VA Office of Research and Development
The proposed project is a randomized controlled trial that seeks to test the effectiveness of a peer-facilitated, patient navigation program to improve mental healthcare experiences and outcomes for under-supported Veterans from diverse cultural backgrounds and communities. PARTNER-MH is a structured, telehealth-based intervention delivered by VHA peer specialists over a three-month period. It integrates two evidence-based care delivery models, peer support and patient navigation, and addresses three primary contributors to healthcare disparities: unmet social needs, low patient engagement in care, and unproductive patient-clinician communication. Findings from this study will support ongoing efforts to improve mental health services for all Veterans in the VHA.
Despite expanded availability of mental health services within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), many Veterans-particularly those from varied cultural backgrounds and communities-continue to face significant barriers to accessing and fully engaging in care. Effective strategies to address these issues remain limited, leaving under-supported and vulnerable Veterans at risk for inadequate care experiences and poorer mental health outcomes. If these persistent and often overlooked challenges remain unresolved, they will continue to contribute to long-term disability, societal burden, and…
Inclusion Criteria: * Member of a racial or ethnic minoritized group * Veterans who are currently receiving or waiting to receive treatment in the outpatient mental health clinics or affiliated CBOCS at the study sites * Eligible participants must be: * waiting to start treatment (e.g., Veterans who were referred to treatment, assigned a provider, or recommended a treatment option that includes either pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, or both but have not yet started treatment at time of enrollment) * Veterans who are already receiving ongoing treatment - pharmacotherapy, individual, and/or…
PARTNER-MH is a manualized, peer-facilitated, patient navigation intervention that involves the delivery of three services: 1) peer support to increase patient engagement in care, 2) patient navigation to address unmet social needs and increase access to services, and 3) psychoeducation to increase communication self-efficacy. PARTNER-MH consists of 10 sessions, lasting up to 60 minutes, that will be delivered over 12 weeks via videoconference or phone. It also includes a rapport building/orientation session that will be delivered in person or via videoconference to facilitate study engagement and two flex weeks with no scheduled lessons to accommodate rescheduling if needed.
The control condition consists of informational/educational materials that will be distributed to study participants after randomization and completion of baseline assessment. The content of the educational brochure includes 3-4 brief, healthy living articles about stress management, well-being, and navigation of health services.
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