Mental health clinician and chaplain teamwork for moral injury
Official title: Mental Health Clinician / Chaplain Collaboration (MC3): A Pilot Study
Run by Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System · NCT07579143 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This pilot will test whether VA chaplains can lead up to 12 forgiveness and community-reintegration sessions to help veterans in VA mental health care with moral injury symptoms.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 80 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 20 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System Federal |
| Locations | 2 sites (Little Rock, Arkansas and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | April 14, 2025 |
| Main results expected | June 2026 |
| Study ends | June 2026 |
| Registry record updated | May 11, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07579143 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal participants are veterans aged 18–80 who screen positive on the 6-item Moral Injury Distress Scale, are receiving VA PTSD or SUD treatment, and plan to continue VA mental health follow-up for clinician collaboration.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe neurocognitive disorder, or those already enrolled in a moral injury group or evidence-based PTSD therapy are unlikely to benefit from this pilot and are excluded.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The Mental Health Clinician / Chaplain Collaboration (MC3) is a two-site, single-arm pilot delivering a chaplain-led intervention to veterans receiving VA specialty mental health or substance use care who report moral injury symptoms. Up to 20 veterans across Little Rock and Pittsburgh will complete a baseline and six-month interview and participate in as many as 12 sessions focused on facilitating forgiveness and community connection. Primary outcomes are feasibility, acceptability, and fidelity, and the protocol includes pre-implementation adaptation with VA chaplains and clinicians and a post-implementation formative evaluation. There is no comparison group, and results will be used to refine the intervention and study procedures for a future randomized trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, MC3 could offer a chaplain-led option that reduces guilt, shame, and isolation and helps veterans reconnect with their communities.
How similar studies have gone: This intervention adapts community-clergy approaches for delivery by VA chaplains and is relatively novel; prior community-based work exists but rigorous randomized evidence is limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * age 18 to 80 years * plan to follow-up with a VA mental health clinician for PTSD or SUD treatment within the next three months (therefore allowing for collaboration) * positive screen using the 6-item Moral Injury Distress Scale (MIDS) screener. A positive MIDS screen will be defined as being bothered at least moderately by exposure to at least one potentially morally injurious event (witnessing, omission, commission). Exclusion Criteria: * diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, or severe neurocognitive disorder (e.g., dementia, severe TBI). Veterans with borderline personality disorder will be eligible for participation in this study following DBT completion. * Planning to start or current participation in a moral injury treatment group or evidence-based psychotherapy (e.g., Prolonged Exposure or Cognitive Processing Therapy).
Where it's running
-
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States Recruiting -
Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System
Little Rock, Arkansas, United States Completed
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Jeff M Pyne, MD
- Email: jeffrey.pyne@va.gov
- Phone: 501-442-6019
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.