Motivation Focus Group

Directions:

[These are questions for the approved, trained facilitators to administer orally in the focus group. The focus group can only be conducted by the approved, trained facilitators.]

[Oral directions:]

This is a focus group for a research study at San Diego State University (SDSU) on vocational programs in mental health. The results will help to refine existing programs and to develop future programs.

Your responses will be recorded, by audiotape and/or written notes, but you will remain anonymous. Please feel free to answer frankly. Because of the quantity of questions, we have time limits for the questions, and may need to stop a response and go on to the next question.

We appreciate your participation in this focus group and hope this will be a productive experience for all of us here.

[questions start on following page]

Does change motivate you?

Such as moving to a new place?

[If subjects ask why we have this question, it is because everybody experiences moving, and it is one of the top traumatic experiences.]

Such as going to work?

Such as going into this vocational program?

What motivates you about a job?

What motivated you to begin this vocational program?

Was it your idea?

Was it someone else’s idea? Whose?

What was your first impression of the program?

What about this program appeals to you?

What motivated you to be in a member-directed program?

Do you prefer a program where the members direct the program?

Do you prefer a program where the staff is totally in charge?

Do you work in the program’s employment areas? Have you worked in them?

The café?

Other?

What motivated you to work in the program’s employment areas?

The café?

Other?

What about this program makes you want to keep coming back?

How does this program motivate you to want to work?

How does this program motivate you to look for a job?

How does this program motivate you to keep a job?

How does this program motivate you to prevent relapsing back into hospitalization?

Your recommendations

What could be changed in the program to motivate you more?

What could be added to the program to motivate you more?

If you were the person in charge of the whole program, what would you do differently to make it more worthwhile for the members?

member-directed philosophy

participation

meeting member needs

individual preferences

prevocational component

links with other agencies

Dept. of Vocational Rehabilitation

Employment Services

vocational supports while you are working

How do these specific components

give you persistence in the program - to keep coming back with consistent attendance, and not dropping out?

help you feel successful?

 

How do other areas in your life motivate you, in general, and related to being in this vocational program?

family

friends

relationships

residential situation

family

board & care

other

medical

social worker/case manager

partial hospitalization program (PHP)

day treatment program

How has being in the mental health system helped or hurt to motivate you?

Has the system "reached" you by actually providing service that have helped you?

Do you feel that the system has missed reaching you, that you have "fallen through the cracks," and no one knows that you need help?

Do you feel that you are falling backwards more than forward?

This happens to people with long-term disability.

Do you realize that this is normal ("rehab crisis") as a part of life? Of the rehab process?

Do you feel that when you fall backwards - have a crisis - that you are still ahead of where you began?

Do you think about - what if I lose

my apartment?

my belongings?

my friends?

everything?

Do you see falling backwards as a personal failure?

Does fear of future hospitalization hurt your motivation?

 

Do you feel that you are contributing to development and change of this program?

That concludes the questions. Thank you very much for participating in this focus group.

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