Expanding Veteran Sponsorship Initiative+ to Support High-Risk Transitioning Servicemembers and Veterans: A Precision Medicine Approach

Background Young Veterans in the U.S. face a heightened risk of suicide, particularly during the first year after leaving military service-a period often referred to as the "deadly gap." Suicide rates among Veterans aged 18 to 34 have nearly doubled since 2001, and research shows that reintegration challenges during this transition are closely linked to increased suicide risk.

The Veteran Sponsorship Initiative (VSI) was developed to address this critical period by connecting Transitioning Servicemembers and Veterans (TSMVs) with trained, VA-certified peer sponsors. These sponsors help TSMVs navigate civilian life and access VA care. Early evaluations show that TSMVs matched with sponsors are more likely to report lower levels of reintegration difficulties, higher levels of social support, engage in VA services and report lower rates of depression and suicide risk.

This project enhances VSI by integrating predictive analytics-developed in partnership with Harvard Medical School and the DoW STARRS-LS team-to identify high-risk TSMVs before they leave the military. Those identified receive not only a sponsor but also targeted VA mental and health care services. This hybrid effectiveness-implementation study will evaluate the impact of this enhanced model (VSI+) on mental health outcomes and VA engagement among 2,700 high-risk TSMVs.

Method/Design

The purpose of this PEI proposal is to evaluate VSI expansion into VSI+ with enrollment occurring on four US Army installations (FY2026-2027). The study employs a pragmatic cluster-randomized trial with embedded mixed-method implementation evaluation to compare three arms:

• Transition as Usual (TAU)
• VSI Base= peer sponsorship and community support
• VSI+= VSI Base plus VA stepped care services

The evaluation is guided by the RE-AIM framework to assess:

• Reach (enrollment rates)
• Effectiveness (reintegration difficulties, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation/behavior, and VA utilization outcomes)
• Adoption (site and staff uptake)
• Implementation (fidelity and feasibility)
• Maintenance (sustainability)

Study Aims

• Effectiveness: Evaluate the impact of VSI Base and VSI+ on reintegration difficulties, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation/behavior, and VA utilization outcomes.
• Implementation: Assess the feasibility and fidelity of implementing VSI Base and VSI+ across multiple sites using a bundled strategy.
• Economic Impact: Estimate the budget impact of VSI Base and VSI+ on healthcare costs, including inpatient, emergency, and outpatient care.