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The VA Patient Safety Center of Inquiry - Suicide Prevention Collaborative (PSCI-SPC) serves as a national clinical innovation and dissemination center for best practices in suicide prevention for Veterans who receive care in the community. The center develops and tests projects to support suicide prevention through collaboration between community organizations, health care organizations, and the VA. Current projects include VA/community Veteran suicide prevention learning collaboratives, and an intensive case management program for Veterans at risk for suicide who are enrolled in VA community care.
About Us
Our Mission
The mission of the PSCI-SPC is to develop, implement, and evaluate practical solutions to reduce suicide in Veterans who receive care in the community with an emphasis on community engagement.
Our Vision
The vision of the PSCI-SPC is to reduce suicide deaths in Veterans who receive care in the community through interventions targeted to community organizations and Veterans.
PSCI-SPC Staff
Bryann DeBeer, Ph. D.
Director, PSCI-SPC
Joseph Mignogna, Ph. D.
Clinical Research Psychologist
Patricia Russell, Ph. D.
Health Science Specialist
Alexis Blessing, Ph. D.
Health Science Specialist
Cameron Quan, M.S.
Health Science Specialist
Juliana Scheihing, B. A.
Program Support Assistant
Meredith Mealer, Ph. D.
Study Therapist
Tabitha Alviero, M. A.
Professional Research Assistant
Patient Safety Center of Inquiry - Suicide Prevention Collaborative (PSCI-SPC)
Building a sustainable VA/Community infrastructure of Veteran suicide prevention programming
Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has built a robust, comprehensive, and system-wide suicide prevention infrastructure. Yet nearly two-thirds of Veterans who die by suicide do not use VHA services.
How do we address this gap to support all Veterans not eligible or not engaged in VHA care?
In 2018 the VHA established the PSCI - SPC.
GOAL: Provide community agencies and the VA tools to develop sustainable Veteran suicide prevention strategies and programming via:
- Learning Collaboratives: top-down approach within health care systems and community organizations
- Psychotherapy: bottom-up approach starting with Veterans and other supportive individuals
Sustainable, systemic change supporting Veteran suicide prevention
PSCI 1.0
VA/Community Learning Collaborative (CO-ACT)
- Ongoing consultative support & technical assistance in Veteran suicide prevention
- Collaborative partnerships & enhanced support network
- Organizational training in implementation science and development of standardized operating procedures
- Streamline care coordination between VA/community agencies
Participants include community agencies: Police, fire, mental health practices, Veterans services agencies, and public libraries.
Psychotherapy - TRANSIT
- Brief psychotherapy & intensive case management to address suicide risk, mental health symptoms, and psychosocial needs
- Support transition to community based care
TRANSIT is for Veterans who:
- Are at risk for suicide
- Are not eligible or not engaged in VHA care
PSCI 2.0
VA/Community Care Learning COLLABORATIVE (COLLABORATE)
- Ongoing consultative support & technical assistance in Veteran suicide prevention
- Collaborative partnerships & enhanced support network
- Organizational training in implementation science and development of standardized operating procedures
- Streamline care coordination between VA/community care
Participants include health care organizations in the VA community care network.
Psychotherapy - SUPERCEDE
- Brief psychotherapy & intensive case management to address suicide risk, mental health symptoms, psychosocial needs, and VA authorized community care
SUPERCEDE is for Veterans who:
- Are at risk for suicide
- Do not engage in VHA mental health services
- Receive VHA authorized community care
Veteran Suicide Prevention Learning Collaborative
The learning collaborative is an intervention designed to improve Veteran suicide prevention programming within an organization, as well as relationships between organizations, including the VA. Learning collaborative activities focus on: (a) providing technical assistance and support in implementing a suicide prevention program within the organization; (b) building relationships and collaborations between the VA and community organizations to support Veteran suicide prevention; (c) developing and supporting coordinated relationships between community organizations to strengthen the community suicide prevention safety net.
Intensive case management
Veterans at risk for suicide may benefit from additional support and resources that address root causes that contribute to their suicidal ideation. Intensive case management aims to address needs by implementing a combination of Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for suicide prevention adapted from Bryan & Rudd (2018), and intensive case management. This provides Veterans with the tools necessary to manage suicidal ideation as well as interventions to ensure they are connected to the appropriate psychosocial resources in their communities.
Veteran
Additional Resources
Check out this section to access links to other community resources.
Link to MIRECC SP
Link to PTSD: National Center for PTSD Home (va.gov)
Link to MIRECC Postvention
This work was funded by the VA National Center for Patient Safety, the VA Access Research Consortium. Infrastructure and resources were provided by the Rocky Mountain MIRECC.
