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

This study aims to test the feasibility and acceptability of a brief behavioral intervention that combines two treatments, Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), that have been shown to work in prior research studies. The format of the intervention will be a combination of in-person sessions and remote elements delivered via mobile phone (together called MI-CBTech). The goal of the intervention is to improve community integration in Veterans with serious mental illness (SMI) who have experienced homelessness. A time- and format-matched control arm will include remote mindfulness training. 50 Veterans with SMI experiencing homelessness will be randomized to one of the two arms (25 per arm).

Inclusion Criteria: * Veterans currently residing at the VA Greater Los Angeles Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (Domiciliary) * diagnosis of non-affective or affective psychotic illness as confirmed by chart review * history of homelessness * sufficiently fluent in English to consent, understand procedures, and complete assessments and intervention * medically and clinically stable (i.e. able to participate in and complete assessments and intervention). Exclusion Criteria: * history of clinically significant neurological disorder determined by medical history (e.g., epilepsy) * history of serious head injury (i.e., loss of consciousness \> 1 hour, neuropsychological sequelae, cognitive rehabilitation post head injury) * evidence of IQ \< 70 or developmental disability * moderate or severe substance use disorder in the past month based on chart review