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Suicide Prevention Learning Collaborative - VA/Community Organizations

PSCI-SPC Learning Collaboratives

Learning collaboratives bring together organizations that have a shared purpose in quality improvement, and work together collectively to implement change. The PSCI-SPC organizes and facilitates learning collaboratives to create environments in community organizations and VA community care organizations that welcome Veterans, understand the needs of Veterans, and implement sustainable programs to support Veterans, particularly related to mental health and suicide prevention.

History of the Learning Collaboratives

Needs expressed by VA/Community Learning Collaborative Partner Organizations and PSCI developed and other product solutions:

The PSCI-SPC CO-ACT was a community based participatory research pilot conducted in 2020-2021 with 13 participating community organizations in the greater Denver/Colorado Springs, Colorado area. CO-ACT connected the VA suicide prevention research experts to community organizations to support these organizations in implementing Veteran suicide prevention practices. PSCI-SPC strove to understand the challenges organizations face in relation to Veteran suicide prevention and developed solutions to these issues. The VA/Community Learning Collaborative also sought to create a network of collaborative partnerships among members. The goal of this work was to improve suicide prevention practices for Veterans in the community and reduce Veteran suicide deaths.

To learn more about the learning collaborative model and how to implement it in your community access the CO-ACT Toolkit below:

Note: The toolkit is currently down for extended maintenance while we improve the accessibility. Thanks for your patience and we apologize for the inconvenience.

  • CO-ACT Toolkit will be linked here when it is available.
  • To learn more about the efficacy of CO-ACT, please read our article published in Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior
    • DeBeer, B., Mignogna, J., Borah, E., Bryan, C., Monteith, L. L., Russell, P., Williams, M., Bongiovanni, K., Villarreal, E., Hoffmire, C., Peterson, A., Heise, J., Mohatt, N., Baack, S., Weinberg, K., Polk, M., Alverio, T., Keene, R., Mealer, M., & Benzer, J. (2023). A pilot of a veteran suicide prevention learning collaborative among community organizations: Initial results and outcomes. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 53, 628-641.
    • https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12969
    • https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sltb.12969

The PSCI-SPC team recognized suicide prevention gaps for Veterans enrolled in VA Community Care. The COLLABORATE worked to improve Veteran suicide prevention programming and care coordination in healthcare systems that participate in VA Community Care. COLLABORATE provided VA Community Care healthcare systems with the following: 1) ongoing consultative support and technical assistance within a quality improvement framework to enhance community healthcare systems' development of robust Veteran suicide prevention programming; (2) an environment that fostered collaborative partnerships among learning collaborative members to provide an enhance supportive network for these organizations and the Veterans they serve; and (3) connections between the VA and VA authorized community care healthcare systems in order to improve Veteran suicide prevention care coordination. Data collection is ongoing.

Note: The toolkit is currently down for extended maintenance while we improve the accessibility. Thanks for your patience and we apologize for the inconvenience.

  • COLLABORATE Toolkit will be linked here when it is available.

This learning collaborative includes multisite organizations to spread the reach of this intervention.

PSCI-SPC's research indicates that healthcare systems in the VA Community Care Network that have multiple sites need additional support in implementing Veteran suicide prevention across their enterprises. PSCI-SPC 3.0 will advance the Veteran suicide prevention organizational interventions of CO-ACT and COLLABORATE by developing and piloting a multisite Veteran suicide prevention learning collaborative with large regional or national healthcare systems in the VA Community Care Network. To accomplish this, the learning collaborative will provide technical support and assistance to implement Veteran suicide prevention programming, first focusing on establishing policies and procedures across multisite organizations and then implementing these changes across the healthcare system.

Needs expressed by VA/Community Learning Collaborative Partner Organizations and PSCI developed and other product solutions:

Note: The toolkits are currently down for extended maintenance while we improve the accessibility. Thanks for your patience and we apologize for the inconvenience.

PSCI-SPC solution:

  • CO-ACT and COLLABORATE Toolkits will be linked here when available.

PSCI-SPC solution: VHA Train website

CO-ACT Collaborative Inforgraphic

Patient Safety Center of Inquiry - Suicide Prevention Collaborative (PSCI-SPC)

Building a sustainable VA/Community infrastructure of Veteran suicide preventiori 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 healthcare 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 develpment of standardized operating procedures
  • Streamline care coordination between VA/community agencies

Participants iinclude community agencies: Police, fire, mental health practices, Veterans services agencies, and public libaries.


Psychotherapy - TRANSIT

    • Brief psychotherapy & intensive case management to address sucide risk, mental health symptoms, and psychosocial needs
    • Support transition to community based care

TRANSIT is for Veterans who:

  • Are at risk for sucide
  • 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 sucide prevention
  • Collaborative partnerships & enhanced support network
  • Organizational training in implementation science and development of standardized operatiing procedures
  • Streamline care coordination between VA/community care

Participants include healthcare organization in the VA community care network.


Psychotherapy - SUPERCEDE

    • Brief psychotherapy & intensive case management to address sucude 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
  • Recieve VHA authorized community care
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