Evaluation of U.S. Army Coaching for Resilience and Trauma-Informed Leadership Training Pilot (TILT)

USA Coaching for Resilience Program Evaluation Qualitative Interview Guide – Not for distribution

Appendix D1: CFR Soldier Key Informant Interview Guide

T1: ETAC Evaluation of the Coaching for Resilience Program

(Last Updated 03.19.2025)

Participant ID:	Date:
Interviewer:	Note Takers:
Start Time:	End Time:

OMB CONTROL NUMBER:  0704-0644

OMB EXPIRATION DATE: 01/31/2026

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Welcome [6 Minutes]

Welcome & Introductions [2 Minutes]

[Lead Interviewer to remain on video for the duration of the interview. Support staff to show video briefly during introductions.]

Thank you for taking time to talk with me. My name is [Interviewer Name] and I work for the nonprofit organization, NORC at the University of Chicago. NORC is talking to a small number of Army recruits like yourself to gather your feedback on the Coaching for Resilience training, which we will sometimes call “CFR.” NORC, in collaboration with the DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) and United States Army, is conducting an evaluation with Army soldiers as part of the Evaluation Training and Technical Assistance Center (ETAC).

The purpose of the evaluation is to learn more about how the CFR program was implemented and its effectiveness in supporting soldiers’ personal goals and access to Army resources and support.

[Note taker 1 Name] and [Note taker 2 Name] are also joining on this call to take notes on the topics we discuss.

While we are getting started can you confirm that you can hear me and see me clearly?

[Interviewer to confirm also that s/he/they can hear participant clearly]

• Yes [Continue]

• No [Offer technical assistance as needed]

Also, it is not necessary that we see you by video. So, if you prefer, you may turn off your video. This is entirely up to you.

This interview will last up to 45 minutes. Does this sound okay?

• Yes [Continue]

• No [End discussion]

Agreement to Participate [2 Minutes]

Before we start, I want to share a few points. First, your participation in our conversation today is voluntary, meaning no negative action will be taken against you should you choose to stop the conversation or skip a specific question at any point. Second, our conversation today is confidential, meaning your name and any other personally identifiable information you share today will not be associated with the responses you share.

If you have questions about this project or the evaluation being conducted by NORC, you can contact the evaluation study’s Principal Investigator Dr. Elizabeth Mumford. I’m sharing her email in the chat.

Do you have any questions for me at this time?

• Yes [Answer questions]

• No [Continue]

Great – shall we get started then? [While we are not collecting formal consent, look for participant confirmation to continue.]

Overview [2 Minutes]

It’s our understanding that you and your platoon/company at Ft. Leonard Wood completed the Coaching for Resilience program about three months ago.

Do you remember this program?

• Yes [Summarize following text]

• No [Read following text]

The Coaching for Resilience program involved four one-on-one coaching sessions with an Army Performance Expert. The training focused on topics of resilience, including stress management and well-being. The program was intended to help enhance individual and unit performance and to ensure that soldiers are aware of Army support services.

Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today to provide your thoughts and opinions about the Coaching for Resilience program.

We will get started! As a reminder, your responses are completely private.

Main Discussion Guide [35 Minutes]

1. Experience in Military [5 Minutes]

As background,...

1. Please tell me briefly about your career in military service.

   1. How long have you been in the Army?

   2. Had you served in a different Service branch before your enlistment in the Army?

2. How would you describe your relationship with your Drill Sergeant during Initial Military Training at Ft. Leonard Wood?

   1. Did you find it easy to talk with your Drill Sergeant? What did your Drill Sergeant do that made it easy/hard to communicate with them?

   2. Did your Drill Sergeant make it easy for you and other Soldiers within your platoon to get close to one another? If so, how did your Drill Sergeant improve your connections with other soldiers?

2. General Attitudes about Coaching for Resilience [3 Minutes]

Next, I’d like to ask you specifically about the CFR program.

3. How many sessions did you have with a coach?

4. What was your overall impression of the Coaching for Resilience program?

1. What, if at all, was valuable to you about the coaching? What, if anything, did you get out of it?

2. Were there any parts of the coaching that were new for you? If so, what were they?

3. Process & Modifications: Coaching Session Structure [5 Minutes]

5. Were there specific coaching sessions that you found helpful/not helpful?

   1. Were there parts of the program that were confusing or could be framed differently, or improved?

1. How would you improve the content of the sessions?

   1. PROMPT: Based on your experience since you began your service, was there content or instruction you now feel needs to be in the CFR program, that was missed at the time?

6. How would you change the way the sessions were implemented?

2. Would you prefer if you participated in more or less than 5 sessions?

3. Would you prefer if the sessions were longer or shorter than 50 minutes?

4. Process & Modifications: Performance Experts [5 Minutes]

Now I’d like to ask you about your experiences working with your coach.

7. [if soldier completed more than 1 session] Did you meet with the same coach for each of your sessions?

8. How would you describe the experience of working with a coach(es) to create personal and professional goals?

9. What strategies did your coach(es) use that you found helpful?

5. Post-Training Intentions & Behaviors: Goal-Orientation [5 Minutes]

10. In what ways has CFR possibly supported your awareness of your areas for growth and improvement?

11. Did CFR support you in developing and making progress on your personal and professional goals? If so, how?

12. Did CFR impact your motivation your personal and professional goals? If so, how?

13. Do you recall working with your CFR coach(es) to complete an Individual Development Plan to make and keep track of personal and professional goals? To what extent has the Individual Development Plan (IDP) helped track and make progress toward your goals?

    1. Have you been able to access and use your Individual Development Plan (IDP) to track your goals?

6. Post-Training Intentions & Behaviors: Resiliency [5 Minutes]

These next questions are going to be asking about any CFR impact on your life skills.

14. What well-being techniques were covered in the program?

    1. How have you integrated what you learned on well-being techniques into your daily life?

15. How did CFR address stress management?

    1. How have you integrated what you learned on stress management into your daily life?

16. Could you share an example of an instance that happened recently (since AIT) where you found these skills to be helpful?

17. Were there any challenges in implementing these skills? Specifically in the military?

7. Post-Training Intentions & Behaviors: Accessing Support Services [5 Minutes]

18. Before CFR, how comfortable were you in reaching out to others for help? For example, your Drill Sergeant, other soldiers, friends, and family.

    1. To what extent has CFR developed your comfort in reaching out to others for help?

19. How did the coaching sessions address or provide information about support services available to Soldiers?

    1. What type of available services did they share with you?

    2. How has your awareness of support services changed since participating in CFR?

20. Have you used any support services/resources since participating in CFR?

    1. If yes, what impact did these services have on your well-being?

21. Have you been faced with any barriers or challenges with accessing support services?

8. Additional Comments [2 Minutes]

22. Is there anything about the Coaching for Resilience program that we have not discussed that you want to mention?

1. PROMPT: Do you have any recommendations for different ways – other than the CFR program – to support soldiers?

Closing [1 Minute]

Thank you for participating in this interview with NORC at the University of Chicago. Your perspectives are invaluable in helping us better understand the effectiveness of the Coaching for Resilience program.

This concludes our interview. Thank you for your time today.

[END INTERVIEW]

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