Background: Mental health providers (MHPs), who are "mission critical" for the VHA, report the second highest level of burnout after primary care physicians. MHP burnout may be associated with negative system- level factors (organizational climate, workgroup perceptions, and supervisory behaviors), provider experiences (engagement, satisfaction, and turnover) and patient outcomes (access to, continuity of, experience of care). VHA has yet to conduct a systematic facility-level study identifying predictors and consequences of MHP burnout. This study will address HSR&D priorities focused on health care systems change, the impact of organizational and provider factors associated with quality of care for Veterans, and improving employee engagement. Objectives: This pre-implementation study aims to characterize variation in MHP burnout by facility over time, identifying workplace characteristics and practices of high performing facilities that can be translated for potential implementation at facilities with room for improvement. Aim 1: to examine facility- level predictors and consequences of VHA MHP burnout; Aim 2: to understand VHA MHP leadership and front-line provider perspectives regarding factors that protect against or exacerbate burnout in facilities with differing levels of burnout; and Aim 3: to identify context-sensitive strategies for facilities to successfully reduce VHA MHP burnout. Methods: Using a sequential explanatory mixed methods study, a two-phase design with quantitative data collection and analysis followed by qualitative data collection and analysis, and subsequent integration, we will evaluate factors that influence MHP burnout and their effects on patient outcomes. We will compile annual survey data on workplace conditions and annual staffing and productivity data between FY2014 and FY2018 to assess same and subsequent year provider and patient outcomes reflecting provider and patient experiences. The All Employee Survey (AES) is an annual organizational census of workplace perceptions and satisfaction. The Mental Health Provider Survey (MHPS) is an annual survey to assess MHP perceptions about access to and quality of mental health care, and job satisfaction. The Mental Health Outpatient Clinical method tracks MHP inpatient and outpatient clinical hours and productivity. We will examine MHP job satisfaction and patient experience metrics using the Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning (SAIL) Mental Health domain, the VHA's quality monitoring system. Facility complexity level is measured using a five level indicator based on patient risk, number of specialists, volume, and level of teaching and research, including mental health program characteristics. By linking these data sources, we will quantify predictors of burnout and the impact of burnout on patient outcomes. We will conduct interviews with mental health facility leadership and front-line MHPs, intentionally sampled using facility-level MHP burnout. We wil...