# Veteran Engagement Implementation Strategies to Prevent Rural Veteran Suicide

> **NIH VA IK2** · CENTRAL ARKANSAS VETERANS HLTHCARE SYS · 2024 · —

## Abstract

Background. As a psychologist with strong beginner implementation science competencies, Dr. Woodward’s
goal is to become an independent investigator and advanced implementation scientist to improve health equity
in VA by engaging vulnerable Veterans in implementing healthcare services. In this CDA, she will acquire skills
to identify, manualize, pilot, and rigorously evaluate effective methods to engage vulnerable Veterans (those
who experience health disparities) throughout the implementation process. Health care disparities persist in
VA. In community-based participatory research (CBPR), engaging consumers in research helps vulnerable
populations improve health behaviors and outcomes. Thus, implementation researchers could also engage
consumers in selecting and tailoring implementation strategies. Implementation strategies are techniques to
enhance uptake of an intervention (e.g., quality monitoring, sustainability planning). There is little consumer
involvement in this process likely because no formal guidance exists. Dr. Woodward will manualize methods to
engage vulnerable Veteran consumers (including families, caregivers, community members) in selecting and
tailoring implementation strategies. This manual (called Consumer Voice) will provide concrete guidance on
what, when, where, how, and why an implementer might engage consumers in implementing or redesigning
healthcare services. Dr. Woodward will pilot this manual in the context of implementing Safety Planning
Intervention (SPI) for suicide prevention, focused on rural Veterans, a population particularly vulnerable to
suicide. Suicide is VA’s top clinical priority. SPI is an effective intervention that reduces suicidal ideation and
behaviors. Dr. Woodward needs training in CBPR, mixed methods in implementation research, and
implementation strategy design. Significance/Impact. By adding Veterans’ voices throughout the
implementation process, VA can increase access to and quality of healthcare for vulnerable Veterans and
improve health equity. Dr. Woodward’s training will ensure her expertise in implementation science and health
disparities to meet VA’s needs. Innovation. Consumer Voice is timely given critical needs for innovative
implementation science to reduce health disparities and VA’s increasing emphasis on Veteran engagement.
Consumer Voice is novel as the first manual to guide a process for consumer engagement throughout
implementation; [although it will be piloted on SPI, it will be generalizable to other vulnerable groups and
interventions.] Specific Aims. 1) Identify and manualize methods to engage consumers in selecting and
tailoring implementation strategies (Consumer Voice). 2) Use Consumer Voice and pilot its acceptability,
feasibility, and preliminary effect on implementation and Veteran outcomes. 3) Evaluate SPI sustainment [as a
metric of Consumer Voice’s impact.] Methodology. In Aim 1, Dr. Woodward will use a CBPR approach to
develop Consumer Voice. During the Aim 2 pilo...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10934530
- **Project number:** 5IK2HX003065-05
- **Recipient organization:** CENTRAL ARKANSAS VETERANS HLTHCARE SYS
- **Principal Investigator:** Eva Woodward
- **Activity code:** IK2 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2025-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10934530

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10934530, Veteran Engagement Implementation Strategies to Prevent Rural Veteran Suicide (5IK2HX003065-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10934530. Licensed CC0.

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