Using peer mentors to extend depression care to minority older adults

候选人通过K23机制寻求支持，以发展成为心理健康服务领域独立临床研究人员所需的技能和指导。候选人的长期和总体职业目标是开发服务提供方法，为那些面临无护理风险的少数老年人提供抑郁症护理。为了实现这一目标，候选人提出了一个全面的培训计划，结合研究项目，由她的导师，正式的课程，并与个人顾问的实际培训经验的参与监督教学。具体的研究项目有：1）进行一个试点项目，使用同伴导师谁与精神科医生合作，提供抑郁症护理少数老年人在社区; 2）进行一个混合方法分析同伴导师-病人的互动和3）整合知识和经验的手册中使用的随机临床试验。这些项目将提供知识和技能，以开发服务提供模式，包括协议的开发，手册化和在社区中的实施。候选人将通过正式的课程工作和个人辅导来扩大她对临床试验和混合方法分析的知识。少数民族临床研究人员的发展，重点是少数民族人口和心理健康有重要的影响，减少医疗保健和精神疾病的差距。该应用程序的目标与NIMH直接一致 战略计划“，通过审查社区和干预措施提供方法，加强在各种护理环境中实施心理健康干预措施。"

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The candidate seeks support through the K23 mechanism to develop the skills and mentorship necessary to become an independent clinician researcher in the area of mental health services. The candidate's long-term and overall career goals are to develop service delivery approaches to provide depression care to minority older adults who are at great risk of receiving no care. To pursue this goal, the candidate proposes a comprehensive training plan, combining research projects, didactic instruction overseen by her mentors, formal coursework, and participation in practical training experiences with individual advisors. Specific research projects are: 1) to conduct a pilot project using peer mentors who work in collaboration with a psychiatrist to provide depression care to minority older adults in th community; 2) to conduct a mixed methods analysis of peer mentor-patient interactions and 3) integrate knowledge and experiences in a manual for use in a randomized clinical trial. These projects will provide knowledge and skills with developing service delivery models, including protocol development, manualization and implementation in the community. The candidate will expand her knowledge of the conduct of clinical trials and mixed method analysis through formal course work and individual tutorials. The development of minority clinician researchers focused on minority populations and mental health has important ramifications for reduction of disparities in health care and mental illness. The goals of this application are directly aligned with the NIMH Strategic Plan "to strengthen the application of mental health interventions in diverse care settings by examining community and intervention delivery approaches."