Documenting Our Work

1
Documenting Our Work

• The Documenting Our Work (DOW) project was
  initiated by Family Violence Prevention and
  Services Act staff at the U.S. Department of
  Health and Human Services and the National
  Resource Center on Domestic Violence

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So, what is DOW?

• DOW is national initiative to develop tools to
  gather data on the impact and value of services
  provided by local domestic violence programs.
• It requires a new type of data collectioncollecti
  ng data directly from victims.

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How will this impact Virginia?

• The Family Violence Prevention Services (FVPSA)
  program has been participating in the Documenting
  Our Work initiative to develop outcome reporting
  components for FVPSA grantees that would be
  reasonable, valid and tested, useful to local
  programs and not burdensome.
• Effective October 1, 2008, the FVPSA requires
  each state to submit a new set of data about
  services provided by Domestic Violence Programs
  and a new set of data about the outcomes of
  services.

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Dont Panic

• We are so lucky to have VAdata!
• VAdata makes it easy for us to meet the new
  service data requirements for FVPSA.
• We have updated your VAdata reports to include
  the statistical information required by FVPSA.

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What Will Be New To VAdata?

• Currently, VAdata does not include information or
  data collected directly from the people receiving
  services.
• There are two new reporting elements required by
  FVPSA that involves outcome data and
  necessitates the collection of some data from
  adults who use the services of domestic violence
  programs.

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Talk to me about outcomes.

• Outcomes help to document that our services make
  a difference to people.
• This more qualitative data demonstrates that all
  we have done has had an important impact.

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What are the two new outcomes?

• As a result of contact with the domestic violence
  program, 65 or more of domestic violence
  survivors will have strategies for enhancing
  their safety.
• As a result of contact with the domestic violence
  program, 65 or more of domestic violence
  survivors will have knowledge of available
  community resources.

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So, what is Virginias Plan?

• The VAdata Advisory Committee and staff addressed
  this question for about 12 months and made the
  following recommendations
• Make the outcome data collection a part of the
  VAdata system so that all data will be in one
  central place and reports can be generated
  easily
• Adapt the extensive Documenting Our Work (DOW)
  survey forms developed by the FVPSA office and
  the National Resource Center, making them shorter
  and easier to read and complete

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So, what is Virginias Plan?

• Establish a central data entry point for the
  outcome data so that the burden of data entry is
  not placed on local agencies or on the Action
  Alliance
• Promote practice that includes making outcome
  surveys available to most shelter residents and
  most survivors who access community-based
  services only and
• Develop DOW tools that would applicable to sexual
  assault so we can also report outcomes of
  services provided by SACC, knowing that outcome
  requirements may be coming for VOCA funds.

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Lets Talk about the Surveys?

• The VAdata staff have developed two surveys
• Shelter Resident Survey, to be made available to
  persons accessing shelter services
• Community Services Survey, to be made available
  to persons using community advocacy services.

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What Do the Surveys Ask?

• Length of time in Shelter or Receiving Services
• Whether or not the person would refer a friend
• Information about help wanted and received
• Gains from shelter stay or advocacy services

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What Do the Surveys Ask?

• Feelings about respect and support received
• Four open-ended questions
• What other help was needed/wanted
• What s/he would have done if shelter/services
  didnt exist
• Description of difficulties/concerns
• Description of positive experiences
• Basic demographics

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Lets Talk About Implementation

• Our Goals
• Each person receiving services has an equal
  opportunity to participate and/or provide
  feedback
• Each program develops a set procedure for
  distributing and collecting surveys
• We work together to protect the anonymity of
  those completing the surveys

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How Do We Get Started?

• The VAdata staff will provide all SDVAs with a
  pdf of each survey for you to copy.
• Each SDVA will be assigned a unique numberthe
  number will be printed right on your surveys.
• Each SDVA will also be given a set of mailing
  labels for the PO Box to which the surveys will
  be returned (they do not go to the regular Action
  Alliance mailing address).

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Getting Started Cont.

• Each SDVA will decide a regular time-frame or
  interval for distributing the survey to people
  receiving services
• Each SDVA will develop a protocol for collecting
  completed surveys that promotes anonymity and
  confidentiality.

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When/How Do We Hand Out the Surveys?

• Community-Based Services---hand out the survey to
  each adult who receives services from your agency
  on at least 3 different dates.
• Shelter-Based Services--- hand out surveys to
  residents at the point that you think they are
  about mid-way through their shelter stay.

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What happens to the completed surveys?

• We request that people completing the surveys put
  them in an envelope, seal it, and returns it to
  you.
• You may also choose to have a designated box
  where they can put the surveys.
• We request that you send the completed surveys to
  the designated post office box on a regular basis
  and no later than 15 days following the end of a
  calendar quarter (Jan. 15, April 15, July 15,
  Oct. 15).

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Why Do We Have to Send Them Away?

• To promote confidentiality of feedback
• To make sure we dont add an additional burden of
  data entry on local agencies or on the Action
  Alliance.

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What Happens to the Surveys?

• They will be retrieved by a person with whom the
  Action Alliance has contracted to enter the data.
• S/he will enter all of the data into VAdata.
• Summarized data will be reported to you via your
  regular VAdata reports.
• The paper surveys will be shredded once entered
  into VAdata.

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How will this data be helpful to us?

• To improve services, including an examination of
  whether or not people from marginalized and/or
  underserved populations have different
  experiences with our services
• To document need.
• To promote accountability to the people we serve.

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How will this data be helpful to us?

• These are outcomes that are valid, tested, and
  evidence-based.
• The outcomes and survey questions were informed
  by people working in the domestic violence field
  and not imposed by an outsider
• Across the nation, victims/survivors will be
  answering, at a minimum, these same two
  questions
• Because of the services I have received from this
  program so far, I feel
• I know more ways to plan for my safety
  Yes No
• I know more about community resources Yes
  No

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Will there be other outcomes from this new data?

• Take a look at the surveys.
• All of this data can be used to document how
  people were helped as a result of your services.
  
• There is even an opportunity for people to tell
  us what they would have done if your services had
  not existed. In the Virginia pilot, this has
  provided some compelling narrative.

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What were those results?

• What would you do without Shelter?
• stay with the abuser
• I would be killed or still in my situation
• I dont know I think I would took my life.
• Been on street unsafe
• Im sure many of us have heard these statements.
  How compelling to be able to report on them in
  the persons own words!

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What happens if the surveys are not completed and
returned?

• These surveys are completely VOLUNTARY.
• People may choose, for whatever reason, not to
  return them.
• What is important is everyone who fits the
  criteria is offered the opportunity to complete
  and return a survey.

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What if someone leaves the shelter unexpectedly,
without receiving a survey?

• This is going to happen, and its not a problem.
  
• The goal is to develop a system for distributing
  the surveys and to follow your system when
  possible.

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What if an advocate forgets to give a person a
survey on the planned date?

• This, too, is going to happen. When there are
  new procedures in practice and/or new staff and
  volunteers in the agency, things get missed.
• We encourage SDVA advocates to do what they can
  to assure that victims/survivors are given the
  opportunity to participate.

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Who do we call if we have questions?

• Contact the VAdata staff
• Kristine Hall
• or
• Sherrie Goggans
• _at_ 804.377.0335