The study will enroll 600 people with serious mental illness who receive services at Centerstone in KY or TN and will compare two different evidence-based self-management interventions: Integrated Illness Management and Recovery (I-IMR), a program developed by the study team at Dartmouth that trains people with serious mental illness on physical and mental health self-management, and the Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP), a program largely focused on physical health self-management that has been used widely in the general population.

The proposed study will be the first to compare two commonly used but substantially different, evidence-based self-management interventions. Integrated Illness Management and Recovery (I-IMR), is an individually-tailored, 16-session, integrated program combining both physical and mental health self-management specifically developed for people with SMI. In contrast, the Stanford Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) is a group-based, 6-session, chronic disease self-management program largely focused on physical health self-management alone. I-IMR is delivered by community mental health providers or by community outreach workers, while CDSMP is co-delivered by two peers or by a health professional and a peer. Both programs have been widely recommended, disseminated, and used. The proposed parent study will randomize people with serious mental illness to I-IMR (n=300) and CDSMP (n=300).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Serious Mental Illness (diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or chronic depression with moderate impairment in functioning) receiving services at Centerstone(KY and TN)
• Diagnosis of a chronic medical condition increasing risk of early mortality from cardiovascular or respiratory disease (e.g., diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, COPD, heart failure, tobacco dependence, obesity), and at least 1 ER visit or hospitalization within the past year or judgment by the treatment team of substantial need for illness self-management training.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Consumers who do not speak English
• Consumers with either no, or a well-controlled medical condition will not be included
• Individuals residing in a nursing home or other institution
• Evidence of significant cognitive impairment as indicated by a Mini Mental Status Examination score <24, will be excluded

Eligibility for the COVID -related substudy is dependent on enrollment and participation in the parent project.