People with serious mental illness die up to 20 years younger than others in the same age group, with people of color showing even earlier death. The social disadvantages experienced by this group-for example, poverty, criminal legal involvement, and immigration-are further determinants of this disparity. Peer health navigators (PHNs) are people with experiences of recovery who may share a racial-ethnic background, history of poverty, experience with criminal legal systems, or immigration status with current patients and who assist in practical and timely tasks that help people engage with fragmented health systems. This column describes the PHN practice, including the putative components that define it.
Keywords: Community mental health services; Medical morbidity and mortality in psychiatric patients; Prevention; Primary care; Service delivery systems.