Not Yet RecruitingNot Applicable

Improving Mental Healthcare Outcomes for Minoritized Veterans Through a Peer-led, Patient Navigation Program (PARTNER-MH 2.0)

United States268 participantsStarted 2027-01-04

Plain-language summary

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.

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

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 group psychotherapy, but initiated treatment within 9 months of study enrollment date * Have a diagnosis of depression, anxiety, or PTSD * Not currently receiving peer services in the outpatient clinic Exclusion Criteria: * Patients needing emergency psychiatric services of hospitalization due to suicidal ideation or recent suicide attempt (within past 2 months), have severe psychiatric symptoms (e.g., active psychosis), or a diagnosis of severe mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia) * Severe cognitive, hearing, or speech impairment (e.g., dementia, severe TBI) * Severe physical illness that impedes study participation * Recent hospitalization for substance use disorder (SUD) for the past 2 months or severe SUD symptoms based on the screen tools (AUDIC-C, DAST-10) that may require higher level of care and peer support

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1This trial focuses specifically on minoritized veterans — would I be considered part of the population this program is designed to serve, and is this something worth keeping on my radar as it moves toward recruiting?
2Since this trial is not yet recruiting, what are my options right now for getting peer support or patient navigation help for my depression, anxiety, or PTSD while I wait to see if this becomes available?
3The program uses peer navigators rather than traditional clinical providers — can you help me understand how that kind of support would fit alongside any therapy or medication I might already be receiving from you?
4The main thing being measured is a mental health quality-of-life score called the VR-12 — does that tell us whether participants are actually feeling better day to day, and what does that mean for how we'd know if the program is working for me?
5Since this is listed as a non-interventional or non-drug phase, what does that mean for what we'd know about risks going into it, and are there existing programs at our facility that offer something similar in the meantime?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

The Veterans RAND 12 Item Health Survey (VR-12), mental health composition score (6-items, MCS)

Timeframe: baseline, 3 and 6 months

Trial details

NCT IDNCT07645274

SponsorVA Office of Research and Development

Sponsor typeFED

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2029-09-28

Contact for this trial

Johanne Eliacin, PhD

(317) 988-5298 johanne.eliacin@va.gov

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Diagnoses of Depression trials