title: Which Homeless Veterans Benefit From a Peer Mentor and How?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Veterans Affairs (VA) is expanding peer support. Research is limited on Veterans' perspective on benefits from peer services. We describe homeless Veteran perceptions of value and examine characteristics associated with benefit.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a sample of Veterans in a multisite randomized control trial, we studied addition of peers in VA Primary Care and homeless-oriented primary care clinics. We used qualitative methods to study the perceptions of peer services among a subsample of homeless Veterans. Quantitative methods were used to validate findings in both samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-five percent of the subsample and 83% of the full sample benefited from a peer mentor. Participants who benefited had more peer visits and minutes of intervention (p<.05), were more likely to be minority, and were less likely to have posttraumatic stress disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of Veteran participants in this study benefited from receiving peer mentor intervention. African American Veterans were more likely to benefit and Veterans with PTSD were less likely to benefit. Client endorsement of the peer's role influenced outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Providence VA Medical Center.|Brown University.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Resnik
authors.affiliation: Providence VA Medical Center.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ekerholm
authors.affiliation: Providence VA Medical Center.
authors.forename: Erin E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital (Bedford VA Medical Center).|University of Massachusetts Medical School.
authors.forename: Marsha L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ellison
authors.affiliation: Providence VA Medical Center.|Brown University.|VA National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans.
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: O'Toole
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008611:Mentors / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010379:Peer Group; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: United States Department of Veterans Affairs; Veterans; homeless persons; peer support services