Partnership for Equality and Comprehensive Help for Deaf Domestic Violence Survivors Needs Assessment Plan 10/31/2013 The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration OVW Grant Number: 2011-FW-AX-K006 Table of Contents Collaborative Members5 Introduction7 Mission Statement8 Vision Statement9 Needs Assessment Goals 10 Information Sources: Existing & New 11 Recruitment Strategy and Training Plan 13 Methodology and Audiences 20 Confidentiality Considerations and Concerns 27 Informed Consent Process 30 Work Plan 32 Appendices (Pages 32-113 ) A. Q&A Sheet- Leadership and Staff 33 B. Q&A Sheet- Deaf Individuals and Survivors 38 C. Invitation Letter- Leadership and Staff 44 D. Invitation Letter- DV Survivors 46 E. Invitation Letter- Deaf Individuals 48 F. Invitation Letter- Deaf Survivors 49 G. Confidentiality Statement 50 H. Consent Form 51 I. Request for Accommodations Form 53 J. RSVP Form 55 K. Facilitator’s Script for Leadership Interviews 57 L. Facilitator’s Script for Deaf Survivors/Deaf Individuals 60 M. Facilitator’s Script for DV Survivors Focus Groups63 N. Facilitator’s Script for Staff Focus Groups 66 O. Focus Group Questions for GCADV Staff 69 P. Focus Group Questions for GACHI Staff 71 Q. Focus Group Questions for Tools for Life Staff 74 R. Focus Group Questions for Certified DV Center Staff 77 S. Focus Group Questions for CIL Staff 81 T. Focus Group Questions for DV Survivors 84 U. Focus Group Questions for Deaf Individuals 86 V. Interview Questions for Deaf Survivors 88 W. Interview Questions for GCADV Leadership 91 X. Interview Questions for GACHI Leadership 94 Y. Interview Questions for Tools for Life Leadership 97 Z. Interview Questions for DV Center Leadership 101 AA. Interview Questions for CIL Leadership 103 BB. Focus Group Debriefing Form 106 CC. Resources 108 Collaboration Member Organizations GCADV The Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (GCADV) is the statewide domestic violence coalition for Georgia. Founded in 1980, it is a statewide membership organization whose members represent a network of over 50 domestic violence programs that provide comprehensive emergency and supportive services to domestic violence victims. GCADV’s mission is as follows: GCADV brings together member agencies, allied organizations, and supportive individuals who are committed to ending domestic violence. Guided by the voices of survivors, GCADV works to create social change by addressing the root causes of this violence. GCADV leads advocacy efforts for responsive public policy and fosters quality, comprehensive prevention and intervention services throughout the state. GACHI Established in 1989, the Georgia Council for the Hearing Impaired (GACHI) is a statewide nonprofit organization that provides a variety of assistive services to the D/d/HOH/LD/DB and other individuals with hearing loss, their family members, friends, and local, state, and federal agencies. In addition to their office in Decatur, Georgia, GACHI operates satellite offices in Columbus, Rome, Augusta, Savannah, and Macon. GACHI’s mission is to serve individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, Late Deafened and other individuals with hearing loss, and others with respect to all communication modes by providing support services, advocacy, and education, which foster self-determination, empowerment, and independence. To fulfill its mission, GACHI relies on a combination of funding sources, including state-appropriated funds set by the Georgia General Assembly; the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC); and generous grants and donations from private foundations, businesses, and individuals. Tools for Life Tools for Life (TFL) is Georgia’s Assistive Technology Act Program. TFL gives more options for greater freedom by increasing access to and acquisition of assistive technology (AT) devices and services for Georgians of all ages and disabilities so they can live, learn, work, and play independently in communities of their choice. TFL oversees five Assistive Technology Resource Centers (ATRC’s) throughout Georgia. The ATRCs are a community resource to Georgians with disabilities, families, friends, healthcare professionals, support circles, and others who are interested in learning about assistive technology devices and equipment. Each ATRC is a hands-on learning center for assessment, demonstration, education, information and assistance, and training of assistive technology available on the market today. Introduction The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration is a partnership between the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (GCADV), the statewide coalition on domestic violence, the Georgia Council for the Hearing Impaired (GACHI), the statewide agency for Deaf services, and Tools for Life, the statewide agency for assistive technology for individuals with disabilities.  The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration was awarded in October 2011 and is funded for three years by the Office of Violence Against Women through the Education, Training and Enhanced Services to End Violence Against and Abuse of Women with Disabilities Grant Program (Disabilities Grant). The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration endeavors to create sustainable, systemic changes within each Collaboration member organization that will result in exceptional services for individuals in the State of Georgia who are Deaf or hard of hearing and have experienced domestic violence. During the development of the Collaboration Charter, which is the first deliverable of the planning and development phase of the Disabilities Grant, the foundation for collaborative relationships were formed. The Needs Assessment Plan, which is the second deliverable of this phase of the Disabilities Grant, outlines how the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will gather information from individuals and staff at each Collaboration member organization to determine our combined strengths and challenges in ensuring a safe, accessible and welcoming environment for Deaf or hard of hearing individuals who have experienced domestic violence. Based on the finding of the Needs Assessment, the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will develop a strategic plan that will shape the ultimate goals and outcomes for this Project to help us determine how our organizations will provide Technical Assistance to member and local programs so that they may better serve Deaf or hard of hearing survivors of domestic violence. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration plans to engage clients, staff, and leadership in the Needs Assessment process. Both GACHI and Tools for Life will be engaged on all levels. Because GCADV does not provide direct services to clients, only staff and leadership will be engaged. Furthermore, GCADV has chosen two local domestic violence centers to engage domestic violence survivors and staff. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration plans to engage clients; staff and leadership of GCADV, Tools for Life, and GACHI; as well as assistive technology resource centers, Centers for Independent Living, and domestic violence centers at the local level. (Note: Because GCADV does not provide direct services to clients, only staff and leadership will be engaged.) Mission The Collaboration’s mission is to facilitate the provision of equitable access to safe, comprehensive and responsive person-centered services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened individuals who have experienced domestic violence.  This will be accomplished through the following: * Expanding the capacity of the disability, assistive technology, and domestic violence organizations to provide readily available, safe, appropriate and accessible services to Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened individuals regardless of where they seek assistance. * Creating a sustainable infrastructure that is reflective of the complex needs of Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened victims of domestic violence through the modification and implementation of policies, procedures, and practices with the Collaboration’s three partner organizations. * Increasing the cultural competency of the Collaboration member organizations through cross-education of their staff regarding accessibility to culturally competent services, communication and information, Deaf culture, and domestic violence. * Identifying gaps in services with Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened individuals (ideally DV survivors), and domestic violence, disability, and Deaf advocates (ideally those who have had barriers with service delivery). * Increasing technology capacity to support full accessibility of the delivery of services for domestic violence survivors that are Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened. * Reviewing Collaboration member organization’s policies and procedures as they relate to domestic violence and accessibility and address areas of needed change. * Promoting systems change through strategic communication and education of domestic violence, Deaf services, disability-related organizations, as well as Assistive Technology Resource Centers throughout Georgia. Vision   The vision of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration is that individuals who are D/d/HOH/DB/LD and have experienced domestic violence will have equitable access to safe, comprehensive, and responsive person-centered services with service delivery systems addressing domestic violence; accessibility; removal of communication barriers for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened; and use of assistive technology so they can achieve the changes they want in their lives. Needs Assessment Goals 1. Identify the strengths and gaps in the provision of technical assistance and training for service providers throughout Georgia related to survivors of domestic violence who are Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened. 2. Identify the strengths and gaps in the delivery of services to survivors of domestic violence who are Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened throughout Georgia. 3. Identify the strengths and gaps in the policies and procedures of GCADV, GACHI, and Tools for Life related to survivors of domestic violence and individuals who are Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened. 4. Evaluate current relationships between the Collaboration Member Organizations; barriers to working together; and opportunities to sustain, expand, and enhance those relationships in order to provide technical assistance that facilitates accessible and effective services to survivors of domestic violence who are Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened. Information Sources Existing Information While all the organizations engaged in this Needs Assessment collect data on the clients they serve, they have not historically collected data regarding how to best serve individuals at the intersection of the Deaf or hard of hearing population and domestic violence. Additionally, no other organizations at the local or state levels in Georgia have collected data specific to serving Deaf or hard of hearing survivors that is particularly relevant to Georgia. However, the studies discussed below address similar issues. In 2005, a study funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) researched the unique needs of Deaf survivors of domestic violencei. This study examines the perceptions of Deaf and hearing service providers who assist Deaf individuals with the aftermath of sexual victimization and who individuals in the Deaf community tell about their experiences of sexual assault. It also deals with why, as well as what service gaps exist for the Deaf community. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will be utilizing the findings in the NIJ study as a baseline to compare our Needs Assessment findings. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations Crime Reportii states there were 72,870 domestic violence and related offenses reported in Georgia in 2012. According to the 2012 Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Reportiii, there were 128 documented domestic violence related deaths during that year. According to the Bureau of the Census in June 2010, there were 288,922 Deaf or hard of hearing individuals in Georgia, which was approximately 3.05 percent of the total population of 9,473,441 Georgiansiv. The Department of Justice and the Centers for Disease Control state that 1 in every 4 women will experience domestic violence in their lifetimev. This equation would result in an approximate 72,000 Deaf or hard of hearing women experiencing domestic violence in Georgia. Most of these cases will go unreported. New Information The data collected through our Needs Assessment will be original and qualitative in nature. It will provide insight on how each organization is currently supporting individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing survivors of domestic violence, areas we can improve on, and what survivors of domestic violence and people who are Deaf or hard of hearing need to receive safe, accessible, and welcoming services. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will gather this information through focus groups and individual interviews and then use the data to guide the development of our Strategic Plan. Ultimately, this information will help us make the services of all the organizations involved more responsive, accessible, and safe. The Collaboration wanted to engage direct service agencies who serve Deaf individuals and survivors of domestic violence. Two ATRCs/CILs were selected because they provide services to Georgians with disabilities as a part of the statewide Tools for Life Assistive Technology Resource Centers, and because they serve areas with higher numbers of Deaf individuals. Additionally, we selected two domestic violence centers that are member programs of GCADV, with one located in an urban area and one rural and both located in GACHI’s service areas. RECRUITMENT Recruitment Methods The following is an explanation of the method in which the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will use to recruit each group we will be engaging, as well as who will primarily act as the recruiter for each group. For Survivors of Domestic Violence Hearing Survivors Domestic violence survivors recruited to participate in a focus group will be an individual who is currently receiving or has previously receiving services at either Women’s Resource Center or Hospitality House, both of which are local domestic violence centers. A staff member from Women’s Resource Center or Hospitality House will recruit participants for these focus groups. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will only engage individuals who are at least 18 years of age or older, act as their own guardian, and can consent to participate in the Needs Assessment themselves. Those acting as recruiters will know this information ahead of time and will only recruit those that meet these criteria. The recruitment materials will include a Q&A sheet (Appendix A or Appendix B), an RSVP form (Appendix J), and a Request for Accommodations form (Appendix I). The recruiter will go over the information with the invitee and the RSVP, and Request for Accommodations forms will be completed. The contact information for the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration’s Project Coordinator will be provided to the recruiter in the case of questions during the recruitment process. Deaf Survivors The Deaf survivors invited to participate in an interview will be a client of GACHI and must have previously disclosed information to their advocate about the abuse. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will NOT otherwise recruit Deaf survivors for the Needs Assessment process. The Deaf survivor will no longer be in the abusive relationship and must feel safe to participate in the interview. Participants for all interviews with Deaf survivors will be contacted by a GACHI staff member known by the individual. The Needs Assessment process will be introduced to them during face-to-face conversations or videophone. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will only engage individuals who are at least 18 years of age or older, act as their own guardian, and can consent to participate in the Needs Assessment themselves. The GACHI staff member engaging the individual will know this information ahead of time and will only invite those that meet these criteria for an interview. The recruitment materials will include a Q&A sheet (Appendix B), an RSVP form (Appendix J), and a Request for Accommodations form (Appendix I). The recruiter will go over the information with the invitee, and the RSVP and Request for Accommodations forms will be completed. The contact information for the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration’s Project Coordinator will be provided to the GACHI staff member in the case of questions during the recruitment process. For Deaf Individuals Deaf individuals recruited to participate in a focus group will be a client of GACHI and/or one of the identified Centers for Independent Living ATRCs. A GACHI staff member will recruit Deaf individuals for focus groups through a face-to-face conversation or videophone. This staff member will be someone who has had prior contact with the Deaf individual. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will only engage individuals who are at least 18 years of age or older, act as their own guardian, and can consent to participate in the Needs Assessment themselves. GACHI staff will know this information ahead of time and will only recruit those that meet these criteria. The recruitment materials will include a Q&A sheet (Appendix B), an RSVP form (Appendix J), and a Request for Accommodations form (Appendix I). The recruiter will go over the information with the invitee, and the RSVP and Request for Accommodations forms will be completed. The contact information for the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration’s Project Coordinator will be provided to the GACHI staff member in the case of questions during the recruitment process. For Staff Staff members of the Collaboration Member Organizations (GCADV, GACHI, and Tools for Life), as well as other organizations (Centers for Independent Living ATRCs and local DV centers) chosen to be engaged in the Needs Assessment process, will be recruited to participate in a focus group. All staff will be invited to participate; however, some may not be available due to scheduling. These individuals will be offered an individual interview at a more suitable time. The supervisor will make it clear to all staff that their participation is voluntary and not required as a condition of their employment. The recruitment materials will include a Q&A sheet (Appendix A), an RSVP form (Appendix J), and a Request for Accommodations form (Appendix I). The recruiter will go over the information with the invitee, and the RSVP and Request for Accommodations forms will be completed. The contact information for the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration’s Project Coordinator will be provided to the recruiter in the case of questions during the recruitment process. For Leadership Leadership of the Collaboration Member Organizations (GCADV, GACHI, and Tools for Life), as well as other organizations (Centers for Independent Living ATRCs and local DV centers) chosen to be engaged in the Needs Assessment process will receive a Letter of Invitation (Appendix C) via email from the Project Coordinator inviting them to participate in an individual interview. Also included in the email will be a Q&A sheet, RSVP form, and a Request for Accommodations form for the member of leadership to complete. The invitees will be instructed to RSVP via email directly to the Project Coordinator. Recruitment Process The Recruiter will complete the following: * Explain the purpose of the focus group/interview and the overall goal of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration. * Notify the invitee of any reasons that confidentiality cannot be maintained, such as mandatory reporting. * Review the recruitment materials, including the RSVP form and the Request for Accommodations form. * If applicable, discuss what incentives the invitees will receive for participating in the focus group/interview. * Review the date, time, and location of the focus group/interview. * Confirm whether or not the individual is willing to participate. * Offer an individual interview for those that are not comfortable participating in a focus group. * Answer any additional questions. All recruiters are to contact the Project Coordinator by phone or email within three business days of recruitment with the responses of invitees. The recruiters must also submit the RSVP form and Request for Accommodations form to the Project Coordinator by email or fax at least two weeks prior to the actual focus group/interview. Recruitment Tools Recruiters will utilize the following tools during the recruitment process: RSVP and Request for Accommodations Form All individuals invited to participate in the Needs Assessment will receive an RSVP form (Appendix J) and Request for Accommodations form (Appendix I). The RSVP form will ask for the invitee’s first name, whether they want to participate in the Needs Assessment, and how they would like to participate (i.e. focus group or interview). This form will also prompt the participant to identify any accommodations needed and to complete the Request for Accommodations form. The names collected from the RSVP form will only be utilized to connect participants with their requested accommodations. Additionally, we will offer participants the option of receiving meeting reminders, which will entail asking them for the best method to contact them. This will provide more identifying information. Therefore, once the reminder has been made by the Project Coordinator or designated person, the RSVP form will be destroyed, ensuring that no identifying information other than the person’s first name is available during the focus groups/interviews. The Project Coordinator will be responsible for keeping track of the RSVP responses and accommodations requests for all focus groups and interviews. For those receiving face-to-face recruitment, the recruiter will provide them with an RSVP and Request for Accommodations form and request they complete the forms while the recruiter is present. For those invited via email, the RSVP and Request for Accommodations forms will be attached to the email with a request that they email the forms back by a due date selected by the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration team. For those individuals being recruited by telephone or videophone, the RSVP and Request for Accommodations forms will forwarded to the invitee via email or postal mail. They also will be given a due date to have the forms completed and returned to the recruiter. Regardless of the recruitment method, the recruiter will go through each section of the RSVP and Request for Accommodations forms with the individual being invited to participate in the Needs Assessment, explaining what is needed and ensuring that they understand what they are being asked. Once the recruiter receives the completed forms from the invitees, it is their responsibility to forward those forms to the Project Coordinator at least two weeks before the focus group/interview. Q&A Sheet The Q&A sheet will answer general questions about what focus groups/interviews entail (Appendices A and B). This sheet will be given to all participants during the recruitment process. We will give the option for participants to leave the Q&A sheet with the recruiter if safety is a concern. Meeting Reminder Cards All participants will be given a meeting reminder card during the recruitment process. The participant will have the option of declining the reminder card if they have any privacy concerns. The card will be the size of a business card and will only list the Project Coordinator’s first name, a contact phone number, and a blank space to fill in the date and time of the meeting. The location of the meeting, information about the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration, and more information about the Project Coordinator will not be included. Recruitment Training All individuals who will act as recruiters will be required to participate in a recruitment training. Recruitment training will occur prior to any recruitment activity and will be delivered via webinar and videophone (for Deaf Individuals). The training will last approximately an hour and will be conducted by the Project Coordinator or a designated Collaboration team member. Recruiters may be Collaboration members, leadership, or direct service staff from specific programs being engaged. A training packet will be used to train the recruiters for each group participating in the Needs Assessment. Training will include the following: * An overview of the grant and Needs Assessment process * Participant Requirements * Important considerations regarding safety, confidentiality, reporting requirements, and accessibility * Recruitment tools * How to recruit the minimum/maximum number of participants for focus groups and keep track of the limited number for each group * How to recruit only those who meet the requirements of that particular focus group/interview * How the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will handle situations that may arise where an ineligible participant is recruited for the Needs Assessment process Methodology and Audiences Focus Groups The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will primarily use focus groups for gathering information from domestic violence survivors, Deaf individuals and staff from the various agencies involved in the Needs Assessment. We believe this is the most efficient way to effectively engage larger groups of individuals in a shorter period of time. We also believe a focus group setting will help to generate a diverse range of ideas and perspectives. The focus group team members are the facilitator, recorder, floater, advocate and certified ASL interpreter. Focus Group Team Members The facilitator will be responsible for the following: * Obtaining consent from focus group participants * Confirming that all accommodation needs have been fulfilled * Asking questions designed for the particular audience * Providing prompts as necessary * Keeping the focus group on topic, redirecting as necessary * Debriefing with the recorder immediately following each focus group The recorder will be responsible for the following: * Writing down all responses * Recording the focus group, with permission from participants * Asking for clarification immediately if a response is not understood for recording purposes * Transcribing and summarizing the recording and written notes and delivering them to the Project Coordinator following the focus group The floater will be responsible for the following: * Paying attention to the comfort level of focus group participants * Noting body cues, memorable quotes, and critical information that is not captured by the questions * Providing support or assistance to participants as needed * Group management The advocate will be responsible for the following: * Providing emotional support during the focus groups with survivors * Assisting with debriefing, as needed * Providing referrals to focus group participants, as needed The certified ASL interpreter will be responsible for the following: * Follow the Interpreter’s Code of Ethics, which include requirements of confidentiality * Ensure the Deaf individuals fully comprehend questions * Appropriately voice interpret the Deaf individuals’ responses Hearing Survivors of Domestic Violence The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will be engaging survivors who are receiving services at local DV programs, which are Women’s Resource Center and Hospitality House. Clients who are current or former clients in these organizations will be considered to participate in the focus groups. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration believes that survivors of domestic violence are the experts in their own experience and have the power to represent their own needs and expectations. As a result, they will be asked directly about their own personal experiences while receiving services. The questions during the focus groups are NOT designed to elicit the client to disclose information specific to their abuse. It is only intended that they provide information in regards to the services they have received or are receiving. In the event that a client does disclose information regarding their abuse, there will be an advocate available to assist them with processing any feeling or emotions that might surface as a result of the discussions. The focus groups will contain 7-10 survivors and will be approximately one and a half to two hours in length. The facilitator of the focus groups will be a member of the Collaboration. All survivors who participate in a focus group will receive a $25 gift card for their participation. Deaf Individuals The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will be engaging Deaf individuals who are current or previous clients at GACHI. These Deaf individuals are vital to the Needs Assessment process. The Collaboration believes Deaf individuals should be allowed the opportunity to communicate their own needs and expectations. As a result, it is imperative to ask them directly what their personal experiences are when receiving services so we may make our own organizations more accessible and Deaf-friendly. The strategic plan will ultimately influence the way services and supports are provided; therefore, it is imperative that we ask the individuals who will be most impacted by our systems change. The focus groups will contain 7-10 Deaf individuals and will be approximately one and a half hours in length. The facilitator of the interviews will be either GACHI staff or a Deaf services professional who is fluent in ASL. There will also be a recorder, floater, and ASL interpreters present. The focus groups will be recorded with the consent of its participants. All Deaf individuals who participate in a focus group will receive a $25 gift card for their participation. Staff Various staff at GCADV, GACHI, Tools for Life, the Centers for Independent Living ATRCs, Women’s Resource Center, and Hospitality House will all be engaged in the Needs Assessment process by participating in focus groups. The staff will be asked questions regarding the extent of domestic violence or Deaf friendly services provided by their agency and their TA needs around those services. By engaging staff at the various agencies, the Collaboration hopes to gain information regarding the current culture at each organization regarding domestic violence and Deaf services; any historical or current partnering of domestic violence and Deaf services; and trainings, policies, and procedures for responding to Deaf survivors, as well as barriers to providing services. Agency leadership will not be present during the staff focus groups in order to create an environment where the participants feel comfortable to speak honestly and freely. Leadership will be interviewed individually for the Needs Assessment. The staff focus groups will be facilitated by a Collaboration team member who is not employed at that agency. There will also be a recorder and floater present who are also Collaboration team members and not employees of the agency. The focus groups will be approximately one and a half to two hours in length and will be recorded with the consent of its participants. Staff will not be personally compensated for participating in any of the focus groups. However, all agencies except the Collaboration Member Organizations will be offered compensation for their staff members’ time assisting and participating in the Needs Assessment process. Interviews The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will utilize interviews for gathering information from the following individuals: * Leadership/Executive Directors of Collaboration Member Organizations * Collaboration team members * Deaf Survivors of Domestic Violence Interviews have been chosen for these groups because it provides an opportunity for individuals to have more anonymity, to share their views openly, and avoid influencing responses of other focus group participants (in the case of staff focus groups). Interviewing Team Members The facilitator will be responsible for the following: * Obtaining consent from interviewees * Confirming that all accommodation needs have been fulfilled * Asking questions designed for the particular audience * Providing prompts as necessary * Keeping the interview on topic, redirecting as necessary * Debriefing with the recorder immediately following each interview * Providing crisis counseling and support to interviewee during and/or after the interview if necessary The recorder will be responsible for the following: * Writing down all responses * Recording the interview, with permission from the interviewee * Asking for clarification immediately if a response is not understood for recording purposes * Transcribing the recording and written notes and delivering them to the Project Coordinator following the interview The certified ASL interpreter will be responsible for the following: * Follow the Interpreter’s Code of Ethics, which include requirements of confidentiality * Ensure the Deaf individuals fully comprehend questions * Appropriately voice interpret the Deaf individuals’ responses Leadership The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration plans to engage leadership at GCADV, GACHI, Tools for Life, the Centers for Independent Living ATRCs in Macon and Rome, Georgia, and two domestic violence programs (Women’s Resource Center and Hospitality House) in the interviewing process. These leadership interviews will be conducted by a member of the Collaborative team who does not work for the same organization as the interviewee. A second Collaboration team member will serve as the recorder. The interviews will last up to an hour and a half and will be recorded with the permission of the interviewee. Leadership has an integral role in policy changes, is very knowledgeable about the culture of their respective organization, and would be familiar with the fiscal impact of policy changes. Therefore, interviews conducted with the leadership will focus on these areas. Interviews conducted with leadership at GCADV, GACHI, and Tools for Life will help to determine how the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration can build internal and external capacity to address domestic violence services for Deaf individuals, identify strengths and gaps in organizational policies and procedures related to domestic violence and Deaf services, and determine organizational readiness to provide technical assistance and trainings on the intersection of domestic violence and accessible services for Deaf or hard of hearing individuals. Deaf Survivors of Domestic Violence The goals of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration Needs Assessment are directly related to Deaf survivors of domestic violence. We recognize that the experiences of a Deaf survivor are unique compared to individuals who have not been exposed to the same violence, stigmas, and barriers. Deaf survivors offer valuable information that no other audience can offer. Also, the foundations of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration as well as the domestic violence and Deaf communities are formed around principles of survivor-centered work and “Nothing about us, without us”. For these reasons, the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration feels it is essential to include Deaf survivors in the Needs Assessment process in order to adequately assess the gaps in services to this population. The Collaboration will be interviewing approximately ten Deaf or hard of hearing survivors of domestic violence who are current or previous clients of GACHI and no longer in an abusive relationship. The advantages to these criteria are that the survivors would have a lower safety risk, would be unlikely to need follow-up services related to their past abuse, and would be unlikely to experience any negative emotions or trauma as a result of participating in the Needs Assessment. These Deaf survivors will be interviewed to gain their insight to barriers the Deaf community faces when seeking or receiving services from various agencies. Since the Deaf community is relatively small and isolated, confidentiality is imperative. Therefore, an interview format is more appropriate for this population. During the interviews, Deaf or hard of hearing survivors will be asked specific questions pertaining to accessibility of domestic violence services. There will be no questions asked that will require disclosure specific to the abuse. For reasons of confidentiality, Deaf survivors will be given the option of participating in these interviews either face-to-face or via videophone. They will last up to an hour and a half and will be recorded, with the permission of the interviewee. The facilitator of the interviews will be either GACHI staff or a Deaf services professional who is fluent in ASL as well as skilled in providing crisis intervention and advocacy. They will be available to assist interviewees with processing any feelings or emotions that might surface as a result of the interview. All Deaf survivors will receive a $25 gift card for their participation. Confidentiality Considerations The following information outlines the specific considerations we have made in attempts to preserve confidentiality: * Personally identifying information will only be collected during the recruitment process, when individuals will be asked their first name (for the purpose of linking individuals with their requested accommodations) and contact information to provide optional meeting reminders. Participants will have the option of taking with them a generic appointment card with the time and date of the participant’s interview or focus group. * The Project Coordinator will keep a list of any individuals who request accommodations and their first names. This list will be brought to each focus group/interview as needed and will be destroyed within one business day of the focus group/interview. The Project Coordinator will keep RSVP forms for those who request a meeting reminder call/email only until a reminder is made. Immediately after the focus group/interview, the Project Coordinator will destroy the RSVP and Request for Accommodations forms so as not to maintain any identifying information. * Participants will be given a copy of the Needs Assessment Confidentiality Statement (Appendix G) during the focus group/interview check-in. The facilitator will review the statement with the group/individual prior to beginning the session. In the case of videophone interviews, the Confidentiality Statement will be shared prior to beginning the interview. * The recorder will not personally identify any participant in focus group/interview notes, nor will other Collaboration team members identify participants when completing debriefing forms. * Data collected will be stored in a locked file cabinet in the GCADV office. Data will only be accessible to the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration team members and will be prohibited from being copied or distributed to other parties. Data will be compiled by the Project Coordinator and members of P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration. * The Needs Assessment data and subsequent report will contain no individual level of identifying information. The report will contain only aggregate data, qualitative and quantitative information, and some participant quotes. When participant quotes are used, the “speaker” will remain anonymous and no raw data will be available for public consumption. Prior to their participation, participants will receive full disclosure in writing of how information will be used. * The report will be shared with our funding source, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Vera Institute (the technical assistance organization working with the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration), members of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration, the two participating Centers for Independent Living, and the two participating local domestic violence centers.  Deaf individuals and survivors of domestic violence who participate in focus groups or interviews may also receive a copy of the report, upon request. All organizations and individuals will be instructed not to share the report publicly, post online, or otherwise distribute. * The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will discuss information contained on debriefing forms for the purpose of future planning to enhance service delivery. Information received from agency staff and participants will be discussed among the team, including current policies, procedures, knowledge, strengths, weaknesses, and any other information deemed appropriate by the Collaboration team. From this information, broader trends and themes will be identified and used to formulate the Needs Assessment report and, ultimately, the strategic plan for implementation. Confidentiality Concerns During the Needs Assessment process, the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration may encounter situations in which confidentiality is not under its full control. If a participant or a survivor discloses an experience, the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration cannot guarantee another participant in the group will not share the information outside of the focus group. To avoid this scenario, participants will be advised of this risk prior to the focus group, and advocates can assist with any disclosures that happen during the focus group by processing with the individual in private. It is also possible that an interpreter may discuss the focus group information with another interpreter or individual. Although the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration only utilizes Certified Interpreters, and they are held to very high standards of professionalism and ethical conduct, we cannot 100% guarantee confidentiality. Informed Consent Process In this Needs Assessment, it is critical that each participant’s consent be informed so that the participant fully understands any risks to their safety and/or confidentiality, as well as their rights to choose not to answer any question and to withdraw from a focus group or interview at any point. Focus group facilitators and interviewers will read the written consent forms to all participants to fully ensure their understanding. A written consent form (Appendix H) will be signed by each Needs Assessment participant, and each participant will be offered a copy of what they sign. Due the language barriers of participants and staff, a written consent form will be used to assure comprehension and agreement. Participants will be asked whether it is safe for them to take a copy of the consent form with them when they leave. All signed consent forms will be secured in a locked file cabinet at GCADV until the end of the Needs Assessment and report. The Collaboration team members will participate in their agency’s staff focus group. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will utilize written consent forms that will describe the Project and the involvement of the participants, including the time required for participation and the types of data that will be collected. Other components of the form will include the following: • A brief description of any benefits to the participant or to others that may reasonably be expected from the Project • A statement describing the extent to which the participants’ confidentiality will be maintained • A statement that the data will be used for statistical, aggregate purposes only • The name and contact information for the Project Coordinator, whom the participants may contact for answers to questions about the Project • A statement that participation is voluntary and that the participant may refuse to participate or may withdraw at any time without penalty or loss of benefits to which the participants are otherwise entitled and/or without impact on his or her employment, as appropriate. Interpreters will be made available to assist participants who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Any other accommodations required by Needs Assessment participants will be provided. Work Plan Activity Timeframe Target Completion Date Hire a Project Manager October 2011- May 2012 May 2012 VERA Site Visit-? Collaboration Charter June 2012 June 2012 Create Collaboration Charter June 2012-March 2013 March 2013 Vera Site Visit­?Needs Assessment April 2013 April 2013 Charter Approved by OVW April-May, 2013 May 2013 Plan Needs Assessment May - October 2013 October 2013 Submit Needs Assessment Plan to OVW November 2013 November 2013 Conduct Needs Assessment November 2013 – January 2014 February 2014 Compile Data and Complete Needs Assessment Report February – March 2014 March 2014 Vera Site Visit-Strategic Planning March 2014 March 2014 Create Strategic Plan April – May 2014 May 2014 Submit Strategic Plan to OVW May 2014 May 2014 Implementation June- September 2014 September 2014 Appendix A Questions and Answers Sheet (For leadership and staff) P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration Needs Assessment What is the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration? The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration stands for the Partnership for Equality for Comprehensive Help for Deaf Domestic Violence Survivors. This is a collaborative project of the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (GCADV), GACHI, and Tools for Life, the State Assistive Technology Act Program (TLF) of Georgia Tech. GCADV received a three year grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to establish this Collaboration and to improve access to safe, comprehensive and responsive, person-centered services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened Georgians who have experienced domestic violence. As part of this work, the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration is conducting a statewide needs assessment. What are the goals of the needs assessment? 1. Identify the strengths and gaps in the policies and procedures of GCADV, GACHI, and Tools for Life related to survivors of domestic violence who are Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened. 2. Identify the strengths and gaps in the provision of technical assistance and training for service providers throughout Georgia related to these survivors of domestic violence. 3. Identify the strengths and gaps in the delivery of services to these survivors of domestic violence. 4. Evaluate current relationships between the Collaboration Member Organizations; barriers to working together; and opportunities to sustain, expand, and enhance those relationships in order to facilitate accessible and effective services to these survivors of domestic violence. In order to accomplish these goals, we will be conducting focus groups and individual interviews with Deaf and disability services organizations and domestic violence programs, as well as Deaf individuals and survivors of domestic violence in select areas of Georgia. Why do you want our input? Your experience and perspective of working with Deaf or hard of hearing individuals and/or survivors of domestic violence is very valuable to our assessment. You and your staff’s participation will help inform the Project of how to develop best practices and tools to serve this population and how to offer technical assistance and training to organizations like yours. Who are you asking to participate in the needs assessment? Staff at all levels and roles within your organization are invited to participate in the needs assessment. Executive Directors will be interviewed individually, and staff is invited to participate in a focus group. What will happen during the focus group/interview? Members of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will ask questions related to your strengths and barriers in providing services to survivors of domestic violence who are Deaf or hard of hearing. We will be discussing your professional experiences as well as your organization’s policies and procedures, challenges/successes, and training and other needs as they relate to meeting the needs of survivors of domestic violence who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Even if you or your staff have limited experience working with this population, your ideas and feedback are valuable to our assessment. The focus group/interview will last approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours. Is what I say confidential? Yes, the information you share in the focus group/interview will remain confidential and will stay within the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration (please see the question below regarding mandated reporting in certain circumstances). No personally identifying information about staff, survivors, or clients who participate in the process will be recorded or maintained during the focus group/interview. What is mandatory reporting and how does it apply to our participation in this focus group/interview? Members of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration are mandated reporters and required by law to report the following: * Known or reasonable cause to believe a child, person over the age of 60 or an individual with a disability is being abused (O.C.G.A. § 19-7-5(c)(1) and O.C.G.A. § 30-5-1-5). Note that individuals that are Deaf with no other disabilities are not considered vulnerable adults or disabled adults under this law. During the focus group/interview we will only ask questions pertaining to services for survivors or individuals who are 18 years of age or older, and we ask that you not share detailed stories or information about survivors or clients that may identify them. What if I want to help but I’m not comfortable being in a focus group? If possible, we prefer that you participate in a group with individuals from your similar field and expertise. However, we respect and understand that is not always comfortable or possible. In such cases, we are happy to schedule an individual interview with you, which will include only you and a facilitator/interviewer and note taker from the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration. Your participation and individual information/responses will be kept confidential. If you would prefer an individual interview, please notify your supervisor or the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration Project Coordinator (see contact information below). Do I have to answer every question? No, your participation in this process is completely voluntary and you can choose which questions you wish to answer. Will my name be used in the information you collect? We will not use your name in anything that we write about the group/interview. Our report may include some of the information you share but it will not identify who shared the information. How is this information going to be used? The notes from this interview/group will be combined with notes from other interviews and focus groups and summarized in a report. The report will help the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration make changes within our organizations and design training and technical assistance that will lead to improved services for Deaf survivors of domestic violence. All information gathered from this focus group/interview will solely be used for the purpose of the Project, the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration, and for no other purpose. Who will get this information/report? The report will be shared with our funding source, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Vera Institute (technical assistance organization working with the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration), members of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration, and the two participating Centers for Independent Living and two participating local domestic violence centers. Deaf individuals and survivors of domestic violence who participate in focus groups or interviews may also receive a copy of the report, upon request. All organizations and individuals will be instructed not to share the report publicly, post online, or otherwise distribute. Will you be referring to my organization by name in the final report? P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration member organizations (GCADV, GACHI, and Tools for Life) will be identified in the report. All other participating organizations will be referred to in general terms (e.g. a local domestic violence center) but will not be identified by name or location. What accommodations are available to support my participation? If you choose to participate in a focus group/interview, we ask that you complete a Request for Accommodations Form and return the form to the person who recruited you as soon as possible. All available accommodations are listed, and you are welcome to check all that apply to you, as well as list any additional requests in the “other” sections. We will make every effort to accommodate the requests of those participating in the group/interview. What if I have additional questions? Please contact the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration Project Coordinator: Letitia Lowe Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence llowe@gcadv.org 404.209.0280 x18 Appendix B Questions and Answers Sheet (For Deaf individuals and survivors) P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration Needs Assessment What is the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration? The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration stands for the Partnership for Equality for Comprehensive Help for Deaf Domestic Violence Survivors. This is a collaborative project of the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (GCADV), GACHI, and Tools for Life, the State Assistive Technology Act Program (TFL) of Georgia Tech. GCADV received a three year grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to establish this Collaboration and to improve access to services for Deaf or hard of hearing individuals who have experienced domestic violence. As part of this work, the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration is conducting a statewide needs assessment. What are the goals of the needs assessment? 1. Identify the strengths and gaps in the policies and procedures of GCADV, GACHI, and Tools for Life related to survivors of domestic violence who are Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind and Late Deafened. 2. Identify the strengths and gaps in the provision of technical assistance and training for service providers throughout Georgia related to these survivors of domestic violence. 3. Identify the strengths and gaps in the delivery of services to these survivors of domestic violence. 4. Evaluate current relationships between the Collaboration Member Organizations; barriers to working together; and opportunities to sustain, expand, and enhance those relationships in order to facilitate accessible and effective services to these survivors of domestic violence. In order to accomplish these goals, we will be conducting focus groups and individual interviews with Deaf and disability services organizations and domestic violence programs, as well as Deaf individuals and survivors of domestic violence in select areas of Georgia. Why do you want my input? We want to talk to you because you are one of the people that can best tell us about what services and supports you want or need from agencies and what makes services feel safe, accessible, and comfortable. Who are you asking to participate in the needs assessment? A wide variety of clients and staff from the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration member organizations, as well as local domestic violence programs and Centers for Independent Living, will be asked to participate in a focus group or interview. What will happen during the focus group/interview? Focus group participants: You will attend a group meeting along with 9-10 other individuals where a member of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will ask a variety of questions related to what works and what doesn’t work for you when seeking services and assistance in your community. You and other group participants will answer questions based on your own personal knowledge and experience and provide any ideas you may have about how things could be improved. The focus group will last approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours. For individual interview participants: You will meet individually with 2 members of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration (1 interviewer and 1 note-taker). You will be asked a variety of questions related to what works and what doesn’t work for you when seeking services and assistance in your community. You can answer questions based on your own personal knowledge and experience and provide any ideas you may have about how things could be improved. The focus group will last approximately 1 ½ hours. Is what I say confidential? Yes, the information you share in the focus group/interview will remain confidential and will stay within the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration (please see the question below regarding mandated reporting in certain circumstances). No personally identifying information about individuals who participate in the needs assessment process will be recorded or maintained during the focus group/interview. What is mandatory reporting and how does it apply to my participation in this focus group/interview? Members of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration are mandated reporters and required by law to report the following: * Known or reasonable cause to believe a child, person over the age of 60 or an individual with a disability is being abused (O.C.G.A. § 19-7-5(c)(1) and O.C.G.A. § 30-5-1-5). Note that individuals that are Deaf with no other disabilities are not considered vulnerable adults or disabled adults under this law. During the focus group/interview we will only ask questions related to what works and what doesn’t when you are seeking services in your community. We will not ask you to share specific information about abuse or violence that you or someone you know may have personally experienced. What if I want to help but I’m not comfortable being in a focus group and would prefer an individual interview? We respect and understand that is not always comfortable or possible to participate in a group setting. In such cases, we are happy to schedule an individual interview with you, which will include only you and a facilitator/interviewer and note-taker from the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration. If you would prefer an individual interview, please notify the person who invited you or the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration Project Coordinator (see contact information below). Do I have to answer every question? No, your participation in this process is completely voluntary and you can choose which questions you wish to answer. Will my name be used in the information you collect? We will not use your name in anything that we write about the focus group/interview. Our report may include some of the information you share, but it will not identify who shared the information. How is this information going to be used? The notes from this focus group/interview will be combined with notes from other focus groups and interviews and summarized in a report. The report will help the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration make changes within our organizations that will lead to improved services for Deaf survivors of domestic violence. All information gathered from this focus group/interview will solely be used for the purpose of the Project, the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration, and for no other purpose. Who will get this information/report? The report will be shared with our funding source, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Vera Institute (the technical assistance organization working with the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration), members of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration, and the two participating Centers for Independent Living and two participating local domestic violence centers. Individuals who participate in focus groups or interviews may also receive a copy of the report, upon request. All organizations and individuals will be instructed not to share the report publicly, post online, or otherwise distribute. What are the safety considerations for my participation? We will make every effort to make this process safe and comfortable for everyone. However, if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe during the focus group/interview for any reason, you may leave at any time. Because the nature of this topic can be emotionally sensitive, we will have an advocate available during the focus group/interview as well as a list of local resources, should you find that you would like additional support. The advocate will be available to speak to individuals privately in a separate room, and any conversation will be kept confidential, with the exception of the mandatory reporting requirements described above. Can my children or a partner/friend come with me to the focus group? Unfortunately, we are unable to provide childcare during the focus group/interview, and space is not available for children, friends, or partners to wait inside the building during your participation. If this creates a problem for you, please discuss this with the person who invited you or with the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration Project Coordinator for help in making other arrangements (see contact information below) What accommodations are available to support my participation? If you choose to participate in a focus group/interview, we ask that you complete a Request for Accommodations Form and return the form to the person who recruited you as soon as possible. All available accommodations are listed, and you are welcome to check all that apply to you as well as list any additional requests in the “other” sections. We will make every effort to accommodate the requests of those participating in the group/interview. Will I receive something in return for participating in the focus group/interview? As a thank you for your participation, we will provide you with a $25 gift card. Also, light refreshments will be provided during focus group sessions. Refreshments will not be provided for individual interviews. What if I lose my gift card? Once we give you the gift card, it will be up to you to keep it safe. We cannot give you a new one if it is lost or stolen. What if I can’t come? Who do I tell? If you say yes and find out that you can’t come, you can let the person that invited you know or notify the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration Project Coordinator (see contact information below). If you still would like to be in an interview, we can see if there is another time for you to participate. What if I have additional questions? Please contact the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration Project Coordinator: Letitia Lowe Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence llowe@gcadv.org 404.209.0280 x18 Appendix C Letter of Invitation for Leadership and Staff Dear___________________: The Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, GACHI, and Tools for Life are collaborating on a project called the Partnership for Equality and Comprehensive Help for Domestic Violence Survivors (P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration). The purpose of the Collaboration is to understand how to best meet the needs of domestic violence survivors who are Deaf or hard of hearing. In order to achieve this goal we are conducting a statewide needs assessment of individuals and service providers throughout Georgia. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration has identified ________ as an organization that is instrumental to this process. Your participation will help inform the Project of how to develop best practices and tools to serve this population. Specifically, we would like to invite you to participate in an interview with 2 members of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration to discuss information related to your organization’s policies and procedures, challenges, and staff training as they relate to meeting the needs of survivors of domestic violence who are Deaf or hard of hearing. The interview would last approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours and would be scheduled within the next 2 months at your office or other location convenient for you. Additionally, we would also like to invite your staff to participate in a focus group to learn about their experiences in working with survivors of domestic violence who are Deaf or hard of hearing and to learn what kind of training and technical assistance would be most useful to them in order to best serve this population. The focus group would last approximately 1 ½ hours and be scheduled within the next 2 months at your office or other location convenient to your staff. I’ve attached a Q&A sheet with more details about the interviews and focus groups but I’m happy to answer any questions you have through email or by phone. I will be following up with you in the next week to answer any questions you may have and discuss scheduling the interview and focus group on a date that is most convenient for you and your staff. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me at 404-209-0280 X 18 or llowe@gcadv.org if you have any questions. Your voice and perspective are critical to the success of this project, and we thank you in advance for your commitment to helping with this process. Sincerely, Letitia Lowe, P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration Project Coordinator Appendix D Letter of Invitation for DV Survivors Dear _______________________: You are invited by the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration to participate in a focus group to help us collect information to provide better services. The Partnership for Equality and Comprehensive Help for Domestic Violence Survivors (P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration) includes members from the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, GACHI, and Tools for Life. In the focus group, you will be asked questions that will give us information to help us improve services. Your experiences obtaining services are very important to us, and your voice is the most important part of this project. In order for us to figure out where we need to make changes, we will ask you questions about how you accessed services, how you were treated by organizations where you sought services, and how services can be improved. The focus group will last approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours and will be scheduled within the next ______ weeks. We will not share your personal information with anyone outside of the Project. And we will not record any identifying information, such as your address, date of birth, etc. on any focus group notes. You can change your mind at any point and decide not to participate. As a participant you will receive a $25.00 Visa Gift Card as a token of our appreciation, and you will still receive the gift card if during the focus group you decide to no longer participate. Please understand this invitation requesting your participation in the focus group is just for you. The meeting location does not have a waiting room for additional people, nor does the location have space or care facilities for children. We do apologize if this is an inconvenience. I’ve attached a Q & A sheet with more details about the focus group, but I’m happy to answer any questions you have by phone or through email. I will be following up with you soon to answer any questions you have and to discuss the focus group date and location. In the meantime, if you have questions, please feel free to contact me by phone:_______________ or email:____________________________. If you are interested in participating, please let me know. Your voice and willingness to participate is greatly appreciated. Thank you! Sincerely, ___________________________________ Signature of Local DV Agency Representative Appendix E Letter of Invitation for Deaf Individuals Dear ___________________: You are chosen to participate for an upcoming Focus Group for P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration. The Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, GACHI, and Tools for Life are collaborating on a project called the Partnership for Equality and Comprehensive Help for Domestic Violence Survivors (P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration). The purpose of the Collaboration is to understand how to best meet the needs of domestic violence survivors who are Deaf or hard of hearing. In order to achieve this goal, we are conducting a focus group to get your opinions on how to better serve the Deaf or hard of hearing individuals. Your participation will help inform the Project of how to improve services and remove the barriers in serving Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. The focus group would last approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours and would be scheduled on: _____________________ at ______________ at __________________________. (date) (time) (location) You will receive a $25.00 gift card as an incentive for your participation in our Project and it will be given to you after the focus group. I will be following up with you in the next week to answer any questions you may have and discuss the date and time of the focus group. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by phone: _________or email:__________ so I can explain this letter to you in ASL. Your voice will make a difference in the lives of Deaf or hard of hearing individuals, and we thank you in advance for your commitment to helping our Project. Sincerely, GACHI Recruiter ___________________ Appendix F Letter of Invitation for Deaf Survivors of Domestic Violence Dear ___________________: You are chosen to participate for an upcoming Interview for P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration. The Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, GACHI, and Tools for Life are collaborating on a project called the Partnership for Equality and Comprehensive Help for Domestic Violence Survivors (P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration). The purpose of the Collaboration is to understand how to best meet the needs of domestic violence survivors who are Deaf or hard of hearing. In order to achieve this goal, we are conducting an interview to get your opinions on how to better serve the Deaf or hard of hearing individuals. Your participation will help inform the Project of how to improve services and remove the barriers in serving Deaf or hard of hearing individuals. The interview would last approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours, and you can choose to have a one-on-one interview or on the videophone. You will receive a $25.00 gift card as an incentive for your participation in our Project, which will be given to you after the interview. I will be following up with you in the next week to answer any questions you may have and discuss scheduling the interview on a date that is most convenient for you. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by phone: _________or email: __________ so I can explain this letter to you in ASL. Your voice will make a difference in the lives of Deaf or hard of hearing individuals, and we thank you in advance for your commitment to helping our Project. Sincerely, GACHI Recruiter ___________________ Appendix G Confidentiality Statement Needs Assessment focus groups will operate under the following confidentiality principals: 1. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will do everything possible to keep your information private. Any information you share will be kept in a locked cabinet and destroyed at the end of the current grant cycle. Reports produced from the Needs Assessment will contain no identifying information. 2. In order to protect people’s privacy, please refrain from using people’s names in the focus group. 3. Members of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration are mandated reporters and required by law to report the following: * Known or reasonable cause to believe a child, person over the age of 60 or an individual with a disability is being abused (O.C.G.A. § 19-7-5(c)(1) and O.C.G.A. § 30-5-1-5).  Note that individuals that are Deaf with no other disabilities are not considered vulnerable adults or disabled adults under this law.  4. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration cannot guarantee confidentiality among participants, but we request that everyone respect each other’s privacy. Please keep the conversations discussed today confidential and do not share information you heard with individuals outside the group. 5. If you become uncomfortable sharing with the group, please remember that we will have an advocate available to speak with privately. All matters discussed privately with a P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration team member or advocate will be kept private, with the exception to those things designated by Georgia statute that we are mandated to report. 6. All information shared will be used to improve services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community and for no other purposes. Appendix H Needs Assessment Participant Consent Form I, the undersigned, agree to participate in this Needs Assessment. I certify that I am at least 18 years of age, am my own guardian, and I have been informed of the following: * This Project is being conducted by the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration. The purpose of the Project is to identify what makes an agency welcoming, comfortable, and helpful for individuals. * My decision about whether or not to participate in this study will not affect my eligibility for services, and I can withdraw from the focus group/ interview at any time without penalty. * For the purpose of this Needs Assessment, I am being asked to participate in one (1) focus group/ interview discussion. * I will be asked to respond to general discussion questions offered in an open-ended style. The questions will relate to my experiences and opinions as a recipient of services. * Confidentiality - All information provided in the focus group is confidential. o Only group, not individual, results will be reported from this Needs Assessment. o All information I provide will be used only for the purpose of this Needs Assessment. o Participants will be asked to keep the comments of other participants confidential outside of the focus group/interview. o Notes will be taken during the focus group/interview; however, no names or identifiers will be used. o The focus group/interview will be recorded for transcription purposes. o After the Needs Assessment Report is completed, the recording will be erased. o The notes and transcript will be stripped of any identifying information and stored in a locked file cabinet at the offices of GCADV at 114 New Street, Suite B, Decatur, GA 30030. * Exceptions to Confidentiality – I understand that the members of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration are mandated reporters and by law must report the following: o Known or reasonable cause to believe a child, person over the age of 60 or an individual with a disability is being abused (O.C.G.A. § 19-7-5(c)(1) and O.C.G.A. § 30-5-1-5).  Note that individuals that are Deaf with no other disabilities are not considered vulnerable adults or disabled adults under this law.  * The results of the study may be obtained by contacting the Project Coordinator: Letitia Lowe Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence 404-209-0280 llowe@gcadv.org * The results should be available by May 2014. In addition, if I have general questions about giving my consent or my rights as a participant in this Needs Assessment, I can call the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence at 404-209-0280. I have read the above materials and have had a chance to ask questions, and any item that was unclear has been fully explained to me. My signature below indicates that I hereby freely and voluntarily consent to participate in this Needs Assessment. _______________________________________ ____________________ Signature of Participant Date Appendix I REQUEST FOR ACCOMMODATIONS This form is to be completed by the assigned point of contact responsible for recruiting focus group participants- ALSO PLEASE COMPLETE AND ATTACH THE RSVP FORM. Both forms are due to Project Coordinator at least two weeks prior to the scheduled focus group. PLEASE LIST 1st NAME OF THE PERSON REQUESTING ACCOMMODATIONS: _____________________________________ Advocate for person requesting accommodations (Name and best contact number #): ___________________________________________________________________ ( ) No accommodations needed ( ) Requires interpreter: ( ) American Sign Language (ASL) ( ) Pidgin Sign Language (PSL) ( ) Signed Exact English (SEE) ( ) Oral Interpreters ( ) Foreign Language Interpreter ( ) Tactile Interpreters (Deaf Blind) ( ) Other____________________________________________________ ( ) Requires Assistive Listening Device ( ) Requires Visual Aids ( ) Requires Captioning ( ) Requires ______________________________ to communicate ( ) Available on site ( ) Brought by participant ( ) Needs to be obtained from outside source ( ) Requires information in Braille ( ) Requires information in Large Print ( ) Requires information explained, read to them ( ) Other: ___________________________________________________________ Other considerations: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Appendix J Focus Group/Interview RSVP Form This form and the Accommodations Request Form are due to the Project Coordinator at least two weeks prior to the scheduled focus group/interview. Participant (1st name only): ____________________________________________ Please check ONE of the following: ____ I wish to participate in a focus group on: _______________ at ________________ at ____________________. (date) (time) (location) ____ I wish to participate, but only in a one-on-one interview/videophone on: _______________ at ________________ at ____________________. (date) (time) (location) ____ I do not wish to participate. Meeting Reminder Options: ____ I would like a meeting reminder from the person that recruited me. Best way to contact me: ____ Phone Is it okay to leave a message? Yes/No ____ Videophone ____ Mail ____ Email Contact Information: _________________________________________________ Best time to contact me: ______________________________________________ ____ I would NOT like a meeting reminder from the person that recruited me. ___________________________________________________________________ PLEASE LET YOUR RECRUITER KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY ACCOMMODATIONS REQUESTS. Appendix K Facilitator Script for Leadership Interviews (GCADV, GACHI, TFL, CIL/ATRCs) Prior to participants entering the room, ___ will greet each participant, ask for their first name, and thank them for coming. The purpose for this is to link each individual with any accommodations they have requested and to welcome them. Hi and thank you so much for meeting with us today. I am _______, the interviewer today, and I work for ______. _______ works for the _____ and will be taking notes today. We thank you for volunteering your time to participate in this interview. Your experiences are a very important part of the success of this project. As you already know, we are part of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration, which stands for the Partnership for Equality for Comprehensive Help for Deaf Domestic Violence Survivors. This is a collaborative project of the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (GCADV), GACHI, and Tools for Life, the State Assistive Technology Act Program (TLF) of Georgia Tech. GCADV, as you know, received a three year grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to establish this Collaboration. The purpose of the Collaboration is to facilitate the provision of equitable access to safe, comprehensive and responsive, person-centered services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened Georgians who have experienced domestic violence. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration will use individual interviews to gather information from the leadership of GCADV, GACHI, and TFL. Leadership consists of the directors of the three P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration agencies, as these individuals have oversight, management, and authority over decisions made regarding training and technical assistance, direct client interventions, strategic planning, and program policies and procedures. The information gathered is a part of a needs assessment process designed to accomplish the following: 1. Identify the strengths and gaps in the policies and procedures of GCADV, GACHI, and Tools for Life related to survivors of domestic violence who are Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened. 2. Identify the strengths and gaps in the provision of technical assistance and training for service providers throughout Georgia related to these survivors of domestic violence. 3. Identify the strengths and gaps in the delivery of services to these survivors of domestic violence. 4. Evaluate current relationships between the Collaboration Member Organizations; barriers to working together; and opportunities to sustain, expand, and enhance those relationships in order to facilitate accessible and effective services to these survivors of domestic violence. To reach these goals, we will be conducting interviews with 26 individuals and 14 focus groups across Georgia. Your participation in this needs assessment interview is voluntary, and you can end your participation at any point during the session. You can also choose not to answer a question that is asked. The notes we take will not have any identifying information, such as your name, date of birth, address, or social security number. The notes from the interview will be summarized in a report. All information gathered from this interview will solely be used for the purpose of the project, the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration, and for no other purpose. We would like to record the interview so we can be sure to capture your comments as accurately as possible. Do we have your permission to record the session? All information obtained in the interview will be kept confidential by the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration. We would like for you to freely share your thoughts, ideas, and comments. There is no right or wrong answers to the questions. Our questions are designed to gather information to better serve Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. We will not be asking you to share any information about abuse or violence that you or someone you know may have personally experienced. In fact, we prefer that you not share personal stories. Rather, we will be asking you about strengths and barriers to providing services to survivors who are Deaf or hard of hearing at your organization. If you choose to share examples of working with survivors, please be careful to maintain the survivor’s confidentiality by not sharing identifying details. The interview will require about one hour. Please let us know if you need to take a quick break during the interview. Again, we thank you very much for volunteering your time to participate in the Leadership interview. Do you have any questions before we begin? Ok, let’s get started!! CONCLUSION: Thank you for your participation. Appendix L FACILITATOR’S SCRIPT for DEAF INDIVIDUALS and DEAF SURVIVORS Hello! My name is _______, and I work for _______ and I will be your facilitator for today. _______ works for the _____and will be taking notes today. ___ works for _____, and she will be assisting us with the focus group/interview today. Thank you so much for your time to participate in this interview. We also have a sign language interpreter here with us. Our interpreters have been specially trained for this process and will maintain confidentiality. Please allow me to introduce _____________________. Your experiences as a Deaf person/survivor are a very important part of the success of this project which will help us identify strengths and gaps in providing services. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration, which stands for the Partnership for Equality for Comprehensive Help for Deaf Domestic Violence Survivors, is a collaborative project of the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, GACHI, and Tools for Life. Our ultimate goal is to understand how the community feels so that we can improve our services and remove barriers. (Deaf Survivors Only) Our mission is to facilitate the provision of equitable access to safe, comprehensive, and responsive person-centered services for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened individuals who have experienced domestic violence. Your participation in this interview/focus group is voluntary, and if at any point in time we discuss something that bothers or upsets you, please let us know. We have an advocate present who can meet up with you and take you to another room where you can sit and talk. The notes we take will not have any identifying information about you. All information obtained in the focus group will be kept confidential by the Collaboration partners. We would like for you to freely share your thoughts, ideas, and comments. There are no right answers. There are no wrong answers. Our questions are designed to gather information to better serve individuals who are 18 years of age and older seeking services from our organization. We want you to draw upon your experience and expertise and tell us what you think and how are you feeling. If you do this, your honest opinions will help us improve our systems and services. The notes from the interview will be summarized in a report. All information gathered from this focus group will solely be used for the purpose of the project, the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration, and for no other purpose. We would like to record the focus group/interview so we can be sure to capture your comments as accurately as possible. After we capture the information we need, the information in the recorder will be erased. Is there anyone who is uncomfortable having this discussion recorded? The assessment will take about one and a half hours depending on the length of our discussion. Please let us know if you need to take a quick break or grab a snack during the interview. We may also pause so often so that our note taker can catch up with the information. This is in no way a reflection of you. After the discussion, you will receive a $25 gift card for your participation. If for any reason you cannot take this gift card home, please let us know and we will make other arrangements that are suitable for you. (FG Only) If there’s anything you need, please let us know. Remember that we have an interpreter in the room so we ask that only one person speak one at a time and avoid side conversations. Please let me recognize you before you begin speaking so that everyone can participate in the process. It might take us a little longer but that’s okay. We want everyone to have an equal opportunity to participate. Please refrain from using your cellphones. (FG Only) Okay, I want to talk briefly about confidentiality and group guidelines before we get started. By participating to our discussion today, you are giving your consent to be part of the focus group/interview. (CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT DISTRIBUTED) You are also agreeing to the following focus group guidelines: 1. That you are voluntarily participating in this process. 2. You are responsible for keeping all information shared within the group confidential. 3. The information you do share will not be connected to you as an individual. ….as stated on the Confidentiality Statement I just gave you. Is everyone clear on confidentiality guidelines? Again, thank you very much for taking the time to be with us and for helping us improve services. Do you have any questions before we begin? Ok, let’s get started!! CONCLUSION Thank you for your participation and for making a difference for the Deaf and hard of hearing community. Appendix M Facilitator’s Script for DV Survivor Focus Group Check-In Process Prior to participants entering the room, the ___ will greet each participant and ask for their first name. The purpose for this is to link each individual with any accommodation they have requested. Additionally, the _____ will also provide them with their $25 gift card. The ____ will then direct them to the room where the focus group will be held. Entering the Room The facilitator will greet participants as they enter the room and thank them for coming. Introductions and Overview My name is _______________________________________, and I work for _______. Thank you for volunteering your time to participate in this group today. Your experiences are a very important part of the success of this project. The P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration is a project of the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, GACHI, and Tools for Life. The project’s goal is to improve services throughout Georgia. The purpose of our conversation today is to find out from you what you think is helpful or not helpful when you’re trying to get services in your community. We’re specifically interested in what you think based on your experience as a survivor of domestic violence. Your participation in this focus group is voluntary, and you may leave at any time if you change your mind about being here or if you simply decide you want to leave. You may also choose to answer or not answer any of the questions we ask. The notes we take will not have any identifying information about you and will be summarized in a report. All information gathered from this focus group will solely be used for the purpose of the project, P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration, and for no other purpose. We would like to record the focus group so we can be sure to capture your comments as accurately as possible. Do we have your permission to record the session? We will not be asking you to share specific information about abuse or violence that you or someone you know may have personally experienced. In fact, we prefer that you not share personal stories or details. Rather, we will be asking you about what works and what doesn’t work for you when seeking services in your community as a survivor of domestic violence. However, if you feel you’d like to talk to someone about any form of abuse that has impacted you, our advocate, ______, is available for you to talk to you privately at any time today. We also have a list of local resources available for you to take with you. All information obtained in the focus groups will be kept confidential by the collaborative partners with the exception of where we are mandated to report abuse of a child or vulnerable adult, or if there a threat of harm toward yourself or others. Also, please keep in mind that if you share personal information with other participants, the confidentiality of that information cannot be guaranteed. We ask that all participants respect the privacy of everyone here today by not discussing what was talked about and who participated. We would like everyone to be able to freely share their thoughts, ideas and comments. There is no right or wrong answers to the questions. Our questions are designed to gather information to better serve individuals who seek services from our organizations. There are three other people that will be helping me with the focus group today. Recorder, floater, and advocate introduce themselves to the group. __________________ is here to provide you with any support that you might need during the session. At any point, if you need assistance, please let them know. The focus group will be approximately 1 ½ hours. The rest rooms are located___________________________________________________. Feel free to take your restroom breaks or grab water as needed. As a reminder, you should have all received a $___ gift card when you arrived and checked in. If you did not receive this yet, please check with ___ before leaving. And again, we thank you very much for volunteering your time to participate in the focus group. Do you have any questions before we begin? Ok, let’s get started!! CONCLUSION Thank you for your participation. Appendix N Facilitator’s Script for Staff Focus Group Prior to participants entering the room, ___ will greet each participant, ask for their first name, and thank them for coming. The purpose for this is to link each individual with any accommodations they have requested and to welcome them. I am _______, the facilitator today, and I work for _______. _______ works for the _____and will be taking notes today. ___ works for _____ and is assisting with the focus group today. We thank you for volunteering your time to participate in this group. Your experiences are a very important part of the success of this project. As you already know, we are part of the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration, which stands for the Partnership for Equality for Comprehensive Help for Deaf Domestic Violence Survivors. This is a collaborative project of the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, GACHI, and Tools for Life, the State Assistive Technology Act Program of Georgia Tech. The Collaboration’s mission is to facilitate the provision of equitable access to safe, comprehensive, and responsive person-centered services for Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened individuals who have experienced domestic violence. The purpose of the Needs Assessment in conducting this focus group today is to accomplish the following: 1. Identify the strengths and gaps in the policies and procedures of GCADV, GACHI, and Tools for Life related to survivors of domestic violence who are Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind and Late Deafened. 2. Identify the strengths and gaps in the provision of technical assistance and training for service providers throughout Georgia related to survivors of domestic violence who are Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind, and Late Deafened. 3. Identify the strengths and gaps in the delivery of services to survivors of domestic violence who are Deaf, deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf Blind and Late Deafened throughout Georgia. To reach these goals, we will be conducting interviews with 26 individuals and 14 focus groups across Georgia. Your participation in this needs assessment group is voluntary, and you can end your participation at any point during the session. You can also choose not to answer a question that is asked. The notes we take will not have any identifying information, such as your name, date of birth, address, or social security number. All information obtained in the focus group will be kept confidential by the Collaboration partners. We would like for you to freely share your thoughts, ideas and comments. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions. Our questions are designed to gather information to better serve Deaf or hard of hearing survivors of domestic violence. The notes from the group will be summarized in a report. All information gathered from this focus group will solely be used for the purpose of the project, the P.E.A.C.H. Collaboration, and for no other purpose. We would like to record the focus group so we can be sure to capture your comments as accurately as possible. Do we have your permission to record the session? We will not be asking you to share any information about abuse or violence that you or someone you know may have personally experienced. In fact, we prefer that you not share personal stories. Rather, we will be asking you about strengths and barriers to providing services to survivors who are Deaf or hard of hearing at your organization. If you choose to share examples of working with survivors, please be careful to maintain the survivor’s confidentiality by not sharing identifying details. We are only collecting information about individuals who are 18 years of age or older. The focus group will take about one and a half hours. Please let us know if you need to take a quick break or grab a snack during the group. Again, thank you very much for volunteering your time to participate in the focus group. Do you have any questions before we begin? Ok, let’s get started!! CONCLUSION Thank you for your participation. Appendix O GCADV Staff Focus Group Questions 1. How do you provide technical assistance to member organizations and allied professionals? a. What method is used to deliver the technical assistance? For example: Support with product development, face-to-face consultation, phone consultation, etc…? b. How do programs request technical assistance? c. What are strengths and gaps with the process for programs to access technical assistance from GCADV? d. How can the process be improved? 2. How do you provide training to member organizations and allied professionals? a. How are training topics determined? b. How do the programs participate in this process? c. How do you evaluate the effectiveness of your training engagements? How do you know that you are meeting the needs of your audience? 3. What kind of training and technical assistance requests are you receiving related to the topic of working with survivors of domestic violence who are Deaf or hard of hearing? a. How do you respond to these requests? b. Are you prepared to provide specialized training and technical assistance in this topic area? For example: policy and procedure development, curriculum development, etc… c. What additional training and resources would you need to increase your capacity to provide training and technical assistance on this topic? 4. How does GCADV ensure that your trainings, meetings, and technical assistance engagements are accessible and welcoming? a. How do you know if someone has an accommodation need? Do you ask? If yes, when do you ask? b. Does your organization have policies and procedures that guide staff to respond when someone needs an accommodation? What happens when someone request an accommodation? How is it handled? 5. What equipment and practices do you have, if any, to receive calls and respond to calls from Deaf or hard of hearing individuals? a. How are you trained on this equipment and practices? 6. Tell us about job-related training you receive through GCADV? a. Tell us about where/how you receive training? b. How often do you receive training? c. How are the topics/focus areas for job-related training chosen? 7. Do you have any other feedback for us? Appendix P GACHI Staff Focus Group Questions 1. Tell us about a time when things went well when you were working with someone who disclosed they are experiencing or has experienced domestic violence? a. What prepared you to respond to this disclosure? b. What made the person feel comfortable disclosing to you? c. Is it important that your agency has a deaf-friendly environment to facilitate disclosure? Why? d. How did you determine if they had immediate safety concerns? e. What questions did you ask to determine their safety concerns? f. What made you feel comfortable and competent in working with this person? g. How comfortable were you asking about their safety needs related to domestic violence? 2. Tell us about a time when things did not go well for you when providing services to someone that you feel may have been exposed to domestic violence? a. What impacted this experience? Ex: Lack of adequate training, lack of resources, lack of accessibility, policies and procedures, etc… b. At the time, did you feel like you had the necessary training and tools to respond to the needs of this individual? Please explain? 3. Are there policies and procedures in place to guide staff’s response to a survivor of domestic violence who is Deaf or hard of hearing? a. How are these policies and procedures communicated to staff? b. Is there a policy concerning confidentiality in working with a consumer? What are some of the things you do to maintain confidentiality? c. How do you document information about the survivor’s abuse or safety needs? d. When the victim and perpetrator are both GACHI consumers, what do you do? e. What have been some effective strategies for working with consumers who have experienced (or is experiencing) domestic violence? f. What are challenges working with consumers who have experienced (or is experiencing) domestic violence? g. What are organizational challenges? h. How are these challenges handled? 4. Does your organization have a relationship with domestic violence organizations in your community? If so, tell us about that relationship. a. Tell us about your cross training efforts? Successful or not? b. Is your relationship informal or formal? c. What is working well? d. What challenges have you experienced? e. How could the relationship be improved? What would that relationship look like? 5. What do you want domestic violence service providers to know about Deaf or hard of hearing individuals in order to adequately serve survivors? 6. How does your agency provide technical assistance and training to other service providers around being deaf-friendly? a. To what extent do you address domestic violence in the technical assistance and training? 7. How does your agency provide you with job-related training? a. What does that look like? b. Bring in guest trainers? Off-site training? c. How often? d. How are the topics chosen? Appendix Q Tools for Life Staff Focus Group Questions 1. Tell us about a time when things went well when you were working with someone who disclosed they are experiencing or has experienced domestic violence? a. What prepared you to respond to this disclosure? b. What made the person feeling comfortable disclosing to you? c. Is it important that your agency has a deaf-friendly environment to facilitate disclosure? Why? d. What questions did you ask to determine if they had immediate safety concerns? e. What made you feel comfortable and competent in working with this person? 2. Tell us about a time when things did not go well for you when providing services to someone that you feel may have been exposed to domestic violence? a. What impacted this experience? Ex: Lack of adequate training, lack of resources, lack of accessibility, policies and procedures, etc… b. At the time did you feel like you had the necessary training and tools to respond to the needs of this individual? Please explain? 3. Are there policies and procedures in place to guide staff’s response to a survivor of domestic violence who is Deaf or hard of hearing? a. How are these policies and procedures communicated to staff? b. Is there a policy concerning confidentiality in working with a consumer? What are some of the things you do to maintain confidentiality? c. How do you document information about the survivor’s abuse or safety needs? d. When the victim and perpetrator are both Tools for Life consumers, what do you do? e. What are challenges working with consumers who have experienced (or is experiencing) domestic violence? f. What are organizational challenges? g. How would these challenges be addressed? 4. What does your organization currently do that ensures services are accessible to Deaf or hard of hearing individuals? a. What processes does your organization have that create an opportunity for a Deaf or hard of hearing individual to request an accommodation? b. What do you think your organization could do to improve its accessibility to better serve Deaf or hard of hearing individuals? c. Do you feel staff have what they need to meet accommodation requests? 5. Does your organization have a relationship with domestic violence organizations and with Deaf and hard of hearing organizations in your community? If so, tell us about these relationships. a. Tell us about your cross training efforts? Successful or not? b. What is working well? c. What challenges have you experienced? d. How could the relationship be improved? What would that relationship look like? 6. What do you want domestic violence service providers to know about assistive technology in order to adequately serve survivors who are Deaf or hard of hearing? 7. How does your agency provide technical assistance and training to other service providers around being Deaf-friendly? a. To what extent do you address domestic violence in the technical assistance and training? 8. Tell us about job related training you receive through Tools for Life? a. Tell us about where/how you receive training? b. How often do you receive training? c. How are the topics/focus areas for job-related training chosen? 9. Do you have any other feedback for us? Appendix R Domestic Violence Center Staff Focus Group Questions When we say “working with or providing a service to,” please think about your own job and role with [XYZ Shelter]. Speak to any experience where you may have worked with a Deaf or hard of hearing survivor of domestic violence. If you haven’t yet, think about any hypothetical situations where you might work with a Deaf or hard of hearing survivor or you may be the first point of contact for that person at [XYZ Shelter]. 1. How do you typically learn that you are working with a Deaf or hard of hearing individual? a. Questions during your intake process? b. Survivor discloses and/or requests accommodations? c. Your observations? d. Documentation by other staff in client file/ALICE system?* e. Notification from referring agency/person? 2. Tell us about a time when you were working with or providing services to a Deaf or hard of hearing survivor. What went well and what was challenging? What things were in place within your organization to help you? What types of things impacted the situation? a. Staff training on working with Deaf/hard of hearing survivors? b. Survivor and staff access to resources such as ASL interpreters, relay service, TTY, video phone, etc.? c. Supervisor support? d. Other community relationships? e. Policies and procedures? f. Anything else? The next set of questions is about how a Deaf or hard of hearing survivor of domestic violence can access services from [XYZ Shelter] and how requests for accommodation are made. By access, we mean: services that meet each individual’s physical, emotional, cognitive, financial, and cultural needs to acquire appropriate resources, advocacy, and safety. By accommodation, we mean: actions taken to ensure individuals with disabilities are able to fully participate in activities and services. 3. What policies and procedures do you have available at [XYZ Shelter] to guide you in responding to a Deaf or hard of hearing survivor of domestic violence? a. What are the strengths of your policies and procedures? b. What are some weaknesses? c. Do you receive training in following these policies and procedures? d. How does your agency provide support to you in following these policies and procedures? e. What are some changes that you think could be made to give you more guidance in providing services to Deaf or hard of hearing survivors? 4. What does [XYZ Shelter] currently do that ensures services are accessible to Deaf or hard of hearing survivors? a. What processes does [XYZ Shelter] have that create an opportunity for a Deaf or hard of hearing survivor to request an accommodation? b. What do you think [XYZ Shelter] could do to improve its accessibility to better serve Deaf or hard of hearing individuals? c. Do you feel staff have what they need to meet accommodation requests? 5. What do you see as [XYZ Shelter’s] biggest barriers to providing services for Deaf or hard of hearing survivors? a. Anything regarding the organizational culture or atmosphere? For example, are there any stigmas or assumptions about Deaf or hard of hearing individuals? b. How about the training your team received? c. What do you wish you had in place at your organization to assist you in serving Deaf or hard of hearing individuals? i. A system to understand someone’s accommodation needs? ii. Training? iii. Resources? iv. Community Partnerships? v. Specific policies and procedures? d. Anything else? 6. What types of assistive technology devices are you aware of for Deaf or hard of hearing individuals? a. Where might you get this assistive technology? 7. Have you ever partnered with a Deaf services or disability organization in the past to support a Deaf or hard of hearing survivor? a. If so, how did it go? b. What were the strengths in this partnership? c. What could be improved? d. If not, are you aware of organizations like these you could partner with? 8. What do you want Deaf or disability service providers to know about how to best serve survivors of domestic violence? a. What do they need to know about the impact trauma has on survivors? b. If you were going to train their staff, what would you put in the training curriculum to ensure they had the basics for responding to and serving domestic violence survivors? 9. Tell us about job related training you receive through your DV program? a. Tell us about where/how you receive training? b. How often do you receive training? c. How are the topics/focus areas for job-related training chosen? 10. Do you have any other feedback for us? Appendix S Centers for Independent Living Staff Focus Group Questions 1. Tell us briefly about the main services your Center offers concerning people with disabilities? For Deaf and hard of hearing? a. What are your strengths and barriers in offering services to Deaf and hard of hearing individuals? b. How do you handle communication needs? c. What assistive technology do you currently use to serve Deaf and hard of hearing individuals? d. What about your services would you describe as” Deaf and hard of hearing” friendly? 2. Tell us about a time when you were providing your customary services to a Deaf or hard of hearing individual whom you believed may have been exposed to domestic violence? a. How did you discover that the individual had been exposed to domestic violence? b. At the time did you feel like you had the necessary training, tools, and resources to respond to the needs of this individual? Please explain? c. Describe your level of comfort in responding to the disclosure. d. In retrospect, what did you do or could you have done to make the Deaf/hard of hearing individual feel comfortable disclosing to you? e. What questions did you ask to determine their safety concerns? f. What other challenges does your center encounter when working with Deaf/ hard of hearing individuals who have experienced (or are experiencing) domestic violence? 3. Are there policies and procedures in place to guide staff’s response to a survivor of domestic violence who is Deaf or hard of hearing? a. How are these policies and procedures communicated to staff? b. Is there a policy concerning confidentiality in working with a consumer? What are some of the things you do to maintain confidentiality? c. How do you document information about the survivor’s abuse or safety needs? d. When the victim and perpetrator are both your Center’s consumers, what do you do? e. How are new staff members made aware of these policies and procedures? f. Are your policies and procedures reviewed regularly? Tell us about the review process? What is working well? What can be improved? 4. Does your organization have a relationship with domestic violence organizations and with Deaf and hard of hearing organizations in your community? If so, tell us about these relationships. e. Tell us about your cross training efforts? Successful or not? f. Is your relationship informal or formal? g. What is working well? h. What challenges have you experienced? i. How could the relationship be improved? What would that relationship look like? 5. What do you want domestic violence service providers to know about assistive technology devices and services in order to adequately serve Deaf or hard of hearing individuals survivors? 6. Tell us about the training and technical assistance you provide on issues related to being Deaf friendly and assistive technology benefitting these individuals? a. Are domestic violence issues currently a part of this training and technical assistance? Do you see where DV issues could be brought in? 7. What are your thoughts about things that domestic violence providers can do to serve Deaf and hard of hearing individuals? What part might your Center play in working with DV providers as they serve Deaf/ hard of hearing survivors? 8. Tell us about job related training you receive through your CIL? a. Tell us about where/how you receive training? b. How often do you receive training? c. How are the topics/focus areas for job-related training chosen? 9. Do you have any other feedback for us? Appendix T Focus Group Questions for DV Survivors 1. How did you learn about services available to survivors of domestic violence? a. Where are good places to distribute or provide information about the services available? b. In your opinion, which of these ways would be the best choice when reaching out to survivors to let them know about the services available to them? 2. If you are receiving services from an organization, what makes services feel safe and comfortable? a. What about the location? The building? The space? b. How can staff make the environment welcoming and comfortable? c. What can staff say or do to make you feel comfortable and safe? d. What can staff do to help you feel more comfortable disclosing or talking about your experience with domestic violence? 3. On the other hand, what has an agency or service provider done that might have made you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, or prevented you from trusting them or having confidence in them? a. Physical space/location b. Overall atmosphere, comfort level and approachability c. Staff behavior, competency, knowledge 4. I’d like to focus now on confidentiality in the context of seeking services as a survivor of domestic violence. By confidentiality, we mean keeping private your personal information and identifying details about the abuse you experienced. a. How important is confidentiality when you’re seeking or receiving services? b. In what instances would it be OK to share identifying information and the details of your abuse with other organizations or individuals? i. After signing a one-time release of information as part of an intake process, allowing the organization to release your information to anyone they deem necessary? ii. Or do you prefer to be asked prior to each time your information is going to be released, providing you with a choice as to whom you want the information released to? iii. Or are you fine with an organization releasing your information anytime? 5. What challenges have you experienced when seeking safe, welcoming, and effective services in your community? a. Tell us about challenges you experienced because of stigmas or stereotypes associated with victims of domestic violence? b. How did you overcome those challenges? 6. What else would you like community service providers to know about how to best support survivors of domestic violence? 7. Do you have any other feedback for us? Appendix U Focus Group Questions for Deaf Individuals Note: Bolded text is an ASL interpretation of the English text to provide a guide to interpreters. 1. How do you find out about the services available to the Deaf community? Know you get services for Deaf people, how? a. Is there sufficient information and resources that are shared within the Deaf Community? Resources and information satisfied Deaf people? 2. If yes, where can you get the information? You answer yes, information get where? 3. If no, what would be the best way for the Deaf Community to get information?   You answer no, Deaf people get information how? (If necessary, give examples like brochures, internet, email, newsletters, etc.) 2.  Think of an agency you go to for help. What makes you feel comfortable in dealing with them? Agency you go need help, feel comfortable, good, satisfied, you feel how? a. How does the staff make you feel comfortable? Staff meet you feel comfortable, how? 3. What makes the agency feel more Deaf-friendly and accessible? What service improve for Deaf access need? a. What can staff do to make you know that you can request accommodations? If not understand staff, how staff ready roll (process) if you need interpreter? b. How do you inform staff that they are helping your problems? Or not? Suppose staff that is helping you with problem, do you inform good or lousy, satisfied, how? (can use thumb up and thumb down in lieu to good or lousy)      4. What are the biggest barriers have you experienced in getting help from agencies? Deaf problems needs help, what is huge block and frustrations with need help A-L-L agencies, what? a. What didn’t work well for that agency?       Fail agency, what? (make list if more than one) b. Have you had any issues surrounding confidentiality in dealing with agencies? Before problem with staff not (keep confidential) about your personal?  Did they blah, blah your personal with others? c. What are the challenges that you have experienced because of stigma and assumptions associated with Deaf individuals? People, know (use classifier finger) perception dumb (zero on the forehead), not educated, yourself bother, need help. You feel what? 5. If you brought up an issue to an agency about accommodations and accessibility, how did they respond? Agency deaf friendly not, you inform, complain, they say what? They do what? 6. What kind of training or information do you think agencies need to better serve Deaf people? Teach, train, (make a list) improve Deaf friendly agency, what? 7. Is there any additional information you would like to share related to agency services for Deaf people? More information, ideas, feeling connected Deaf agency recommended? Appendix V Interview Questions for Deaf Survivors Note: Bolded text is an ASL interpretation of the English text to provide a guide to interpreters. 1. Is there sufficient information about DV within the Deaf Community? Deaf (area) information D-V (finger point) know deep? a. If yes, where can you get the information about DV? Yes? Info where? b. If no, what would be the best way for the Deaf Community to get information about DV? Zero (on head) D-V, learn (OIC) how? 2. As a Deaf person who has experienced DV, what type of help did you need? Yourself know D-V, if need help you want what? 3. Did you reach out to an agency for support for that help? You (contact contact) agency help D-V (finger point)? a. How did you find out about the help or assistance that was available? D-V (finger point) issue need help, look, find PAH! How? b. Which agencies did you contact and why? Finish (contact contact) who agency? (contact contact) agency why? c. How did the agency communicate with you? Agency communicate how? d. How did the agency make you feel comfortable talking about the DV? (open shirt) experience D-V to (finger point) agency comfortable (do do)? e. How was your experience at this agency? Good or bad? Experience help agency (finger point) thumb up or thumb down? 4. What barriers did you face when trying to get services for DV? D-V yourself block (OIC) service (finger point) agency what? a. Did you have any problems surrounding confidentiality in dealing with agencies? Before problem with staff not (keep confidential) about your personal?  Did they blah, blah your personal with others? b. What are the challenges that you have experienced because of stigma and assumptions associated with Deaf survivors? Yourself hard (big hard sign) why people look me low (or oppressed) why? Because I Deaf worst low other Deaf and allow abuse? 5. What could be done to make Deaf individuals feel comfortable seeking services for DV? Improve comfortable, thumb up, good cooperate service Deaf (finger point) experience (finger point) D-V how? (encourage listing 1, 2, 3) a. In the future what would be the best way for DV agencies to inform Deaf individuals that accommodations are available? From now on agency (finger point) just perfect ask for accommodation how know? b. How do you inform staff that they are helping your problems? Or not? Suppose staff that is helping you with problem, do you inform good or lousy, satisfied, how? (can use thumb up and thumb down in lieu to good or lousy)      6. What kind of training or information do you think hearing agencies need to better serve Deaf people? Teach, train, (make a list) improve Deaf friendly agency, what? a. What kind of training or information do you think Deaf agencies need to better serve Deaf people? Teach, train Deaf agency (make a list) improve Deaf friendly agency, what? 7. Is there any additional information you would like to share related to agency services for Deaf survivors of DV? More information, ideas, feeling connected Deaf D-V (finger point) survivor recommended? Appendix W Executive Director of GCADV Interview Questions 1. In your organization, to what extent are you addressing the intersection of Deaf or hard of hearing individuals and domestic violence? Tell us about your experience? a. Tell us about your commitment to infuse knowledge of Deaf and related issues into the culture of the Coalition. Statewide? b. How are you communicating your commitment to your staff? Your membership? c. How is your commitment supported by the Board? The Coalition budget aside from the Disability grant? d. How are funding priorities determined? e. How are new funding priorities determined? Who participates in that process? 2. What is your perception of the knowledge of domestic violence programs throughout the state on issues surrounding Deaf culture? 3. How do you envision the Coalition providing technical assistance and training to certified domestic violence centers and allied professionals on the topic of Deaf survivors of domestic violence? a. How does providing technical assistance and training related to this issue align with the philosophy, vision and mission of the Coalition? b. If it is not aligned with the philosophy of the organization, what critical steps would need to be taken for that paradigm shift? c. How are new priority areas for technical assistance and training integrated into the culture of the organization? d. What additional resources would staff need to be successful in providing training and technical assistance on this topic? 4. How does the Coalition support staff requests for accommodation needs? a. How are they made aware that they can safely request accommodation needs? b. Tell us about the policies and procedures to handle these accommodation requests. Who handles these requests? c. What is working well? What can be improved? 5. In the Coalition budget, are there line items to support accommodations for people with hearing loss? Deaf or hard of hearing staff? Tell us about those funding sources. a. How does the budget support the accommodation needs of people with hearing loss who participate in training and technical assistance engagements? b. Do you have a budget item for various accommodations? (For example: interpreters, appropriate visual aids, etc.) c. Is there a clear policy/procedure/template that is used for people to make accommodation requests? Is that working well? How can the process be improved? 6. What equipment and practices do you have, if any, to receive calls and respond to calls from Deaf or hard of hearing individuals? a. How are staff member trained on this equipment and practices? 7. If you were providing technical assistance and training around these issues how do you know it is effective in meeting the needs of domestic violence centers and allied professions? a. What is working well with this process (es)? In what ways can this process (es) be improved? b. How does the process of evaluating technical assistance differ from that of training? c. How does the Coalition know they are meeting the needs of the certified domestic violence centers? 8. Since the start of the Disabilities Project, how is the Coalition actively recruiting people with expertise in the Deaf community either staff, collaborative partners, or consultants? a. How are potential applicants made to feel welcome to apply? b. What has worked well about your recruitment strategy? c. What are areas for improvement? 9. What is the process for making policy changes within the organization? How are new policies institutionalized within the organization? a. Who initiates the process? b. Who is involved in the process? Outside involvement? c. What works well with this process? d. How can the process be improved? e. How are Coalition staff members notified and trained on new policies? f. How do you communicate relevant policy changes to external constituents? 10. How would you describe the current relationships between Collaboration member organizations? a. Discuss barriers to working together. b. Describe opportunities to sustain these relationships. c. Describe opportunities to expand and enhance these relationships. d. How does this Collaboration align with the coalition’s mission and vision? Strategic plan and objectives? Appendix X Executive Director of GACHI Interview Questions 1. In your organization, to what extent are you addressing the intersection of Deaf or hard of hearing individuals and domestic violence? Tell us about your experience? a. Tell us about your commitment to infuse knowledge of DV and related issues into the culture of the organization. Statewide? b. How are you communicating your commitment to your staff? Your Board? c. How is your commitment supported by the Board? The budget aside from the Disability grant? d. How are funding priorities determined? e. How are new funding priorities determined? Who participates in that process? 2. What is your perception of the knowledge of domestic violence programs throughout the State on issues surrounding Deaf culture? 3. How do you envision GACHI providing technical assistance and training to service providers on the topic of Deaf survivors of domestic violence? a. How does providing technical assistance and training related to this issue align with the philosophy, vision and mission of the organization? b. If it is not aligned with the philosophy of the organization, what critical steps would need to be taken for that paradigm shift? c. How are new priority areas for technical assistance and training integrated into the culture of the organization? d. What additional resources would staff need to be successful in providing training and technical assistance on this topic? 4. Tell us about your policies and procedures that guide how GACHI staff handles disclosures of domestic violence. From GACHI staff? From GACHI consumers? a. What are your challenges with addressing domestic violence? b. What trainings would be beneficial for staff to be better equipped to safely handle disclosures? 5. What does GACHI do well in responding to and meeting the needs of consumers who have experienced (or is experiencing) domestic violence? 6. What challenges does GACHI face in responding to and meeting the needs of consumers who have experienced (or is experiencing) domestic violence? 7. If you were providing technical assistance and training around these issues how do you know it is effective in meeting the needs of consumers and community partners? a. What is working well with this process(es)? In what ways can this process(es) be improved? b. How does the process of evaluating technical assistance differ from that of training? c. How does the organization know they are meeting the needs of the consumer? 8. Since the start of the Disabilities Project how is GACHI actively recruiting people with expertise in domestic violence either staff, collaborative partners or consultants? a. How are potential applicants made to feel welcome to apply? b. What has worked well about your recruitment strategy? c. What are areas for improvement? 9. What is the process for making policy changes within the organization? How are new policies institutionalized within the organization? a. Who initiates the process? b. Who is involved in the process? Outside involvement? c. What works well with this process? d. How can the process be improved? e. How are Coalition staff members notified and trained on new policies? f. How do you communicate relevant policy changes to external constituents? 10. How would you describe the current relationship between Collaboration member organizations? a. Discuss barriers to working together. b. Describe opportunities to sustain these relationships. c. Describe opportunities to expand and enhance these relationships. d. How does this Collaboration align with GACHI’s mission and vision? Strategic goals and objectives? Appendix Y Project Director of Tools for Life Interview Questions 1. In your organization, to what extent are you addressing the intersection of Deaf or hard of hearing individuals and domestic violence? Tell us about your experience? a. Tell us about your commitment to infuse knowledge of DV and related issues into the culture of the organization. Statewide? b. How are you communicating your commitment to your staff? Your Advisory Council? c. How is your commitment supported by the Advisory Council? The budget aside from the Disability grant? d. How are funding priorities determined? e. How are new funding priorities determined? Who participates in that process? 2. What is your perception of the knowledge of domestic violence programs throughout the State on issues surrounding Deaf culture and assistive technology for the Deaf? 3. How do you envision Tools for Life providing technical assistance and training to service providers on the topic of Deaf survivors of domestic violence? a. How does providing technical assistance and training related to this issue align with the philosophy, vision and mission of the organization? b. If it is not aligned with the philosophy of the organization, what critical steps would need to be taken for that paradigm shift? c. How are new priority areas for technical assistance and training integrated into the culture of the organization? d. What additional resources would staff need to be successful in providing training and technical assistance on this topic? 4. Tell us about your policies and procedures that guide how Tools for Life handles disclosures of domestic violence. From Tools for Life staff? From Tools for Life consumers? a. What are your challenges with addressing domestic violence? b. What trainings would be beneficial for staff to be better equipped to safely handle disclosures? c. If there is domestic violence policies, do you have similar policies? 5. How does Tools for Life support requests for accommodation needs by either staff or by participants receiving technical assistance and training? a. How are they made aware that they can safely request accommodations? b. Tell us about the policies and procedures to handle accommodations? c. What is working well? What can be improved? 6. In the Tools for Life budget, are there line items to support accommodations for staff or consumers with hearing loss? Tell us about those funding resources? a. How does the budget support the accommodation needs of people with hearing loss who participate in training and technical assistance and training engagements? b. Do you have a budget item for various accommodations? (For example, interpreters, appropriate visual aids, etc.) c. Is there a policy/procedure/template that is used for people to make accommodation requests? Is that working well? How can the process be improved? 7. What equipment and practices do you have, if any, to receive calls and respond to calls for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals? 8. What does Tools for Life do well in responding to and meeting the needs of consumers who have experienced (or is experiencing) domestic violence? 9. What challenges does Tools for Life face in responding to and meeting the needs of consumers who have experienced (or is experiencing) domestic violence? 10. If you were providing technical assistance and training around these issues how do you know it is effective in meeting the needs of consumers and community partners? a. What is working well with this process(es)? In what ways can this process(es) be improved? b. How does the process of evaluating technical assistance differ from that of training? c. How does the organization know they are meeting the needs of the consumer? 11. Since the start of the Disabilities Project how is Tools for Life actively recruiting people with expertise in domestic violence either staff, collaborative partners or consultants? a. How are potential applicants made to feel welcome to apply? b. What has worked well about your recruitment strategy? c. What are areas for improvement? 12. What is the process for making policy changes within the organization? How are new policies institutionalized within the organization? a. Who initiates the process? b. Who is involved in the process? Outside involvement? c. What works well with this process? d. How can the process be improved? e. How are TFL staff members notified and trained on new policies? f. How do you communicate relevant policy changes to external constituents? 13. How would you describe the current relationship between Collaboration member organizations? a. Discuss barriers to working together. b. Describe opportunities to sustain these relationships. c. Describe opportunities to expand and enhance these relationships. Appendix Z Domestic Violence Centers Leadership Interview Questions 1. Tell us about your organization’s experience in providing services to survivors who are Deaf or hard of hearing. a. What is your perception of your staff’s knowledge about working with individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing? b. What does your organization do well in responding to the needs of survivors who are Deaf or hard of hearing? c. What challenges does your organization face in serving survivors who are Deaf or hard of hearing? The next set of questions is about how a Deaf or hard of hearing survivor of domestic violence can access services from your organization and how requests for accommodation are made. By access, we mean: services that meet each individual’s physical, emotional, cognitive, financial, and cultural needs to acquire appropriate resources, advocacy, and safety. By accommodation, we mean: actions to ensure individuals with disabilities are able to fully participate in activities and services. 2. What does your organization currently do that ensures services are accessible to Deaf or hard of hearing survivors? b. What processes does your organization have that create an opportunity for a Deaf or hard of hearing survivor to request an accommodation? c. What do you think your shelter could do to improve its accessibility to better serve Deaf or hard of hearing individuals? d. Do you feel staff have what they need to meet accommodation requests? 3. Are there policies and procedures in place to guide staff’s response to a survivor who is Deaf or hard of hearing? a. What are the strengths of those policies and procedures? b. What are some limitations? c. What kind of training does staff receive to implement these policies and procedures? i. New staff? ii. Review for existing staff? d. How do you and/or other supervisors ensure quality assurance of your staff in implementing these policies and procedures? 4. Has your organization or staff ever partnered with Deaf services or disability organizations in the past to support a survivor who is Deaf or hard of hearing? a. If so, how did it go? b. What were the strengths of this partnership? c. What could be improved? d. If no, are you aware of organizations like these you might partner with? 5. Tell us about your experiences your relationship with GCADV and your experience from getting technical assistance? a. What types of training and technical assistance do you and your staff need to better serve Deaf/ hard of hearing survivors? b. What is the best vehicle to provide you and your staff with new information about best practices, resources, etc.? 6. Do you have any other feedback for us? Appendix AA Centers for Independent Living Leadership Interview Questions 1. Tell us briefly about the main services your Center offers concerning people with disabilities? For Deaf and hard of hearing? a. What are your strengths and barriers in offering services to Deaf and hard of hearing individuals? b. How do you handle communication needs? c. What assistive technology equipment and practices do you currently have to serve Deaf and hard of hearing individuals? How are your staff trained on this equipment and these practices? d. What about your services would you describe as” Deaf and hard of hearing” friendly? 2. In the Center’s budget, are there line items to support accommodations for people with hearing loss? Deaf or hard of hearing staff? Tell us about those funding sources. a. How does the budget support the accommodation needs of people with hearing loss who participate in training and technical assistance engagements? b. Do you have a budget item for various accommodations? (For example: interpreters, appropriate visual aids, etc.) c. Is there a clear policy/procedure/template that is used for people to make accommodation requests? Is that working well? How can the process be improved? 3. What is your perception of the knowledge of your staff about domestic violence issues surrounding Deaf culture? 4. In your organization, to what extent is your Center providing services to consumers whom you believe are experiencing domestic violence? Tell us about your experience? a. What about services to Deaf and hard of hearing individuals? b. What barriers do you face in serving the needs of these populations? 5. Are there policies and procedures in place to guide staff’s response to a survivor of domestic violence who is Deaf or hard of hearing? a. How are these policies and procedures communicated to staff? b. Is there a policy concerning confidentiality in working with a consumer? What are some of the things you do to maintain confidentiality? c. How do you document information about the survivor’s abuse or safety needs? d. When the victim and perpetrator are both your Center’s consumers, what do you do? e. How are new staff members made aware of these policies and procedures? f. How often do you review your policies and procedures? Tell us about the review process? What is working well? What can be improved? 6. Does your organization have a relationship with domestic violence organizations and with Deaf and hard of hearing organizations in your community? If so, tell us about these relationships. a. Tell us about your cross training efforts? Successful or not? b. Is your relationship informal or formal? c. What is working well? d. What challenges have you experienced? e. How could the relationship be improved? What would that relationship look like? 7. What do you want domestic violence service providers to know about your Centers assistive technology devices and services in order to adequately serve Deaf or hard of hearing individuals survivors? 8. What types of training and technical assistance do you and your staff need to better serve Deaf/ hard of hearing individuals who you believe have experienced domestic violence? 9. Do you have any other feedback for us? APPENDIX BB Focus Group Debriefing Form Group: ______________________________________ Date: _____________ Time: _________________ Location: ______________________________________ Facilitator: _____________ Recorder: ______________ Floater: _____________ Number of Participants: ___ Make brief notes (phrases, sentence fragments, any memorable quotes) about key points. Note issues which generated animated group response or conflict. Memorable Quotes: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Common Themes: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Conflict: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Any surprises? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What went well? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Suggested changes for future focus groups/interviews? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Overall impression of the session? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Other comments: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Appendix CC Deaf Resources GACHI Main Office 4151 Memorial Drive Suite 103-B Decatur, GA 30032 Voice/TTY: 800-541-0710 Fax: 404- 299-3642 www.gachi.org GACHI Macon Office 4100 Riverside Drive, Suite 99 Macon, GA 31210 (478) 238-6960 (Voice/TTY) (478) 254-2387 (Fax) Advocate VP: (478) 845-1130 GACHI Northeast Office 336 Broad Street, Suite 201 Rome, GA 30161 (706) 622-2438 (Voice/TTY) (706) 622-2364 (Fax) Advocate VP: (706) 622-5361 Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Rebecca Sills, MRC, CSC Director, GA VR Deaf Services Deaf Services Regional Office 6135 Roosevelt Hwy Warm Springs, GA 31830 Phone: (706) 655-5009 Video Phone: (678) 785-5126 Fax: (706) 655-5011 Email: Rebecca.Sills@gvra.ga.gov Main Office: 2 Peachtree Street, NW Atlanta, GA 30303 Toll Free: (866) 489-0001 Phone: (404) 232-7800 Tele Relay Service: 711 Fax: (404) 232-1800 www.gvra.ga.gov Georgia Association of the Deaf, Inc. Deaf Seniors of Georgia P.O. Box 615 Hiram, Georgia 30141 www.gadeaf.org Georgia Association of the Deaf-Blind Frank Levine 3037 Millstone Court Austell, GA 30106 TTY: 770-270-1537 Fax: 770-908-2220 FrankLevine@AtlantaBrailleRepair.com http://www.aadb.org/resources/db_organizations/georgia.html Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Amy Peterson, MS, CDI Deaf Services Coordinator AmPeterson@dbhdd.ga.gov Voice/Video Phone: (404) 991-2306 Two Peachtree Street, N.W., 24th Floor Atlanta, Georgia 30303 www.dbhdd.ga.gov ADWAS (Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Services) 8623 Roosevelt Way NE Seattle WA 98115 Office: (206) 922-7088 VP Fax: (206) 726-0017 www.adwas.org RID (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf) 333 Commerce Street Alexandria, VA 22314 (703) 838-0030 (703) 838-0459 TTY (703) 838-0454 Fax www.rid.org G.R.E.A.T D.A.Y. (Georgia Resources, Education, Advocacy and Treatment for Deaf Adults and Youth) Mental Health Resources for the Deaf Community 4151 Memorial Drive Suite 103-A Decatur, GA 30032 (404) 377-9224 (Voice) (404) 381-8378 (VP) www.greatdayinc.net Domestic Violence Resources Georgia Domestic Violence Hotline 800-33—HAVEN (800-334-2836) National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-SAFE (800-799-7233) www.thehotline.org Partnership Against Domestic Violence Atlanta, GA and Lawrenceville, GA (404) 873-1766 Crisis Line, Fulton Co. (770) 963-9799 Crisis Line, Gwinnett Co. (404) 870-9600 Admin Line www.padv.org Women’s Resource Center to End Domestic Violence Decatur, GA (404) 688-9436 Crisis Line (404) 370-7670 Admin Line www.wrcdv.org International Women’s House Decatur, GA (770) 413-5557 Crisis Line/Admin Line www.internationalwomenshouse.org Crisis Line and Safe House of Central Georgia Macon, GA (478) 745-9292 Crisis Line (478) 745-9292 Admin Line www.cl-sh.org YWCA of Northwest Georgia Marietta, GA (770) 427-3390 Crisis Line (770) 427-2902 Admin Line www.ywca.org Securus House Morrow, GA (770) 961-7233 Crisis Line (770) 960-7153 Admin Line www.securushouse.org Hospitality House for Women Rome, GA (706) 235-4673 Crisis Line (706) 235-4608 Admin Line www.hospitality-house.org Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence www.gcadv.org Sexual Assault Resources Rape Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673) Hotlinewww.rainn.org Grady Rape Crisis Center Atlanta, GA (404) 616-4861 Crisis Line (404) 616-3521 Admin Line DeKalb Rape Crisis Center Decatur, GA (404) 377-1428 Crisis Line (404) 377-1429 Admin Line www.dekalbrapecrisiscenter.org Crisis Line and Safe House of Central Georgia Macon, GA (478) 745-9292 Crisis Line (478) 745-9292 Admin Line www.cl-sh.org Sexual Assault Center of Northwest Georgia Rome, GA (866) 655-8625 Crisis Line (706) 292-9024 Admin Line www.sacnwga.com Georgia Network to End Sexual Assault www.gnesa.org Assistive Technology and Disability Related Resources Tools for Life- the Georgia Assistive Technology Act Program and statewide Tools for Life Assistive Technology Resource Centers. Provides access to and acquisition of assistive technology devices and services. www.gatfl.org Northwest Georgia Center for Independent Living Rome, GA www.nwgacil.org Disability Connections Center for Independent Living Macon, GA www.disabilityconnections.com Friends of Disabled Adults and Children, Too- gently used home health care products for reuse. The Center for Financial Independence and Innovation (CFII) - affordable financing to purchase AT like hearing aids and devices. Decatur, GA (404) 541-9005 www.thecfii.org Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO) - Protection and Advocacy services. Decatur, GA (404) 885-1234 www.thegao.org/what-we-do/ The Lions Lighthouse of Georgia Foundation- Hearing aids to uninsured and low income Georgians. www.lionslighthouse.org/About_Us/our_work www.assistivetech.net. Information about hearing devices. www.beyondhearingaids.com. Product resources, a newsletter, and articles for Deaf and hard of hearing. www.ttyweb.com/new/default.aspx. Products for individuals with hearing loss. i Devore, W., Krueger, S., Obinna, J. etal. Understanding the Needs of the Victims of Sexual Assault in the Deaf Community. Retrieved August 15, 2013, from National Criminal Justice Reference Service: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/212867.pdf. i Family Violence Statistics Report. Retrieved August 15, 2013 from: http://services.georgia.gov/gbi/crimestats/viewFamilyViolenceStatReport.do. i 2012 Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Report. Retrieved August 13, 2013 from Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence: http://gcadv.org/publications-and-materials/. i Harrington, Tom. Local and Regional Deaf Populations, U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 15, 2013, from Gallaudet University Library: http://libguides.gallaudet.edu/content.php?pid=119476&sid=1029190. i Black, M., Breiding, M. Adverse Health Conditions and Health Risk Behaviors Associated with Intimate Partner Violence. Retrieved August 13, 2013, from the Center for Disease Control: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5705a1.htm *ALICE is client database and reporting software used by all of Georgia’s certified domestic violence programs.