title: Using Peer Navigators to Address the Integrated Health Care Needs of Homeless African Americans With Serious Mental Illness.
abstract: The study examined the impact of a peer navigator program (PNP) developed by a community-based participatory research team and used with a group of African Americans with serious mental illness who were homeless.
  
  
  
  Sixty-seven research participants were randomly assigned to receive PNP or treatment as usual (control) for one year. Data on general health and mental health, recovery, and quality of life were collected at baseline and at four, eight, and 12 months.
  
  
  
  Findings from group × trial analyses of variance of omnibus measures of the four constructs showed significant impact over the year for participants in PNP compared with those in the control group, with analyses showing small to moderate effect sizes: general health status (η2=.24), psychological experience of physical health (η2=.42), recovery (η2=.36), and quality of life (η2=.14). These differences emerged even though both groups showed significant reductions in homelessness and increases in insurance coverage.
  
  
  
  Implications for improving in-the-field health care for this population are discussed. Whether these results occurred because navigators were peers per se needs to be examined in future research.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Corrigan, Ms. Kraus, Ms. Schmidt, and Ms. Lara are with the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. Dr. Pickett is with Advocates for Human Potential, Inc., Chicago. Mr. Stellon and Mr. Hantke are with Heartland Health Outreach, Chicago.
authors.forename: Patrick W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Corrigan
authors.affiliation: Dr. Corrigan, Ms. Kraus, Ms. Schmidt, and Ms. Lara are with the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. Dr. Pickett is with Advocates for Human Potential, Inc., Chicago. Mr. Stellon and Mr. Hantke are with Heartland Health Outreach, Chicago.
authors.forename: Dana J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.affiliation: Dr. Corrigan, Ms. Kraus, Ms. Schmidt, and Ms. Lara are with the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. Dr. Pickett is with Advocates for Human Potential, Inc., Chicago. Mr. Stellon and Mr. Hantke are with Heartland Health Outreach, Chicago.
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Pickett
authors.affiliation: Dr. Corrigan, Ms. Kraus, Ms. Schmidt, and Ms. Lara are with the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. Dr. Pickett is with Advocates for Human Potential, Inc., Chicago. Mr. Stellon and Mr. Hantke are with Heartland Health Outreach, Chicago.
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Dr. Corrigan, Ms. Kraus, Ms. Schmidt, and Ms. Lara are with the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. Dr. Pickett is with Advocates for Human Potential, Inc., Chicago. Mr. Stellon and Mr. Hantke are with Heartland Health Outreach, Chicago.
authors.forename: Ed
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stellon
authors.affiliation: Dr. Corrigan, Ms. Kraus, Ms. Schmidt, and Ms. Lara are with the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. Dr. Pickett is with Advocates for Human Potential, Inc., Chicago. Mr. Stellon and Mr. Hantke are with Heartland Health Outreach, Chicago.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hantke
authors.affiliation: Dr. Corrigan, Ms. Kraus, Ms. Schmidt, and Ms. Lara are with the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. Dr. Pickett is with Advocates for Human Potential, Inc., Chicago. Mr. Stellon and Mr. Hantke are with Heartland Health Outreach, Chicago.
authors.forename: Juana Lorena
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000379:methods*; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D062526:Patient Navigation / Q000379:methods*; D010379:Peer Group
keywords: Community mental health services, Mental illness &amp; alcohol/drug abuse, Program evaluation, Quality improvement, Research/service delivery