Outcomes Tools: Key Points About the Resident Survey

The Outcomes Tools Resident Survey – found on the ORH website – is a web-based questionnaire of residents living in recovery housing in Ohio.

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The survey is resident driven.  That means that it is designed for the resident to complete!  You, as staff, will help the resident log into the survey, and then the resident will complete it him or herself. You can provide support if a resident has a language barrier or some other barrier – where they need a little assistance, but operators or staff should not be completing surveys on behalf of residents – it is very important that the resident completes and submits the survey. There is an option if a resident leaves without notice – for the move out part only of the survey. This is the only exception where a staff member can complete the survey – but whenever possible – the resident should complete the survey – themselves.

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The survey is online, all you need is an internet connection – no need to download anything, just go to the ORH website to find the survey.

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The survey is collected at 3 time intervals – at move-in, six months into residency, and at move-out. All data collected is time stamped so it is important that the surveys be completed in the proper time intervals. The move-in survey needs to be completed within one week of when the resident moves in, AND the six-month survey needs to be completed when the resident achieves their six-month anniversary of living in your house – within either one week before or one week after that six month anniversary. AND we’d like to see the resident complete the survey within one week of them moving out. So, if you know someone’s going to move out in a couple weeks, they can complete the move out survey then, OR you can have them fill it out the day they move out, OR follow up with them within a week or two after they move out.

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The survey is also designed to not collect personal information. This is done intentionally. The survey does not collect names, SSNs, health data, or other protected information.  This means that you will not be able to log into the system and find personal or private information about a resident.  No one, not ORH, not you, not your county board, will be able to see personal information because the survey doesn’t collect it. So, the survey is compliant with privacy laws, such as HIPPA.

Although we do not track a resident’s individual survey answers, the survey does ask the residents the first initial of your mother’s and father’s first name, the year they were born, their gender, there favorite color, their favorite season, and such. And know that residents can choose not to participate, for any reason, it is 100% totally voluntary. BUT the more resident participating the better.

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Be sure the resident clicks SUBMIT at the end of the the Resident Survey. If SUBMIT is not clicked, all the data that was entered will be lost.

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The survey tracks resident participation through your entire program. Using the following example, an organization operates both Level III and Level II housing. A resident moves into the Level III and completes the move-in survey in January. Then, the resident transitions to the Level II home in March. In June, after they have been in the program for six months, the resident will complete the six-month survey, selecting the home that they currently live in. When the resident moves out, they will complete the move-out survey based on the home that they were living in when they moved out.

Residents who have multiple experiences with your program would complete the surveys for each experience with your program. Residents should only complete another move-in survey if they have left your program completely, and then return to the program at a later date.

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The survey must be completed in its entirety in one sitting—you cannot save and complete the survey at a later date. It is your responsibility to ensure residents understand how to complete and submit the survey, which will only take about 7 or 8 minutes.