Risk of Veteran suicide is elevated during the first year of transition from military service to civilian life. Most Veteran suicides occur among Veterans who are not connected to VA healthcare. Suicide prevention and connection to care are therefore critical for recently transitioning Veterans. Transitioning Veterans require services to provide them with suicide prevention education, skills to manage their transition effectively, and support in their access to VA healthcare. Convenient, accessible, palatable, patient-centered care options that are cost-effective, easy to implement nationwide, and target domains known to mitigate suicide risk are needed during this critical transition period. This proposal would bridge this important healthcare gap using STEP-Home-SP, a transdiagnostic, non-stigmatizing, skills-based workshop. STEP-Home-SP will provide Veterans with suicide prevention education, skills to improve transition, support to access VA care, and a platform to decrease social isolation early in their military to civilian transition, thereby reducing suicide risk downstream.
Recently transitioned Veterans within three years of separation from military service
Self-reported functional impairment or reintegration difficulties as measured by the Military-to-Civilian Questionnaire (any item score > 1 indicating "some difficulty"; M2CQ; [71])
Sufficient English fluency
Agree to participate (informed consent/HIPAA)
Active psychosis
Imminent or acute high suicide risk requiring immediate crisis intervention (low-moderate non-imminent risk for suicide is allowed)
Current moderate or severe substance use disorder
Neurological diagnosis excluding TBI