The Integrated Prevention Advisory Group, or I-PAG, is the Army’s new primary prevention workforce. This workforce, composed of public health and prevention science professionals, will advise leaders in their efforts to create inclusive and protective military communities for their Soldiers, Family members and Department of the Army Civilians. Key activities of the I-PAG include using data and research to understand community needs and the local prevention system, planning and implementing comprehensive approaches to prevent harmful behaviors and evaluating activities to ensure that they have their intended effects. The prevention workforce will not replace current personnel who prevent or respond to harmful behaviors.
The Army has hired just over 10 percent of the total prevention workforce. When hiring is complete, the I-PAG will have approximately 1,200 employees across active duty and reserves who specialize in topics such as public health, health promotion, social science, behavioral science, implementation science, program evaluation and data science.
During fiscal year 2023, the I-PAG began phase 1 of the hiring process at five installations (Fort Riley, Fort Cavazos, Fort Sill, Schofield Barracks and Camp Humphreys) and at the operational (FORSCOM, TRADOC and USARPAC) and strategic levels.
Implementation of the new workforce has reached a major milestone, as phase 1 locations have completed their community needs assessments and comprehensive integrated primary prevention plans.
The I-PAG has begun phase 2 of the hiring process and has announced hiring for two positions, Supervisory Prevention Specialists (Prevention Leads) and Prevention Specialists (Deputies), at 47 CONUS and OCONUS locations over fiscal year 2024. Dr. Brantley Jarvis, primary prevention research coordinator at the Integrated Prevention Division, says, “This is truly an exciting time for the I-PAG workforce as DPRR’s Integrated Prevention Division works with phase 2 locations to hire and onboard their prevention leads.”
According to Jarvis, future phase 3 hiring decisions will be informed by data. Prevention leads and their deputies hired during phase 2 will gather data to understand their local community’s prevention needs. “This tailored, data-driven approach ensures locations receive I-PAGs based on identified needs. Relying on data for hiring also provides a process to adapt in the future if needs change,” Jarvis says.
The harmful behaviors that the I-PAG will work to prevent, such as sexual assault and sexual harassment, self-harm, domestic abuse and child abuse, are complex issues that won’t be an overnight fix. Jarvis says: “I-PAG will benefit military communities by working with Army leaders to ensure relevant research and data are used to drive understanding, planning, implementation and evaluation to prevent multiple harmful behaviors before they occur. It’s worth noting that the I-PAG’s benefit for our military communities will take time to be realized. Harmful behaviors require complex analysis, planning and long-term commitment to prevent.”
For more information on the I-PAG, visit https:// www.armyresilience.army.mil/IPAG/index.html and for current vacancies visit https://www.usajobs. gov/Search/Results?k=i-pag.
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