Project Bridge: Peer Health Navigator Intervention

The mortality rate among people with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) is 2 to 3 times that of the general population, meaning that those with a serious mental illness die, on average, 25 years earlier than those without an SMI. These deaths are largely attributed to preventable medical conditions, many of which are more common in the SMI population. The "Bridge" intervention is a peer navigator model that was developed to target factors that negatively impact healthcare access, utilization, and outcomes among individuals with serious mental illness (e.g., severe mood disorders and psychotic disorders). This intervention targets male and female, adult consumers across races/ethnicities and has been utilized by Pacific Clinics (Southern California's largest behavioral healthcare agency) and the Department of Mental Health of Los Angeles County to improve the health and quality of life for their consumers. Investigators will test the comparative effectiveness of a peer navigator intervention (the Bridge) to treatment as usual. The Bridge navigator intervention is designed to teach SMI consumers the skills to engage health care providers and to overcome motivational deficits in order to improve their health and healthcare use. The specific aims of this application are: 1. To use randomized methods to examine the effectiveness of the Bridge intervention on the health care utilization, satisfaction with care, health status, and health care self-management for a sample of individuals with severe mental illness receiving public mental health services in the community; 2. To use randomized methods to examine the effectiveness of the Bridge intervention on psychological and social well-being for a sample of individuals with severe mental illness receiving public mental health services in the community. 151 participants in an Full Service Partnership (FSP) clinic operated by Pacific Clinics were recruited to participate in an approximately 24-month long study of Bridge navigation. Participants will be randomly assigned to either treatment as usual (waitlist) or immediate intervention with the Bridge. Participants in both groups will complete three assessments (baseline, 6 months, 12 months) and statistically compared over time. Staff stakeholders (n = 20) will also be interviewed at baseline and every three months of the study in order to ensure that the intervention is being implemented appropriately.