Applying a Model of Stakeholder Engagement to a Pragmatic Trial for People With Mental Disorders

Stakeholder engagement is an important component of pragmatic trials seeking to improve mental health care in real-world settings. Models of stakeholder engagement outline the benefits of involving a diverse array of partners in all phases of research. This column describes a stakeholder engagement plan for a comparative-effectiveness pragmatic trial of a care navigator program to increase linkage between emergency departments and outpatient treatment at community mental health centers. Benefits of stakeholder engagement include meaningful input on program design and implementation, insights into balancing the need for flexibility among clinical sites while implementing the program with fidelity, and early discussions about program sustainability and dissemination.