APPENDIX A: INTERVIEW GUIDES

Community Member Interview Guide

1. Opening
   • Thank you for taking the time to meet with me/us. We recognize that your time is valuable and we appreciate your participation.
   • We are graduate students from UNC School of Public Health. A requirement of our graduate program is that we work with a community in NC to conduct a community diagnosis. This means that we help the community to identify its strengths, weaknesses, and future directions. Our community is Durham County. The information we gather will be summarized and shared with the community. In addition, we will present our results to the community at a forum that will be held in the spring.
   • The purpose of speaking with you today is to find out about your thoughts and experiences of (having lived/having worked in/being familiar with) Durham County. We are interested in your opinions. There are no right or wrong answers.
   • Time: This interview should last between 45 - 90 minutes. We would like to give you the opportunity to tell us as much as you would like, but (mention if you have limited time/ask if they do)
2. Confidentiality
   • Your comments will remain confidential. We will be reporting summaries of the comments made by community members but will not identify who said what, nor will we identify the names of the individuals we interview.
   • We would like to take notes and tape record this interview. Your input is important and we want to make sure that we accurately record what you tell us. Feel free to not respond to any question we ask, or hit the "Stop" button on the tape recorder at any time. After we are finished using the tapes for this class, the cassettes will be recycled or destroyed. Is this okay with you?
3. Ground Rules
   • Right to refuse: if at any time while we're talking you don't want to answer a question, you not feel comfortable, or you would like to end the interview, please feel free to let me/us know.

Do you have any questions about anything I've said so far?

4. Self and Family
   • How long have you lived in this area?
   • Who does your family consist of?
   • What kind of work do you/members of your family do? Where?
   • What activities in the community are you involved in?
   • Where do you attend church?
5. Geography of Community
   • We have been asked to work with the Durham County community. How would you define "Durham County?" (show map)
   • About how many people would you say live in Durham County?
6. Assessment of Community
   • If someone were considering moving to Durham County, what would you tell them about the area to convince them to move here? Probe: What are other strengths or good things about Durham County?
   • How could Durham County be improved? Probe: What other problems/areas of improvement does Durham County have?
   • Would you consider Durham County to be a stagnant community, or a changing community? What makes you think this? Is this something that you would consider to be good or bad for Durham County?
   • How well would you say people know their neighbors?
   • If you needed help for some reason, who would you turn to?
   • How do you stay informed about what's going on in Durham County?
7. Community Activities
   • What organizations are in the Durham County community?
   • Who are the important people in the community for getting things done? Probe: Who are the formal/informal community leaders, etc.
   • What kinds of projects has Durham County worked on together (in the past 5-10 years) (How) were you involved in these efforts?
   • What groups of people are involved in community activities? Probe: Are people from all age groups involved? (Are young people - those under 30 - involved in community activities?)
8. Employment/Economics
   • Where would you say that most people in Durham County work?
   • What do you think of these job opportunities? (Are they "good"jobs, or "bad", etc)
   • How do you think people are doing financially in your community?
9. Health
   • What health problems have you or your family had to deal with?
   • What are the main health problems of people in Durham County?
   • Where do you (and your family) get medical care?
   • What do most people do when they have health problems? (i.e. do they seek care?)
   • Where do most people in this community go to receive medical care?
   • How do most people get to the (doctor, health dept, etc)? (i.e. what transportation is available?)
   • What kinds of human, social, or health services have you (or your family) used? Probe: What was it like?
   • Would you consider Durham County to be a healthy community? Probe: What makes it a healthy community? or Why wouldn't you consider Durham County to be a healthy community?
10. Changes Over Time
    • Thinking about all of these things we've discussed above: How has Durham County changed over the past 5 years? Probe: Is there anything different about Durham County now that was not the case 5 years ago?
    • What do you think about these changes? Probe: Are they something that you consider to be good or bad?
11. Perceptions of the Future
    • How do you think Durham County will change over the next 5 years?
    • What do you hope to see happen in Durham County in the next 5 years?
    • What are your plans for the future?
12. Closing
    • Is there anything else I have not asked about, that is important for me to know about Durham County?
    • What did you think of our interview questions? (Ask for first few interviews only.)
13. Referrals
    • Who else would you recommend that we talk to about the needs and assets of your community?
    • Please note that any person to whom you refer us will be made aware of who referred them, and that they are under no obligation to participate in this study.

Thank you again for your participation!

Community Member Focus Group Guide

1. Opening
   • Thank you for taking the time to meet with me/us. We recognize that your time is valuable and we appreciate your participation.
   • We are graduate students from UNC School of Public Health. A requirement of our graduate program is that we work with a community in NC to conduct a community diagnosis. This means that we help the community to identify its strengths, weaknesses, and future directions. Our community is Durham County. The information we gather will be summarized and shared with the community. In addition, we will present our results to the community at a forum that will be held in the spring.
   • The purpose of speaking with you today is to find out about your thoughts and experiences of (having lived/having worked in/being familiar with) Durham County. We are interested in your opinions. There are no right or wrong answers.
   • Time: This focus group should last between 45 - 90 minutes. We would like to give you the opportunity to tell us as much as you would like, but (mention if you have limited time/ask if they do)
2. Confidentiality
   • Your comments will remain confidential. We will be reporting summaries of the comments made by community members but will not identify who said what, nor will we identify the names of the individuals we interview.
   • We would like to take notes and tape record this focus group. Your input is important and we want to make sure that we accurately record what you tell us. Feel free to not respond to any question we ask, or hit the "Stop" button on the tape recorder at any time. After we are finished using the tapes for this class, the cassettes will be recycled or destroyed. Is this okay with you?
   • We ask that you please do not share the comments of your fellow focus group members with others outside of the focus group.
3. Ground Rules
   • Right to refuse: if at any time while we're talking you don't want to answer a question, you not feel comfortable, or you would like to end this focus group, please feel free to let me/us know.

Do you have any questions about anything I've said so far?

4. Self and Family
   • How long have you lived in this area?
   • Who does your family consist of?
   • What kind of work do you/members of your family do? Where?
   • What activities in the community are you involved in?
   • Where do you attend church?
5. Geography of Community
   • We have been asked to work with the Durham County community. How would you define "Durham County?" (show map)
   • About how many people would you say live in Durham County?
6. Assessment of Community
   • If someone were considering moving to Durham County, what would you tell them about the area to convince them to move here? Probe: What are other strengths or good things about Durham County?
   • How could Durham County be improved? Probe: What other problems/areas of improvement does Durham County have?
   • Would you consider Durham County to be a stagnant community, or a changing community? What makes you think this? Is this something that you would consider to be good or bad for Durham County?
   • How well would you say people know their neighbors?
   • If you needed help for some reason, who would you turn to?
   • How do you stay informed about what's going on in Durham County?
7. Community Activities
   • What organizations are in the Durham County community?
   • Who are the important people in the community for getting things done? Probe: Who are the formal/informal community leaders, etc.
   • What kinds of projects has Durham County worked on together (in the past 5-10 years) (How) were you involved in these efforts?
   • What groups of people are involved in community activities? Probe: Are people from all age groups involved? (Are young people - those under 30 - involved in community activities?)
8. Employment/Economics
   • Where would you say that most people in Durham County work?
   • What do you think of these job opportunities? (Are they "good"jobs, or "bad", etc)
   • How do you think people are doing financially in your community?
9. Health
   • What health problems have you or your family had to deal with?
   • What are the main health problems of people in Durham County?
   • Where do you (and your family) get medical care?
   • What do most people do when they have health problems? (i.e. do they seek care?)
   • Where do most people in this community go to receive medical care?
   • How do most people get to the (doctor, health dept, etc)? (i.e. what transportation is available?)
   • What kinds of human, social, or health services have you (or your family) used? Probe: What was it like?
   • Would you consider Durham County to be a healthy community? Probe: What makes it a healthy community? or Why wouldn't you consider Durham County to be a healthy community?
10. Changes Over Time
    • Thinking about all of these things we've discussed above: How has Durham County changed over the past 5 years? Probe: Is there anything different about Durham County now that was not the case 5 years ago?
    • What do you think about these changes? Probe: Are they something that you consider to be good or bad?
11. Perceptions of the Future
    • How do you think Durham County will change over the next 5 years?
    • What do you hope to see happen in Durham County in the next 5 years?
    • What are your plans for the future?
12. Closing
    • Is there anything else I have not asked about, that is important for me to know about Durham County?
    • What did you think of our interview questions? (Ask for first few interviews only.)
13. Referrals
    • Who else would you recommend that we talk to about the needs and assets of your community?
    • Please note that any person to whom you refer us will be made aware of who referred them, and that they are under no obligation to participate in this study.

Thank you again for your participation!

Service Provider Interview Guide

1. Opening
   • Thank you for taking the time to meet with me/us. We recognize that your time is valuable and we appreciate your participation.
   • We are graduate students from UNC School of Public Health, working with the Durham County Health Department. A requirement of our graduate program is that we work with a community in North Carolina to conduct a community diagnosis. This means that we will help the community to identify its strengths, weaknesses, and future directions. Our community is Durham County. The information we gather will be summarized and shared with the community and the local health department. In addition, we will present our results to the community at a forum that will be held in the spring.
   • The purpose of speaking with you today is to find out about your thoughts and experiences of having worked with the residents of Durham County. We are interested in your opinions. There are no right or wrong answers.
   • Time: This interview should last 45-90 minutes.
2. Confidentiality
   • Your comments will remain confidential. We will be reporting summaries of the comments made by community members but will not identify who said what, nor will we identify the names of the individuals we interview.
   • We would like to take notes and tape record this interview. Your input is important and we want to make sure that we accurately record what you tell us. Feel free to not respond to any question we ask, or hit the "Stop" button on the tape recorder at any time. After we are finished using the tapes for this class, the cassettes will be recycled or destroyed. Is this okay with you?
3. Ground Rules
   • Right to refuse: If at any time while we are talking you do not want to answer a question, you do not feel comfortable, or you would like to end the interview, please feel free to let me/us know.

Do you have any questions about anything I've said so far?

4. Overview of Services
   • Could you please provide me/us with an overview of the services your agency provides?
   • What is your source of funding?
   • What services does your agency provide for the residents of your community?
   • What kind of contact do you have with the residents of your community? Probe: Which groups? How often?
   • What special criteria must people meet in order to be eligible for your services?
   • What community groups use your services most?
   • What community groups tend to have the most need of your services?
   • What barriers do you encounter in trying to reach community residents? (geographic, transportation, etc.)
   • What other organizations provide similar services to community residents?
   • How does your agency meet the cultural and language needs of the various groups in your community?
5. Community
   • What would you say are the strengths of your community?
   • What would you say are the greatest needs of your community?
   • What kinds of community projects have been undertaken in your community during your time working with community residents? Probe: How would you explain their success or lack thereof?
   • Who would you say are the key community leaders?
   • If you were going to try to implement some type
   of community health project in Durham County, who would you try to involve to ensure success?
   • What community needs are not met by your agency or other organizations in the area?
   • How is the community involved in determining the services that you provide?
6. General
   • Is there anything else you can tell me/us about your community?
   • Is there anything else that you think I/we should know about?
   • What would it take to get more people involved in local activities?
   • Of all of the issues we have discussed today, which do you feel are the most important for the community to address?
7. Documents
   • Does your agency have any documents (e.g. annual reports, funding applications, etc.) that we can either look at or have copies of?
8. Referrals
   • Who else would you recommend that we talk to about the needs and assets of your community?
   • Please note that any persons to whom you refer us will be made aware of who referred them, and that they are under no obligation to participate in the study.

Thank you again for your participation!

Service Provider Focus Group Guide

1. Opening
   • Thank you for taking the time to meet with me/us. We recognize that your time is valuable and we appreciate your participation.
   • We are graduate students from UNC School of Public Health, working with the Durham County Health Department. A requirement of our graduate program is that we work with a community in North Carolina to conduct a community diagnosis. This means that we will help the community to identify its strengths, weaknesses, and future directions. Our community is Durham County. The information we gather will be summarized and shared with the community and the local health department. In addition, we will present our results to the community at a forum that will be held in the spring.
   • The purpose of speaking with you today is to find out about your thoughts and experiences of having worked with the residents of Durham County. We are interested in your opinions. There are no right or wrong answers.
   • Time: This focus group should last 45-90 minutes.
2. Confidentiality
   • Your comments will remain confidential. We will be reporting summaries of the comments made by community members but will not identify who said what, nor will we identify the names of the individuals we interview.
   • We would like to take notes and tape record this focus group. Your input is important and we want to make sure that we accurately record what you tell us. Feel free to not respond to any question we ask, or hit the "Stop" button on the tape recorder at any time. After we are finished using the tapes for this class, the cassettes will be recycled or destroyed. Is this okay with you?
   • We ask that you please do not share the comments of your fellow focus group members with others outside of the focus group.
3. Ground Rules
   • Right to refuse: if at any time while we are talking you do not want to answer a question, you do not feel comfortable, or you would like to end the focus group, please feel free to let me/us know.

Do you have any questions about anything I've said so far?

4. Overview of Services
   • Could you please provide me/us with an overview of the services your agency provides?
   • What is your source of funding?
   • What services does your agency provide for the residents of your community?
   • What kind of contact do you have with the residents of your community? Probe: Which groups? How often?
   • What special criteria must people meet in order to be eligible for your services?
   • What community groups use your services most?
   • What community groups tend to have the most need of your services?
   • What barriers do you encounter in trying to reach community residents? (geographic, transportation, etc.)
   • What other organizations provide similar services to community residents?
   • How does your agency meet the cultural and language needs of the various groups in your community?
5. Community
   • What would you say are the strengths of your community?
   • What would you say are the greatest needs of your community?
   • What kinds of community projects have been undertaken in your community during your time working with community residents? Probe: How would you explain their success or lack thereof?
   • Who would you say are the key community leaders?
   • If you were going to try to implement some type of community health project in Durham County, who would you try to involve to ensure success?
   • What community needs are not met by your agency or other organizations in the area?
   • How is the community involved in determining the services that you provide?
6. General
   • Is there anything else you can tell me/us about your community?
   • Is there anything else that you think I/we should know about?
   • What would it take to get more people involved in local activities?
   • Of all of the issues we have discussed today, which do you feel are the most important for the community to address?
7. Documents
   • Does your agency have any documents (e.g. annual reports, funding applications, etc.) that we can either look at or have copies of?
8. Referrals
   • Who else would you recommend that we talk to about the needs and assets of your community?
   • Please note that any persons to whom you refer us will be made aware of who referred them, and that they are under no obligation to participate in the study.

Thank you again for your participation!

References

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Appendix B: List of Interviewees