Certified Older Adult Peer Support Telephonic Help for Independent Living with Serious Mental Illness
Official title: Certified Older Adult Peer Support Specialists Telephonic Intervention to Support Independent Living Skills in Older Adults with Serious Mental Illness
Funded at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic · NIH-11591519 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A phone-based program uses trained peer support specialists aged 50+ to help older adults with serious mental illness living at home maintain independence.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lebanon, United States) |
| Project start | September 16, 2026 |
| Project end | September 15, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,133,543 |
| NIH project number | 1R56MH138734-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11591519 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 50+ with a serious mental illness (e.g., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia spectrum, or treatment-refractory major depressive disorder)
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without access to telephonic support or those without the specified SMI diagnoses may see limited or no benefit.
What this research studies
This program trains and uses certified older adult peer specialists to provide structured 12-week telephonic support to adults aged 50 and older with serious mental illness. The goal is to improve daily self-management skills like medication adherence and personal independence to help aging-in-place. Participants will receive regular scheduled calls and goal-focused guidance from peers who have lived experience with aging and mental health challenges. The project leverages a Medicaid-reimbursable workforce to expand access to supportive services for this high-need population. Outcomes will inform how telephonic peer support can sustain independence and reduce healthcare costs over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help older adults with serious mental illness live more independently and possibly reduce healthcare needs.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work suggests structured peer support can improve self-management, with this project extending to an older-age, telephonic delivery model.
Where this research is happening
-
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic
Lebanon, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fortuna, Karen L. — Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic
- Study coordinator: Fortuna, Karen L.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.