Project Summary
Background: Suicide rates are high in Colorado, particularly in rural and western Colorado. Stakeholders engaged in a process to develop a new practice and community-based research network identified suicide prevention as their top research priority, but reported needing to connect more with each other and to learn more about conducting research.
Proposed Solution to the Problem: A series of convenings for stakeholders engaged in suicide prevention, including two large group meetings to share best practices and develop a research agenda, as well as a series of learning seminars for individuals from each participating organization to learn about research processes.
Objectives:
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Bring community stakeholders committed to reducing suicide incidence from across western Colorado together to determine:
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Which evidence-based practices are currently being used?
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What gaps exist in evaluation and research?
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Build research and evaluation interest and skills among individuals (research champions) working in partner organizations.
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Bring community stakeholders together again to:
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Develop protocols for joint comparative effectiveness research (CER) and patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR).
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Develop strategies for sharing lessons learned about best practices across communities.
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Activities: Two large group meetings (50 participants) of stakeholders from across western Colorado, the first to share current suicide prevention activities and think about ways to collaborate, the second to develop a research agenda. There will also be a seminar series for a smaller group (one individual from each partner organization) to develop knowledge and early research skills, both for future collaboration and also for independent projects within the partner organizations.
Projected Outcomes and Outputs:
Outputs:
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Research agenda outlining future potential research topics and questions to pursue
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Strengthened partnerships for future collaboration
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Increased research readiness or capacity
Outcomes:
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Short term: Readiness to conduct rigorous, impactful regional research on suicide prevention
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Medium term: Research findings on best practices disseminated and implemented across western Colorado
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Decreased suicide rates and increased ability to prevent suicide
Patient and Stakeholder Engagement Plan:
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Project advisory committee: local stakeholders in suicide prevention from across the region of western Colorado will meet periodically during the year-long project to direct project activities, ensuring that activities are committee driven and responsive to community need.
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Fifty participants in large group convenings will participate in two conferences where they will share and learn about regional suicide prevention efforts and contribute to developing a regional suicide prevention research agenda.
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Ten participants will participate in the small group seminar series.
Project Collaborators: Departments of public health, nonprofit organizations, payers, health systems, healthcare providers, schools, and behavioral health providers.