Peer Mentoring, Camaraderie, and Support (PMCS) of Southern New Jersey: Suicide prevention using human experience and social determinants of health
Date
2025-08-07
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Patient Experience Journal
Abstract
Suicide prevention is a high priority for Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Recent data show an increase in suicide rates, especially among Veterans that had not used VHA health services and nor had received any VHA benefits. Meanwhile, data collected for the past two decades reveals a decline in suicide rates among Veterans who were recent VHA users with mental health or substance use disorders.1 The objective of the Peer Mentoring, Camaraderie, and Support (PMCS)ProgramwastoexplorenovelwaystoreengageandreintegrateVeteransintotheirearnedVAhealthcare benefits, and examine the effectiveness of this new initiative by providing excellent human experience and social support to mitigate Veteran suicide in South New Jersey. The PMCS name is taken from an acronym that is used by the United States Army referring to “Preventative Maintenance Checks and Services,” which includes tasks that are completed on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis to ensure the overall combat readiness of military equipment. Thus, PMCS closely resonates with Veterans, but this time the focus is not on equipment but rather on their overall wellness and mental health readiness. This case study addresses recruitment, selection, onboarding, and orientation methods, as well as Veterans experience journey with emphasis on the Veterans Social Determinants of Health goals. The results demonstrate significant improvements across multiple clinical and psychosocial measures. Notably, there was a 77.8% reduction in suicidality (C-SSRS), a 35.2% decrease in depression symptoms (PHQ-9), a 23.6% decrease in PTSD symptoms, and a 22.7% reduction in anxiety symptoms (GAD-7). In parallel, participants showed a 33.7% increase in perceived interpersonal support and a 26.8% improvement in psychosocial functioning. As such, PCMS model offers a potential promise for suicide mitigation.
Description
This article was originally published in Patience Experience Journal . The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.35680/2372-0247.2038
© The Author(s), 2025. Published in association with The Beryl Institute. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Keywords
Veteran patient experience, Veteran engagement in their health, Suicide mitigation, Peer mentoring and support, Advocacy, Community-based engagement, Social determinants of health for veterans, Quality of life
Citation
Poorani A, Jacobs M, Carney P, Tomasetti J. Peer Mentoring, Camaraderie, and Support (PMCS) of Southern New Jersey: Suicide Prevention using Human Experience and Social Determinants of Health. Patient Experience Journal. 2025; 12(2):102-111. doi: 10.35680/2372-0247.2038.