A Mixed Methods Pilot Trial of the STEP Home Workshop to Improve Reintegration and Reduce Suicide Risk for Recently Transitioned Veterans

Part of paid clinical trials in Boston, Massachusetts.

Sponsor
VA Office of Research and Development
Study ID
NCT05995678
Status
Recruiting
Apply to this trial

Conditions

  • Anger
  • PTSD
  • Suicide Prevention
  • TBI
  • Transdiagnostic
  • Veterans

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 65 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Accepted

Interventions

  • STEP-Home-SP — BEHAVIORAL
    This group will meet for \~1.5 hours/week for 12 weeks. The core skills of Emotional Regulation (ER) and Problem Solving (PS) are introduced and then integrated throughout all Veteran-specific content modules for practice and repetition for 12 weeks. Attention training augments ER and PS skills and is interspersed throughout the group and individual sessions. Additional 30-minute individual skills building and goal setting sessions occur up to 6 times based on individual Veteran needs. STEP-Home staff will work in pairs to run workshops per established protocols. Workshops will be conducted via VA approved video telehealth.
  • Transition Assistance Program — BEHAVIORAL
    Provides training, skills, and information to help transitioning service members and their families prepare for the military to civilian transition. Each service member works with a TAP counselor to identify needs and post transition goals to build an Individual Transition Plan, in addition to TAP core curriculum courses.
  • VA Solid Start — BEHAVIORAL
    VA Solid Start includes a series of outreach calls and emails to all Veterans at 90-, 180-, and 365-days post service separation. Callers follow a standard script to describe services available through VA and provide contact information for desired services.

Study Details

Risk of Veteran suicide is elevated during the first year of transition from military service to civilian life. Most Veteran suicides occur among Veterans who are not connected to VA healthcare. Suicide prevention and connection to care are therefore critical for recently transitioning Veterans. Transitioning Veterans require services to provide them with suicide prevention education, skills to manage their transition effectively, and support in their access to VA healthcare. Convenient, accessible, palatable, patient-centered care options that are cost-effective, easy to implement nationwide, and target domains known to mitigate suicide risk are needed during this critical transition period. This proposal would bridge this important healthcare gap using STEP-Home-SP, a transdiagnostic, non-stigmatizing, skills-based workshop. STEP-Home-SP will provide Veterans with suicide prevention education, skills to improve transition, support to access VA care, and a platform to decrease social isolation early in their military to civilian transition, thereby reducing suicide risk downstream.

Key Dates

Start date
Mar 1, 2024
Status verified
Mar 2026
Primary completion
May 31, 2027
Completion
May 31, 2027

Study Design

Enrollment
120 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION

Arms

  • Experimental: STEP-Home-SP + Usual Care
    The core skills of emotional regulation and problem solving are introduced and integrated throughout all Veteran-specific reintegration content modules for practice and repetition for 12 weeks. Attention training augments emotional regulation and problem solving core skills and is interspersed throughout group and individual sessions. Additional 30-minute individual skill building and goal setting sessions occur \~4-6 times based on individual Veteran needs
  • Active Comparator: Usual Care
    UC will include the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) as scheduled by DOD prior to military separation, VA Solid Start post-separation, and educational augmentation post-separation.

Primary Outcome Measure

Feasibility- recruitment interest [ Time Frame: Through study completion, an average of one year. ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus, Jamaica Plain, MABostonMassachusetts02130-4817
Catherine B Fortier, PhD
[email protected]
857-364-4361
Catherine B Fortier, PhD (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

Find similar trials in Boston, MA

By condition
PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)
By specialty
PsychiatryMental healthBehavioral health
By research site
VA Boston Healthcare System Jamaica Plain Campus, Jamaica Plain, MA· Boston, MA

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