Peer-Delivered Whole Health Coaching for Veterans With PTSD

The investigators are evaluating a service called peer-delivered Whole Health Coaching to understand how it can help Veterans with PTSD. This project has two main goals: (1) determine how peer-delivered Whole Health Coaching can help Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and (2) learning about feasibility of implementing this service in Veterans Health Administration primary care settings. The investigators are also evaluating feasibility of the research methods in this trial to learn how to improve future studies on this topic.

Whole Health Coaching is a service designed to improve health and wellness. It is a variation of integrative health coaching and is being used in Veterans Health Administration medical centers. In Whole Health Coaching, Veterans will work with coaches to develop a personal health mission, develop specific goals and action steps, and then adjust their plan as needed. Coaches provide guidance and support throughout the process. In this project, a peer support specialist working in primary care will be the coach. VA Peer Support Specialists, "peers", are Veterans recovering from a mental health condition trained to help other Veterans improve their health.

All participants will receive peer-delivered Whole Health Coaching. Participants will be randomly assigned a start date for their first session with the Peer Whole Health Coach between 4 and 13 weeks after they start the study. The information provided during this time prior to the first session helps us understand how participants do on their own without the service. The research components include interviews and questionnaires about health and wellness, goals, and experiences with the service. Veterans who participate in the study will complete short questionnaires twice a week for 6 months and have four longer appointments where more questions will be asked. Participants will also be given the opportunity to provide feedback on the service.

The investigators are evaluating a service called peer-delivered Whole Health Coaching to understand how it can help Veterans with PTSD. This project has two main goals: (1) determine how peer-delivered Whole Health Coaching can help Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and (2) learning about feasibility of implementing this service in Veterans Health Administration primary care settings. The investigators are also evaluating feasibility of the research methods in this trial to learn how to improve future studies on this topic.

Whole Health Coaching is a service designed to improve health and wellness. It is a variation of integrative health coaching and is being used in Veterans Health Administration medical centers. In Whole Health Coaching, Veterans will work with coaches to develop a personal health mission, develop specific goals and action steps, and then adjust their plan as needed. Coaches provide guidance and support throughout the process. In this project, a peer support specialist working in primary care will be the coach. VA Peer Support Specialists, "peers", are Veterans recovering from a mental health condition trained to help other Veterans improve their health.

All participants will receive peer-delivered Whole Health Coaching. Participants will be randomly assigned a start date for their first session with the Peer Whole Health Coach between 4 and 13 weeks after they start the study. The information provided during this time prior to the first session helps us understand how participants do on their own without the service. The research components include interviews and questionnaires about health and wellness, goals, and experiences with the service. Veterans who participate in the study will complete short questionnaires twice a week for 6 months and have four longer appointments where more questions will be asked. Participants will also be given the opportunity to provide feedback on the service.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* Veteran status
* Enrolled in primary care at the Syracuse VA (and affiliated CBOCs) and seen in primary care within the past year
* Probable PTSD defined as screening positive for a Criterion A event and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) score 33

Exclusion Criteria:

* Unable to communicate in spoken and written English
* Gross cognitive impairment
* Current symptoms of mania/psychosis
* At risk for suicide
* Engaged in psychotherapy in a non-primary care setting
* Changes to psychotropic medications for PTSD within the last 2 months
* Preference for direct referral to specialty mental healthcare