Veteran Field Interviewer Training Sessions

5.3.1 Design

To prepare the FIs chosen to continue working from the 2011 NSDUH into 2012, the veteran FI training program consisted of three pre-training iLearning courses (see Section 4.6.1 for more information and Tables 5.4 and 5.5 for the results of these courses) completed in November and December 2011, followed by a 1-day FS team meeting and training session held in January 2012 at 38 different sites across the United States. Having regional sessions

throughout the country served several purposes:

• Through the developed training program, project management staff expressed appreciation for past efforts and provided explicit instructions for ways to improve future performance.

• FIs were able to share helpful tips with each other.

• FSs met with their entire team to discuss specific issues for their assigned area and enhance team rapport.

FS team meetings were held at 38 sites listed in Table 5.2. Two separate sessions were held, with the A groups meeting January 3 and the B groups meeting January 5, 2012. In addition to these early January FS team meetings, two make-up teleconferences were held on January 5 and 9, 2012, to train any veteran FIs unable to attend their FS team meeting. Also, throughout 2012, additional veteran FIs who missed the January sessions were trained with permission on an individual basis. Table 5.1 summarizes the January veteran training sessions.

The 1-day (7-hour) FS team meeting and training session covered topics such as region- specific goals, FS team results, and MHSS procedures and included four workshops focusing on techniques for gaining cooperation among difficult respondent populations and averting refusals, production cost and quality, controlled access and difficult-to-contact cases, and an FI roundtable of various topics. All FSs presented the workshop on gaining cooperation and averting refusals and then were able to choose one of the remaining three workshops to present to their team. The shortened training session was possible due to the minimal changes made to the screening and interviewing programs and allowed many FIs to avoid an overnight stay.

To provide consistency between FS team meetings, a training guide with seven sections provided detailed instructions and text to ensure all necessary instructional points were covered.

5.3.2 Staffing

At each training site, there was a site leader who served as the contact person for any hotel or logistical issues, served as the liaison between the site and NSDUH management, and ensured all classrooms followed the guide and remained on schedule. In addition, assistant trainers were available at larger sites to assist with classroom setup and training activities as needed. The assistant trainer was an extra NSDUH staff trainer at the site.

Each class was taught by the managing FS, assisted by the site leader and/or assistant trainer. Each FS team attended one session, either Session A or Session B. One trainer usually presented at the front of the room while the other trainers monitored FI progress and assisted FIs with questions and activities.

5.3.3 Train-the-Trainers

To prepare FSs, site leaders, and assistant trainers for their training role and to instruct all project staff in the changes for the 2012 survey, a Train-the-Trainers session was held via a video-streamed meeting. Staff were able to view a video presentation of the meeting in real time from their computer and submit any questions through a secure network. The 2-hour session was held on November 13, 2011. The video-streamed meeting was led by members of the

instrumentation team who reviewed all portions of the veteran training guide and materials as well as logistics for the January sessions.

To further prepare staff for the upcoming team meetings, each RS team had a group conference call in December to review the veteran training guide in more detail. Each FS was assigned a section of the guide to review and then share information about the content, detailed preparations, and proper handling of any exercises and issues that might arise. These calls allowed the FSs, under the leadership of the RS, to review the guide as a small group and better prepare to be trainers at the FS team meetings. An instrumentation team member was on each RS call to help answer any questions about the guide.

5.3.4 Content of Veteran Field Interviewer Training Sessions

The 1-day FS team meeting and training session began at 9:00 am with an FS welcome to the session, an ice-breaker activity, and a review of the 2011 FS team results, training agenda, and goals. Next, FIs were introduced to administrative and timekeeping changes related to the Service Contract Act (SCA). FIs then were trained on new transmission software for the FI laptop to be released in Quarter 1, 2012. The next workshop focused on MHSS procedures and materials. After lunch, FSs conducted a workshop that included practice exercises on answering respondent questions, a brief summary of selected 2010 NSDUH results and how to use that information with respondents, a discussion on gaining cooperation among difficult respondent populations, answering respondent questions accurately, and techniques on refusal aversion and conversion. FSs could tailor the workshop discussion to specific problems faced by their region. FSs then had the choice of conducting one of three interactive workshops they felt were most suited to the issues faced in their regions, including production cost and quality, controlled access and difficult-to-contact cases, and an FI roundtable. The day ended at 4:00 pm with a wrap-up in which FI questions could be answered.

5.3.5 Special Veteran Training Sessions

Two additional make-up teleconferences were held on January 5 and 9, 2012, to

accommodate those veteran FIs unable to attend the early January sessions. An instrumentation team member served as the trainer for these sessions so that FSs could focus on managing data collection.

As the year progressed, veteran FIs from 2011 who wished to resume working were trained individually via iLearning and telephone conference with an FS or an instrumentation team member. These FIs missed the January sessions due to illness or preapproved scheduling conflicts. With special permission, one-on-one training brought these FIs up to speed on the 2012 NSDUH. Following successful completion of the iLearning courses, the FS or instrumentation team member worked with the veteran FI(s) to cover the content of the 2012 FS team meeting and training session.