SPRINT's Mission is to accelerate VA health services suicide prevention (SP) research that will improve care and reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors among Veterans.

Main Goals and Activities

• Serve as an inclusive and collaborative network of VHA and non-VHA researchers and SP centers of excellence dedicated to conducting high-quality, high-priority, and high impact health services SP research.
• Maintain a “state of the science” inventory of information about VHA and non-VHA health services SP research activities, VHA operations-funded SP projects, and the evidence-base for SP interventions.
• In collaboration with stakeholders including operations partners, create and support a focused health services SP research agenda; and facilitate development of team-science efforts to address the agenda.
• Support innovation and development of methodological and content expertise, and high impact projects that create, test and implement potential solutions.

SPRINT is organized into three main hubs:

1. Communications Hub—Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, Portland, OR.

• Coordinate activities and strategic planning across the three hub sites
• Collect/maintain data on evidence; active projects; research agendas
• Identify and engage current/potential suicide prevention researchers
• Disseminate information to the field through community of research conference calls, newsletters, email, and cyberseminars.
• Work with the other hubs to:
  • Oversee and coordinate the program to solicit and fund planning award projects
  • Mentor and support health services SP researchers including career development

2. Data/Methods Hub: Center for Clinical Management (CCMR), Ann Arbor MI

• Provide consultation and guidance on identification, linkage and utilization of existing databases and on developing and testing interventions designed to prevent suicidal behaviors
• Liaison with data sources (e.g., mortality data repository)
• Support development of materials that include methods for identifying, accessing and linking existing data sources within and outside VHA
• Facilitate development of a set of core measures and metrics that will foster data sharing

3. Dissemination/Implementation Hub: Center for Mental Healthcare & Outcomes Research (CeMHOR), Little Rock, AR

• Provide consultation in implementation science to support SPRINT strategic planning
• Provide consultation on designing and conducting implementation research to researchers conducting suicide prevention research
• Monitor progress; identify products and impact of SPRINT-supported projects