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Referral Agency Interview and Narrative Forms

NCJ Number
82949
Author(s)
E J Scott
Date Published
Unknown
Length
68 pages
Annotation
The methodology and instruments used to obtain information about the characteristics and practices of social service agencies and their patterns of interaction with police agencies are described.
Abstract
The information obtained from the Referral Agency Interview and Narrative Forms permitted the classification of community agencies according to the extent of their cooperation with police, the scope of social services they provide, their history of service provision, and their availability to both the police and the public. Budget information was also secured to help calculate the costs of alternative methods of social service delivery systems. The instruments were planned as conversational guides, all or part of which could be administered to persons expert in various aspects of agency operation. Structured answers were coded on the interview form itself, while lengthy, unstructured answers were recorded in narrative style on the Referral Agency Narrative Form. In selecting agencies for interviews, the following criteria were applied: an agency had to handle at least 1 of the 10 social problems identified in the Referral Agency Interview Form, and it had to accept police referrals. A total of 103 referral agencies were interviewed (36 in Rochester, N.Y.; 42 in Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.; and 25 in St. Louis, Mo.). Although some problems were encountered in administering the Referral Agency Interview Form, interviewing generally went smoothly, with most respondents having little trouble with the questions. The combination of precoded and narrative data apparently captured the complexities and nuances of police referral effectively. Appended are the interview forms, a sample narrative, the Citizen Organization/Referral Agency Identification Form, instructions for conducting referral agency interviews, general coding instructions, the referral agency log sheet, and the agency and police unit type list.