Earlier this August, the expert review panel advanced leading concepts to the multidisciplinary judging panel following a thorough evaluation. The judges bring a diversity of perspectives and experiences — from Veterans and clinicians to social workers and technical experts.
To be effective, prevention solutions must meet individuals where they are, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. That’s why the Phase 1 judging panel is assessing leading submissions against a range of criteria, including how they reflect the true lived experience of Veterans, the extent to which they demonstrate a level of advancement beyond current practice, and their potential to sustainably grow to make a significant impact on the Veteran population.
Meet the judges
Mission Daybreak thanks the judging panel for donating their time and expertise to support suicide prevention efforts for our Veterans — and all Americans:
Anne L. Bailey, Ph.D., PharmaD, BCPS, Director, Clinical Tech Innovation at VHA Innovation Ecosystem
Clairmont J. Barnes, Associate Director at VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Lisa A. Brenner, Ph.D., Director, Department of Veterans Affairs at Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC)
April C. Foreman, Ph.D., Program Director at Veterans Crisis Line’s Innovation Hub
Angela Gant-Curtis, Program Director at VA Innovation Unit
Lisa Kearney, Ph.D., Executive Director at Veterans Crisis Line
Kel Maisenbacher, Clinical Care Coordinator at Veterans Crisis Line
Lillie Mells, Education & Training Program Coordinator at VA Office of Mental Health Suicide Prevention
Michael Nobles, Assistant Deputy Director at Veterans Crisis Line
Eddie Pool, Executive Director, Office of Information and Technology at Department of Veterans Affairs
Amanda Lienau Purnell, Ph.D., Director of Data and Analytics at VHA Innovation Ecosystem
Jack Tsai, Ph.D., Research Director at National Center on Homelessness among Veterans (NCHAV)
Jason A. Zimmerman, CPSC, CRE, CPRP
Looking ahead: VA plans to announce finalists and Promise Award recipients in September
Finalists and Promise Award winners will be notified in late August by the contact information the team lead provided, and VA plans to make a public announcement in September. The 30 finalists will each receive $250,000 and advance to the Phase 2 virtual accelerator program. In recognition of their solutions, an additional 10 teams will each receive a Promise Award of $100,000.
The Phase 2 accelerator is designed to help the 30 finalists develop ambitious but achievable roadmaps for prototyping, iteration, testing, and evaluation. Technology partners supporting the accelerator include Amazon and Microsoft.
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