Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB

Review; Comment Request

Periodically, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration (SAMHSA) will publish a list of information collection

requests under OMB review, in compliance with the Paperwork Reduction

Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). To request a copy of these documents, call

the SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer on (301) 443-7978.

Pretesting of Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Mental

Health Services Communication Messages--NEW--As the Federal agency

responsible for developing and disseminating authoritative knowledge

about substance abuse prevention, addition treatment, and mental health

services and for mobilizing consumer support and increasing public

understanding to overcome the stigma attached to addiction and mental

illness, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

(SAMHSA) is responsible for development and dissemination of a wide

range of education and information materials for both the general

public and the professional communities. This submission is for generic

approval and will provide for formative and qualitative evaluation

activities to (1) assess audience knowledge, attitudes, behavior and

other characteristics for the planning and development of messages,

communication strategies and public information programs; and (2) test

these messages, strategies and program components in developmental form

to assess audience comprehension, reactions and perceptions.

Information obtained from testing can then be used to improve materials

and strategies while revisions are still affordable and possible. The

annual burden associated with these activities is summarized below.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of Responses per Hours per

Activity respondents respondent response Total Hours

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Individual in-depth interviews:

General public.............................. 400 1 .75 300

Service Providers........................... 200 1 .75 150

Focus group interviews:

General public.............................. 3,000 1 1.50 4,500

Service Providers........................... 1,500 1 1.50 2,250

Telephone interviews:

General public.............................. 335 1 .08 27

Service Providers........................... 165 1 .08 13

Self-administered questionnaires:

General public.............................. 2,680 1 .25 670

Service Providers........................... 1,320 1 .25 330

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Gatekeeper reviews:

General public.............................. 1,200 1 .50 600

Service Providers........................... 600 1 .50 300

Total................................... 11,400 .............. .............. 9,140

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Written comments and recommendations concerning the proposed

information collection should be sent within 30 days of this notice to:

Daniel Chenok, Human Resources and Housing Branch, Office of Management

and Budget, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, Washington, D.C.

20503.

Dated: October 15, 1998.

Richard Kopanda,

Executive Officer SAMHSA.

[FR Doc. 98-28303 Filed 10-21-98; 8:45 am]

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