title: Development and Pilot Test of the RAND Suicide Prevention Program Evaluation Toolkit.
abstract: Evaluations are critical for assessing the impact of U.S. Department of Defense investments in suicide prevention and can be used as the basis for decisions about whether to sustain or scale up existing efforts. The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury asked RAND to draw from the scientific literature and create a toolkit to guide future evaluations of suicide prevention programs. The resulting toolkit is designed to help program staff determine whether their programs produce beneficial effects and, ultimately, to guide the responsible allocation of scarce resources. This article summarizes the three complementary methods used to develop the RAND Suicide Prevention Program Evaluation Toolkit: an examination of the peer-reviewed evaluation literature and clinical trials, a review of other evaluation toolkits, and feedback from staff responsible for implementing suicide prevention programs in the Department of Defense. It is intended to serve as both a companion and supplement to the toolkit and offers additional background on its development and testing.
authors.forename: Joie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.forename: Rajeev
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramchand
authors.forename: Amariah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Alexandria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Felton