed of mandatory reporting requirements during the introduction. With the guidelines clearly communicated, the focus group/interview will expect to proceed in a safe and informed manner. A licensed social worker will be available during and after focus groups and interviews with D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors to provide emotional support, any appropriate referrals, and/or safety planning for participants wanting to speak with the support person. If a participant requests to speak with the licensed social worker (support person), the participant will be escorted to a separate area to maximize safety and confidentiality. D/deaf individuals and domestic violence victims/survivors may have concerns that something they say during a focus group or interview may negatively impact the services they receive. Facilitators/interviewers will assure them that we will not connect their name in any way with information they share. Facilitators/interviewers will further explain that the information collected will be used to help the partner agencies make needed changes within their organizations in order to be more accessible and responsive to individual needs. Agency staff may have concerns that something they say during a focus group or interview may negatively impact them at work. Facilitators/interviewers will assure staff that the identifying information of participating staff will not be used in the needs assessment report. Staff will be informed that only agency information will be included in the needs assessment report in order to document needed organizational change to become more accessible and responsive to individual needs. Focus groups for leadership personnel and staff will be conducted separately to maximize open honest responses and to avoid any criticism or punishment of staff for sharing information. APPENDIX E: ACCESS CONSIDERATIONS KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS team members will work diligently to provide full access for participants throughout the needs assessment process. In an effort to provide full access, the following steps will be taken: Reasonable accommodation will be provided to individuals participating in the needs assessment. Rsvp forms for focus groups and interviews will include a checklist of possible accommodations and space will be provided to add requests not listed. Every effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodation based on the requests. The project coordinator will be responsible for making accommodation arrangements. American sign language interpreters and interpreters for other languages will be available upon request. Focus group facilitators and interviewers will be instructed to speak slowly, project, and pause when necessary to accommodate individuals with various levels of hearing. All written materials will be in fonts and plain language intended to be appropriate for all participants. Communication supports such active listening devices, and alternative forms of communication will be available upon request. Physical accessibility includes parking, ramps, and accessible bathrooms. All focus groups/interviews will be conducted at locations that are physically accessible. Focus groups, interviews, and the survey will be scheduled at times and locations convenient for participants regarding their time and transportation accessibility. Room selection for focus groups and interviews will be based on accessibility and confidentiality concerns. Focus groups for D/deaf individuals and victims/survivors of domestic violence will be held at the location where the individual is receiving or has received services. Each location will maximize safety and accessibility for participants. Free parking is available at both service provider agencies. Focus groups and interviews for law enforcement and service provider staff and leadership will be held at the agency where each individual is employed. A collaboration team member from each respective partner agency will arrange for an accessible, comfortable, and private room for each focus group session. APPENDIX F: TRAINING PLANS We have determined that we will not need formal training materials in order to complete this needs assessment. Recruiters and focus group/interview staff members are collaboration team members who have worked together to develop the needs assessment plan and materials. The needs assessment plan and materials will be thoroughly reviewed by collaboration team members prior to beginning the actual needs assessment. Team members may identify a few additional partner agency staff members, as needed, to assist with recruitment and/or to act as a support person. If this occurs, the additional partner agency staff members will be required to review the needs assessment plan. They will also be required to attend an informational meeting with a team member in order to be given an opportunity to have any questions answered prior to beginning the needs assessment. Any additional partner agency staff members assisting with recruitment and/or support person responsibilities must demonstrate: * A general understanding of the KEYS 4 DEAF ACCESS vision statement, mission statement, and needs assessment goals. * An understanding of the importance of issues regarding accessibility, safety, and confidentiality as described in the needs assessment plan. * An understanding of their roles and responsibilities as identified in the needs assessment plan. * An understanding of the needs assessment materials developed for recruitment and focus groups/interviews. APPENDIX G: WORK PLAN The Work Plan is a guide for the activities of the collaboration team and will be revised as needed. The time frame for the grant is 01 October 2011 through 30 September 2014. Activity Timeline Tasks Grant Awarded 09.16.2011 Project Coordinator Hired 08.06.2012 Create Collaboration August 2012 ذ Complete all 11 Charter October 2012 elements w/Vera feedback Submit Charter to OVW 10.25.2012 for approval (target date) *Charter submitted to 11.05.2012 OVW for approval *Charter approved 11.19.2012 by OVW Needs Assessment November 2012 ذ Methodology, data Planning March 2013 collection, sampling w/Vera feedback *Submit Needs March 2013 Assessment Plan to OVW for approval (target date) Conduct Needs April 2013 ذ Data gathering Assessment May 2013 (target date) Prepare Needs March 2013 ذ Analyze data, Assessment Report August 2013 determine findings w/Vera feedback *Submit Needs August 2013 Assessment Report to OVW for approval Develop Strategic Plan September 2013 ذ Review findings, November 2013 recommend policy changes, identify implementation strategies & costs w/Vera feedback *Submit Strategic Plan to November 2013 OVW for approval Implement Strategic Plan January 2014 ذ September 2014 APPENDIX H: POWERPOINT OF FOCUS GROUP QUESTIONS for DEAF INDIVIDUALS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Needs Assessment Plan Authors Collaboration team members have worked diligently to develop this needs assessment plan. This plan details the process and questions that will be used to obtain information essential to creating our strategic plan. The information will help to identify partner agency strengths and any areas needing change. Our strategic plan will guide the development of needed organizational change in line with our vision and mission statements. The following collaboration team members are the original authors of this needs assessment plan: Susan Bungard, MSSA, LSW Director of Community Center for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center Deborah McMyler, MA, LSW, RASS Project Coordinator Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center James McPike Lieutenant ذ Special Victims Section Cleveland Division of Police Karen Mitrisin, LSW Community Services Director Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center Maria OصNeil Ruddock, PsyD Coordinator, Training and Outreach Services Community Center for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center Additional Contributors Michelle Flynn Financial Assistant Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center Special thanks to all partner agency staff members who contributed to the development of this needs assessment plan. 28