VA Office of Suicide Prevention is excited to announce the launch of three groundbreaking suicide prevention innovation initiatives, sourced through the Mission Daybreak Broad Agency Announcement (BAA).
Initiated by the VHA Innovation Ecosystem and the VA’s Office of Suicide Prevention in 2022, Mission Daybreak invites collaboration from private-sector companies, nonprofits, and academic institutions to propose innovative solutions targeting Veteran suicide prevention, care coordination, and treatment. Following the announcement in August 2024, the VA received numerous creative ideas that align with its priorities, resulting in the selection of these promising pilots.
### 1. Firearm Storage and Movement Detection System (Regal)
This pilot introduces a patent-pending firearm storage and movement detection system designed to alert firearm owners and designated contacts of unauthorized access. Targeting the most prevalent method of Veteran suicide, this innovative solution aims to enhance safety for Veterans and their families through real-time monitoring. In partnership with University of Colorado, VA will recruit over 300 Veterans for field testing, deploy surveys and interviews, refine the prototype, and deliver a production-ready device.
### 2. Post Discharge Follow Up (NeuroFlow)
This initiative expands on NeuroFlow’s existing suicide prevention tool in collaboration with the Behavioral Health Lab (BHL). It features continuous remote monitoring of Veterans post-discharge utilizing advanced analytics and natural language processing (NLP). Key components include real-time risk detection, seamless integration with VA Electronic Health Records (EHR), and a multi-modal digital caring companion program, encompassing SMS, email, mobile app, web, and phone call touchpoints This pilot will also launch across a pilot network of 9 VA campuses, 46 outpatient clinics, and 16 vet centers covering 82 counties in Pennsylvania and Delaware and parts of Ohio, West Virginia, New York and New Jersey and serving 330,000 Veterans.
### 3. Passive Digital Phenotyping (Behavidence)
This pilot aims to validate a passive monitoring solution through digital phenotyping, which continuously detects behavioral risk factors related to suicide and PTSD in Veterans. The application offers unobtrusive, real-time monitoring of behavioral health symptoms, providing critical insights into mental health risk indicators. By enabling timely interventions, this proactive approach captures behavioral markers of suicidality and PTSD outside traditional healthcare interactions, engaging vulnerable Veterans effectively.
These innovative pilots represent the VA’s commitment to leveraging technology to improve support for Veterans. By integrating cutting-edge solutions with existing frameworks, the VA is taking strides towards preventing Veteran suicide.
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