Testing a Mobile and In-Person Therapy to Improve Community Life in Homeless Veterans with Serious Mental Illness

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate a brief behavioral intervention combining Motivational Interviewing MI and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT to improve community integration in Veterans with serious mental illness SMI who have experienced homelessness. The study addresses challenges faced by Veterans transitioning from temporary to permanent housing, including maintaining mental healthcare and daily functioning. It compares this intervention with a time- and format-matched control that includes remote mindfulness training. Participants will be randomized into two groups one receiving the MI-CBTech intervention and the other receiving supportive therapy with mindfulness training. Both treatments last 8 weeks and include three initial in-person sessions followed by six weeks of mobile phone application use. Remote check-ins by phone occur during weeks 2, 4, and 6 to support application use and address any issues. The interventions leverage participants own smartphones, with devices provided if needed. Veterans will undergo a baseline in-person assessment including interviews and cognitive tests before randomization. Outcome measures include completion rates of baseline, end of treatment, and follow-up assessments, as well as treatment adherence and satisfaction ratings. Follow-up assessments occur 16 weeks after baseline and can be done in person or remotely. Total assessment time is approximately 4 hours at baseline and 2 hours for subsequent visits. This study will help guide future larger trials to improve care during critical housing transitions.

MI-CBTech: A Mobile Intervention for Community Integration in Homeless-Experienced Veterans With SMI