Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded UC San Diego a $396,907 Project Grant on June 5, 2026, under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242) to develop and evaluate Recovery Integrated Safety and Engagement (RISE), a novel peer-supported suicide prevention intervention for individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR). The three-year project, concluding March 31, 2029, will deliver a refined, evidence-based group intervention that combines therapist and peer co-facilitation with four recovery-oriented modules—Reasons for Living, Hope, Recovery Goals, and Social Connection—integrated with compensatory cognitive strategies and a caregiver means restriction session. The study will produce preliminary effectiveness data, implementation guidance, and protocol refinements suitable for routine clinical care settings.

The grant follows a hybrid effectiveness-implementation framework across two sites, generating deliverables through three primary aims: (1) protocol refinement through qualitative interviews and community input with an open trial to assess fidelity; (2) a pilot randomized controlled trial comparing RISE to treatment as usual to evaluate preliminary effectiveness on suicide ideation and intervention targets; and (3) qualitative implementation data from participant and administrator/clinician interviews. These products—including the refined intervention manual, effectiveness outcomes, and implementation science findings—will address a critical gap in suicide prevention approaches for the CHR population, where suicide risk remains elevated but standardized prevention protocols are lacking.