Family Justice Services Western
Final Evaluation
2004-FCY-8E
APPENDIX 4: PARTICIPANT INTERVIEW GUIDE
Family Justice Services Western Pilot Project
Participant Interview Guide
Interviewer:
Interview mode: By phone In person
Introduction / Consent
Family Justice Services Western provides services to assist families experiencing separation and divorce, as a pilot project of the Department of Justice Canada and the provincial Department of Justice. The program is being evaluated by the IHRD Group, a Newfoundland consulting company with extensive experience in evaluating programs. We are interviewing a number of clients of the service, to assist the program and its funders in assessing its value and in improving services to the public. The interviews will focus on your involvement in the services of FJSW, not on your personal experiences of separation and divorce.
It is our understanding that you signed a consent as a client of the FJSW , agreeing to be contacted by evaluators / researchers about your experiences. Do you recall completing this consent?
Yes- No
If yes, confirm that the client knows their participation is confidential and in no way affects their ability to receive services. If no, explain the purpose of the evaluation, and their protections, in terms of privacy and service. If the interview is done by phone, the person will provide a verbal consent and the interviewer will complete the question below. If in person, the client will receive a written consent form and sign indicating their consent.
The client was provided information about the evaluation and provided a verbal consent to participate.
- Yes
- No
(If no, thank the person, assure them of their privacy, and discontinue the interview).
Awareness / Referral
1. How did you first hear about FJSW?
2. Who referred you to the services at FJSW?
- private lawyer
- court staff
- legal aid
- friend / family
- Other (specify):
3. Why did you get involved in the services at FJSW?
4. Did you experience any problems / barriers in accessing the services of FJSW?
- Yes
- No
If yes, describe these problems / barriers (prompt: transportation, child care, etc).
Services Provided
5. In which of the following services did you participate (check all that apply)?
- Initial intake
- Mediation of custody and access
- Mediation of property issues
- Recalculation of Support
- Information sessions
- Counselling services
- Other (specify):
6. For each service you were involved in, please answer the following questions:
Service Total time (in hours) Start—finish time (days) Legal representation? (Yes / No) Agreement?
(Yes / No)Intake X Information Session X Mediation (custody and access) Mediation (property) Support Recalculation Counselling X Other TOTAL
Satisfaction
7. Please rate your satisfaction with each of the services in which you participated, on the issues presented.
The satisfaction scale is a five point scale, where 1= very dissatisfied, 2= dissatisfied, 3= neutral, 4= satisfied, and 5= very satisfied.
| Service | Timeliness of service | Qualifications of staff | Fairness and safety of process approach of staff | Outcome / resolution | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| intake | |||||
| information session | |||||
| mediation (custody and access) | |||||
| mediation (property) | |||||
| support recalculation | |||||
| other | |||||
| services overall |
Impact of Services
8. For each of the following aspects of service, please indicate its impact upon you.
| Aspect of service | Positive impact (yes / no) | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| it increased my awareness of legal processes / options | ||
| it facilitated referral to other services | ||
| it promoted and facilitated mediation as opposed to court settlement | ||
| it helped my parenting | ||
| it reduced costs to me in the process | ||
| other (specify) |
Overall Opinion of Services
9. Were you helped in your dealing with the issues of separation / divorce by the FJSW?
- Yes
- No
- Please explain:
10. Would you use the FJSW services again if required?
- Yes
- No
- Please explain:
11. Would you recommend these services to others?
- Yes
- No
- Please explain:
12. Do you have any suggestions as to how to improve these services (prompt: additional services / supports, changing approaches)?
Demographics
13. Gender:
- female
- male
14. Age:
15. What do you do for a living?
Job (Write answer given):- homemaker
- unemployed
- social assistance
- student
- other
16. Nature of prior relationship:
- common-law
- married
- common-law leading to marriage
17. Years together:
18. Nature of relationship at present:
- separated
- divorced
- reconciled
19. Time apart (in months):
20. Dependent children:
- Yes
- No
If yes, number:
and ages:-
21. Please describe your current custodial situation
- sole custody mother
- sole custody father
- joint custody
- split custody
- other (specify):
- Date modified: