Frontline Connect

Research Participation & Informed Consent Agreement

Massachusetts Veterans Suicide Prevention Institute (MVSPI)

Version 1.0

Purpose of this Research

You are invited to participate in research conducted by the Massachusetts Veterans Suicide Prevention Institute (MVSPI).

The purpose of this research is to better understand how continuous monitoring of protective factors—including connectedness, belonging, purpose, social support, and help-seeking—may contribute to upstream suicide prevention and improved well-being among veterans and first responders.

Your participation will help improve future versions of Frontline Connect and contribute to research on protective factor monitoring and digital mental health support.

What Participation Involves

If you agree to participate, you may be asked to:

Register for Frontline Connect.
Complete wellness check-ins.
Interact with the AI support system.
Complete surveys.
Participate in interviews or focus groups (optional).
Provide feedback on new features.
Participate in future pilot studies (optional).

Participation requirements may vary over time.

Risks

Potential risks include:

Emotional discomfort when discussing personal experiences.
Frustration with technology.
Loss of confidentiality in the unlikely event of a data breach.

If participation causes distress, you are encouraged to stop using the platform and seek support from trusted individuals or licensed healthcare professionals.

Benefits

While no direct benefit can be guaranteed, participation may:

Increase awareness of personal protective factors.
Encourage help-seeking.
Improve connectedness.
Improve awareness of available resources.
Help improve future suicide prevention efforts for veterans and first responders.

Confidentiality

Information collected may include:

Registration information
Survey responses
Wellness check-in data
Platform usage information
Participant feedback

Data may be analyzed in aggregate for research, quality improvement, publications, and presentations.

Personally identifying information will be removed whenever reasonably possible before public reporting.

Voluntary Participation

Participation is voluntary.

You may stop participating at any time without penalty and without affecting your eligibility for services provided by MVSPI or its partners.

You may request deletion of your account, subject to applicable legal, regulatory, and research record retention requirements.

Data Use

Your information may be used to:

Improve Frontline Connect.
Evaluate participant engagement.
Study protective factors related to well-being.
Publish scientific findings using de-identified data.
Support grant reporting and program evaluation.

Your identifiable information will not be sold or shared for marketing purposes.

Artificial Intelligence

Frontline Connect incorporates artificial intelligence to facilitate conversations and wellness check-ins.

You understand that:

AI-generated responses may not always be accurate.
AI does not provide medical diagnosis or treatment.
AI should not replace professional healthcare or crisis services.

Emergency Situations

Frontline Connect is not an emergency service.

If you are experiencing a crisis or believe you are at immediate risk of harming yourself or someone else:

Call or text 988 (Veterans: Press 1)
Call 911
Go to the nearest emergency department

Questions

If you have questions about this project or your participation, please contact: