Students in the Rural Human Services Certificate Program at University of Alaska-Fairbanks (UAF) Kuskokwim Campus (KuC) will fulfill their practicum requirement by facilitating PC CARES Learning Circles in their home communities in rural remote western Alaska. 

The researchers randomly selected a number of villages with RHS students completing their practicum to participate in community-wide data collection. After getting tribal approval for research, the researchers travel to each community to collect Baseline surveys, then remain in contact with participants for 12 months (details below).

Participants in the study will be asked to complete 8 surveys total over roughly a year: a Baseline/Newcomer survey, 5 Monthly/Post-LC Surveys, a 1-Month Follow-Up survey, and a 6-Month Follow-Up survey. Each survey will take between 10 and 25 minutes to complete.

Risks or discomforts from this research include a small risk that the survey questions will remind participants of a difficult event or will point out something they are not currently doing for prevention. The direct benefit of participation in this study is that participants will help us understand where PC CARES is successful in improving wellness and prevention behaviors in your community.

Participation is optional, and study subjects can stop filling out surveys at any time.

To understand the levels of knowledge and frequency of prevention-related activities in communities before anyone has experienced PC CARES, we recruit widely for the Baseline Steps toward Prevention (StP) Survey, focusing on individuals working at or in formal institutions (e.g., tribe, city, clinic, school) and youth ages 15-24. The Baseline StP Survey asks for demographic information like age, race, and sex, and looks at knowledge about reducing suicide, skills in making positive community changes, attitudes toward suicide prevention, and behavior related to suicide prevention. Questions about behavior included follow up questions asking with whom they've done the behavior (chosen from a list) and 'how often' they took that action.

The Baseline Survey is either completed in-person with research staff with an iPad or on paper during their first Learning Circle (“Newcomer” Survey). Participants get $20 for filling out the Baseline survey and must fill out this survey before taking any other surveys.

PC CARES Learning Circles are hosted by the RHS students in each village. After each Learning Circle, all participants aged 18+ are invited to complete a survey that includes questions about their skills, knowledge and attitudes toward taking preventive action (from the Baseline StP Survey), plus questions about satisfaction and about intention to use what was discussed in the session. Each time they are asked to complete a survey, participants will be given the option of not filling them out without recourse. If they do complete the survey, they will receive a $20 gift card. Since there are five learning circles, attendees will have the option to fill out five total post-LC surveys.

In randomly-selected villages where the tribes approve of the research, the PC CARES research team will send monthly surveys that are similar to the Post-Learning Circle surveys. These 10-minute surveys are open to adults and youth 15+ who filled out a Baseline survey, and are texted or emailed to participants each month. They measure attitudes about suicide prevention, skills, and what adults have done to support youth in their lives in the past 30 days. Questions might include things like, “In the last month, did you openly share your thoughts and feelings?” or “In the last month, did you help someone solve a problem?” Recipients will get 5 monthly surveys total.

Approximately 1 month and 6 months after PC CARES learning circles wrap up, researchers will contact all those who filled out a Baseline or Newcomer survey to fill out a Follow-Up Survey as well. This survey is identical to the Baseline StP Survey, and participants' responses are paired with their responses from before using anonymous ID codes. We hope to learn how PC CARES impacts those who attend the learning circles, the people close to them, and others in the community.

Final results will be shared through peer-reviewed publications and presentations, community presentations and tribal reports. Raw data will be considered for sharing if they do not contain any identifies, additional research projects are approved by the local tribal council, and shared under a signed and properly executed data-sharing agreement that provides specific criteria under which the data will be used. 

Further information about the study results can be found on the Research and Evaluation page, which is updated regularly.

Please call ‪(734) 224-8260 or email pccaresteam@gmail.com if you have any questions for our team.