Enhancing Treatment Reengagement for Veterans With Serious Mental Illness: Evaluating the Effectiveness of SMI Re-Engage.

Objective: This evaluation assessed the effectiveness of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) program Reengaging Veterans With Serious Mental Illness in Treatment (SMI Re-Engage). The program serves veterans with serious mental illness who experience extended gaps in use of VHA care.

Methods: Propensity score-weighted survival analysis that adjusted for demographic, clinical, and utilization factors assessed whether being contacted via SMI Re-Engage predicted return to VHA care within 18 months of when clinicians received patient contact information and, among veterans contacted, whether return to VHA care was associated with mortality risk within the 18-month follow-up period. Among all veterans who returned to care, a post hoc propensity score-weighted logistic regression that adjusted for demographic, clinical, and utilization factors assessed whether being contacted via SMI Re-Engage was associated with returning to outpatient care versus inpatient or emergency care.

Results: Of veterans contacted (N=886), 42% returned to care, compared with 27% of veterans whom providers attempted to contact but could not reach (N=2,059). When analyses adjusted for covariates, veterans who were contacted had a higher risk of returning to care (hazard ratio (HR)=3.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.70-4.28). Among veterans contacted, the association between return to VHA care and mortality risk was not significant. Post hoc analyses for veterans who returned to care (N=941) indicated that being contacted (versus not being contacted) was associated with higher odds of returning to outpatient care (versus inpatient or emergency care) (odds ratio=2.42, CI=1.68-3.47).

Conclusions: SMI Re-Engage contact facilitated return to VHA care. SMI Re-Engage exemplifies how population health strategies can address health care discontinuities among people with serious mental illness.