SAFE-Watch: A suicide prevention safety net

Veterans are at particular risk of suicide with a rate that is 1.5 times higher than that of the overall U.S. population. According to the 2023 National Veteran and Suicide Prevention Annual Report, 6,392 U.S. Veterans died from suicide in 2021.

To address this complex issue facing Veterans, VA has made Veteran suicide prevention its top clinical priority. This mission can only be achieved with everyone’s support—including both community and clinical-based interventions to help Veterans find the support they need.

In 2018, VA implemented the Suicide Risk Identification Strategy to standardize suicide risk screening and evaluation across all facilities. VA providers must complete the Comprehensive Suicide Risk Screen Evaluation (CSRE) whenever a Veteran reports acute signs of suicide risk. The CSRE assesses risk levels and shapes personalized risk management strategies.

Offering an effective tool for suicide prevention coordinators

Health Informatics Specialist Michael Rogers and his team created Suicide Assessment Follow-up Evaluation – Watch (SAFE-Watch) to ensure no Veteran is overlooked.

With a deep personal connection to the cause, Rogers identified an opportunity to establish a safety net that alerts suicide prevention coordinators when follow-up care is needed.

SAFE-Watch identifies at-risk Veterans who still require completion of the CSRE, creating alerts and populating real-time reports for care providers. The alert notifies the facility’s suicide prevention team to complete their required assessments and safety measures.

“Our team has been able to develop an effective way to support staff without them feeling like they’re being micromanaged, and the Veteran receives the care they deserve without falling through the cracks.”

SAFE-Watch dramatically increases the rate of CSRE completion. Following the program’s implementation across VA Heartland Network, the rate of completion increased from 65% in 2021 to over 90% in 2022.

“It continues to be a privilege to enhance SAFE-Watch knowing that this process is vital for our providers to address Veteran suicide and will continue to help Veterans,” said Karen Baptiste, an Army Veteran and member of the SAFE-Watch team.

A rapid expansion to more VA facilities

Following its success, SAFE-Watch applied to VHA Shark Tank Competition. Rogers pitched it at the 2023 VHA Shark Tank Competition in Washington, D.C., and earned a winning bid to replicate the practice at Sierra Nevada VA.

During the practice’s replication, the Diffusion of Excellence team has offered mentorship and fostered connections with national stakeholders to expand the practice’s impact and visibility. SAFE-Watch is currently at 26 VA facilities with another 10 adoptions in progress.

“As challenging as it can be, it was rewarding,” said Rogers. “I would recommend VHA Shark Tank to anybody. It changed my perspective on what innovation is in VA.”

In the future, the SAFE-Watch team aims to become an independently adoptable product through the development of an external dashboard. This will grant the program the ability to migrate to new electronic health record systems. To learn more about the SAFE-Watch program, visit their page on Diffusion Marketplace.

Find resources

If a Veteran in your life is going through a tough time, be prepared with resources you can share or use together. Here’s a list of resources available to all Veterans and their supporters:

• Veterans Crisis Line:  If you’re a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive 24/7 confidential support. You don’t have to be enrolled in VA benefits or health care to connect. To reach responders, Dial 988 then Press 1, chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat or text 838255.
• VA Resource Locator: Connect to your nearest resources based on your ZIP code or city and state.
• VA Suicide Prevention: Explore suicide prevention resources to build networks of support among community-based organizations, Veterans Service Organizations, health care providers and other members of your community.
• Don’t wait. Reach out.: Get support designed specifically for you whether you’re a Veteran, family member or friend.
• National Resource Directory: Find a wide range of national, state, and local services and resources.