Veterans Administration (VA), VISN 17, Patient Safety Center of Inquiry- Suicide Prevention Collaborative (PSCI-SPC); 2019-2020
Veterans Administration (VA), VISN 17, Patient Safety Center of Inquiry- Suicide Prevention Collaborative (PSCI-SPC); 2019-2020
Description: Under the VA Patient Safety Center of Inquiry-Suicide Prevention Collaborative, we led the development, implementation, communication, and analysis effort which includes conducting outreach to Veterans who have attempted suicide recently or who may have been struggling with suicidality. We reached out to Veterans, conducted interviews, transcribed the interview, developed Standard Operating Procedures for Veterans who may have been still be struggling with suicidality, and discussed our findings with the PSCI-SPC team on a bi-weekly basis. The study initially focused on Veterans who resided in the Central Texas region, who were both eligible and ineligible for VA benefits. We subsequently launched a more expansive outreach nationally. We worked jointly with the PSCI-SPC staff to identify the appropriate population, conduct outreach to Veterans, segment their eligibility, interview Veterans, and provide a weekly status report and Weekly Excel Tracker on all aspects of the project.
Project Management. We performed to our comprehensive Project Management Plan, led by our Program Manager. Our agile management toolkit and engagement approach combine industry best-practice standards from the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) tailored to VA policies and processes. Our Program Manager liaised with VA clients while maintaining project scope, adhering to timeline, and remaining on budget. We also created and maintained Monthly Progress Reports and a Weekly Excel Tracker.
Survey Design. Our evaluation team designed the survey used to interview Veterans going through a suicidal crisis based on the specifications set forth by PSCI-SPC. The design includes both qualitative and quantitative metrics assessing any procedural mishaps or gaps in care regarding VA’s intake process. The survey is intended to substantiate a Veteran’s experience when they contact the Veterans Crisis Line. All data and recordings of the interview is securely stored and managed behind a protected firewall. We securely transcribed each interview and shared that data with the government.
Outreach and Communication. We developed, designed, and disseminated communication and outreach materials. We created social media posts, ran geo-targeted Facebook campaigns, leveraged Veteran Service Organizations and other community-based healthcare institutions to assist in reaching our intended audience. We created flyers and email content that was disseminated across various Veteran touchpoints. We measured and analyzed the performance of each campaign tracking engagement, responses, and capture rates.