154 - Nebraska State Opioid Response: Transforming Qualitative Methods to Obtain More Robust Information

Abstract Information: Since 2019, the Nebraska State Opioid Response (SOR) Program has supported evidence-based prevention, recovery, and treatment services to address stimulant and opioid use disorders and increase access to Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for those who are uninsured and do not have Medicaid. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Division of Behavioral Health has partnered with the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center (NUPPC) to evaluate the SAMHSA-funded program. As part of the evaluation performance assessments are conducted by the NUPPC team twice per year to highlight strengths of and barriers to program implementation and improve communication between state and local partners. The SOR project and evaluation plan have evolved over three grant awards, adding listening sessions with administrators and providers to regular surveys conducted since the beginning of the grant. These modifications have made the performance assessments more responsive, actionable, and informative. This poster will describe the performance assessment process and reflect on the past, present, and future of the methods behind the performance assessments.

Relevance Statement: This year’s conference theme “The Power of Story” highlights the importance that stories can bring to an evaluation by offering context evidence - important aspects of evaluation. Our methods and approach to the performance assessment component of our evaluation of the State Opioid Response (SOR) Program has changed to better tell the stories of challenges, successes, and lessons learned in implementation by providers and specialists working at a grassroots level across the state. This shift in methods occurred partially due to best practices in qualitative methods learned at the AEA conference in 2022 and will continue as the team considers equitable approaches to qualitative methods . The performance assessment data was originally collected through online surveys, which included closed and open-ended questions and were completed by individuals. Response rates were low and the information obtained was surface level, for example, only focusing on numbers of clients served or medications distributed. By moving the performance assessments to an online focus group format and reframing them as “listening sessions,” the team was able to increase participation and collect much more information . For example, the team was able to capture administrators’ attitudes towards changes in the SOR program between grants, and explain their roles in prevention, treatment, and recovery activities more thoroughly. Through applying these best practices to the performance assessments, we were able to engage new stakeholders, obtain more robust information, and improve participant buy-in. The shift in evaluation methods has increased the quality of the performance assessment, telling a fuller story of different aspects of program implementation. Given these benefits, we hope to move to in person listening sessions in the future and anticipate a continued increase in buy-in from stakeholders involved in the SOR program across the state.