We raise our kids to tell the truth. But when it comes to substance abuse, can you tell if your child is lying?

This is the topic of a recent study that several counties conducted in order to ensure that they provide the most effective substance abuse programs throughout their communities. Step one in the survey process was to interview parents regarding their personal use of drugs and alcohol, as well as their perceptions of their teens' use. Step two was to then interview the teens. Study success relied upon the honesty of both sets of respondents, and therein lies the challenge.

In developing the protocol for this study, we employed a variety of tactics to elicit participation and accurate responses. For example, we developed an incentive where the family would be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card to a local retailer once the parent and teen had truthfully completed their individual interviews. In addition, the interviewer scripts were carefully worded to assure anonymity at critical points throughout the interaction. For the teen interviews, we leveraged our dual-fielding platform to give respondents the ability to choose the mode of communication most comfortable and confidential for them - home phone, cell phone or online survey. Our interviewers' ability to create rapport during the course of the 20-minute interview was also a significant factor in maximizing our completion rate. By using this combination of incentives and technology and carefully scripted conversation, we were able to make short work of this tall order.

As far as our clients are concerned, the verdict on this study is in: We provided every service required to successfully gather the required number of honest responses. And the bonus: We did it without subcontracting. This saved the counties substantial time and money, making outstanding use of their federal grant money.