Lisa Wexler Awarded Grant from the National Institute of Mental Health

Professor Lisa Wexler was awarded an NIMH R01 grant for her project “Efficacy-Implementation Study for PC CARES in Rural Alaska” through the NIH Intervention Research to Improve Native American Health.  The trial evaluates the impact of Promoting Community Conversations About Research to End Suicide (PC CARES) on adult participants and the adults and youth they are close to, and who could benefit from the intervention. This project contributes to the long-term goal of translating suicide prevention research into culturally responsive community practice to reduce suicide risk and promote youth well-being in Alaska Native communities.

“I am excited about our new project, which trains and supports local leaders in sharing suicide prevention best practices within their communities in order to spark community-led actions,” said Wexler. “We believe that the project builds a sustainable way to offer community members tools through PC CARES that they can use to promote positive community change that promotes mental wellness and reduces suicide risk.”

PhD student Lauren White will be leading a project aim. “The implementation aim on this grant is among the first NIH funded studies that use Implementation Science frameworks to assess the contextual determinants of implementation in a rural Tribal community. By studying how PC CARES is carried out with our partners, we will also build general knowledge of what Tribes and interventionists need to know about using newly developed evidence-based interventions to drive healthy change in Native communities,” said White.