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EMPOWER for Homeless-Experienced Veterans with Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders

This study is testing a program called EMPOWER (Employing Peer Outreach and Whole Health in Recovery) for veterans who have experienced homelessness and have substance use or mental health disorders. EMPOWER uses peer support and a 'whole health' approach to help veterans connect with and stay engaged in their healthcare. Researchers will identify veterans who are most in need from VA's Homeless Registry "Hot Spot" reports. The study aims to see how well EMPOWER can reach these veterans, how widely it can be adopted, and how effectively it can be put into practice over 18 months. The goal is to improve care engagement for this vulnerable population.

Study design
This study is an interventional trial planning to enroll 278 participants. It will compare a high-intensity versus a low-intensity strategy for implementing the EMPOWER program.
What's involved
Not specified in the trial record.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
The study will measure its main goals for 18 months.

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NCT07309224

Employing Peer Outreach and Whole Health in Recovery for Homeless-Experienced Veterans

Not Yet Recruiting
NAAges 18+InterventionalHealth services
VA Office of Research and Development
~278 participants
Updated 2026-08-04 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Employing Peer Outreach and Whole Health in Recovery (EMPOWER)

At a glance

Recruiting sites
0 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Reach
Measured over 18 months
+3 more outcomes measured

Conditions

Substance Use Disorder
Mental Health Disorder
Homelessness

Explore related trials

Psychiatric DisorderSubstance use disorder

Where it's being run

1 sites across 1 states
California1

Study leadership

  • Daniel M. Blonigen, PhD MA · PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR · VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA

Who to contact

Daniel M Blonigen, PhD MA
[email protected]
(650) 493-5000 · ext. 27828
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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Eligible patients will be identified from VA's Homeless Registry "Hot Spot" reports, which use real-time data on acute care service utilization to identify high-need, housing-insecure patients.
These reports identify Veterans on the VA Homeless Registry (i.e., those who had received VA housing services in the past two years) who had \>1 hospital admissions and/or \>2 ED visits in the past quarter of the fiscal year.
From these reports, the investigators will identify patients at each implementation site who are
(a) currently enrolled in HUD-VASH
(b) have a mental health and/or SUD diagnosis

Exclusion

Not flagged on the VA's Homeless Registry Hot Spot Report
Not currently enrolled in HUD-VASH
Does not have a mental health and/or substance use disorder diagnosis
Is not a patient at a participating site of the implementation trial

What this trial measures

  • Reach18 months

    Reach will be measured in terms of the number of patients who are willing to receive EMPOWER, out of all patients that are estimated to be eligible at potential sites.

  • Adoption18 months

    Adoption will be measured in terms of the number of peers in HUD-VASH at sites that are trained in EMPOWER and initiate the intervention with eligible patients at their site.

  • Implementation18 months

    Implementation will be measured in terms of rate of completion of peer encounters at the site level and rate of completion of the elements of EMPOWER (e.g., percentage of EMPOWER patients with a Personal Health Plan entered into the EHR; percentage of EMPOWER patients who were referred to a Whole Health service at the local facility). These rates will be measured via activity logs embedded in the EHR and electronic data capture logs to document type and length of encounters.

  • Maintenance18 months

    Maintenance will be measured by the number of patients who are continuing to engage in EMPOWER and other VA services over the duration of the implementation phase (18 months).