Connect

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and this year’s theme — “Empowering Community Wellness: More Good Days, Together” — encourages us all to reflect on what a “good” day looks like, for ourselves and for our communities. Together, we can use that insight to connect people to the right support at the right time — and shape advocacy, education, and community engagement to make more good days possible for all! (See Calendar of Events below.)

In a comprehensive effort to promote mental health awareness, UVA Health Office of Community Engagement and Health Outcomes (CEHO) is partnering with UVA School of Nursing Office of Strategic Wellness and Opportunity.

“As Director of Community Health and Wellbeing in UVA School of Nursing, it has been my honor to support the work of CEHO,” says Ivy Hinton, PhD, Office of Strategic Wellness and Opportunity. “I am excited to partner with Melody M. Pannell, Director of Healthcare Leadership Education and Community Wellness, to recognize Mental Health Awareness Month. Our 2026 Mental Health Awareness Month theme, 'Empowering Community Wellness: More Good Days, Together,’ is of immense importance to me — emphasizing community and connection, essential to UVA School of Nursing. I look forward to helping those who join us to foster meaningful dialogue and empower one another toward more good days, together.”

This month, we are also highlighting our intentional connection with other internal partners such as UVA Mindfulness Center, and external community mental health providers such as The National Counseling Group — serving as program participants in support of our community engagement goals and objectives.    

The mental health and wellbeing programs will continue as part of our newly launched Community Wellness Program — which is grounded in a Socio-Ecological Model, 12 Dimensions of Wellness, and the MAPP2 Health Mental Health Priority. 

May 2026 Calendar of Events

Community Wellness Resource Tabling
Thursdays, April 30-May 14 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m. | Alcove outside Claude Moore Health Sciences Library entrance | CEHO welcomes UVA Health, UVA School of Medicine, and UVA School of Nursing team members to learn about “Caring for the Caregiver” topics such as stress management, anxiety, burnout, and more. Meet representatives from internal and external organizations. Co-sponsored by CEHO and UVA School of Nursing UVA School of Nursing Office of Strategic Wellness and Opportunity. Each week, meet different community hosts:

• April 30: Melody M. Pannell, D.Min., M.Div., MSW, MACE, and Ivy Hinton, PhD
• May 7 and 14: Featured External Organization: The National Counseling Group

Mental Health Awareness Month Welcome Webinar
Friday, May 1, 12-1 p.m. | Registration required to receive the Zoom Link | Melody M. Pannell, D.Min., M.Div., MSW, MACE, and Ivy Hinton, PhD, share the overall theme for this month and the variety of program offerings that encourage the E4 Framework of “Educate, Engage, Empathize, and Empower.” Co-sponsored by UVA Health CEHO and UVA School of Nursing Office of Strategic Wellness and Opportunity.

Mental Health Practice: Mindfulness Meditation
Mondays, May 4, 11, and 18 | 8:30-9 a.m. | Registration required to receive Zoom link | On May 4 and 18, Melody M. Pannell, D.Min., M.Div., MSW, MACE, leads a moment to be intentional about practicing a deeper level of presence, awareness, and acceptance through gentle mindfulness activities. On May 11, she welcomes a member of UVA Mindfulness Center: Will Knight, MD, UVA Health University Medical Center. Co-sponsored by UVA Health CEHO and UVA Mindfulness Center.

Mental Health Matters Empowerment Group
Mondays, May 4, 11, and 18 | 12-1 p.m. | Registration required to receive Zoom link | Melody M. Pannell, D.Min., M.Div., MSW, MACE, and Ivy Hinton, PhD, co-lead stress management for healthcare providers. Co-sponsored by UVA Health CEHO and UVA School of Nursing Office of Strategic Wellness and Opportunity.

Mental Health and Wellness Informational Tabling
Tuesday, May 5 | 11-12 p. m. | Claude Moore Health Science Library Alcove | Debby Gonzalez–Wahl, LPC, ACS, Staff Psychotherapist, UVA School of Medicine, and Melody M. Pannell, D.Min, M.Div., MSW, MACE, share Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) Graduate Program Wellbeing Week resources for students. Co-sponsored by Graduate Biosciences Society (GBS) and The Office of Medical Sciences Outreach.

Wellness Webinar Series (A): Caring for Yourself and the Community
Wednesdays, 12-1 p.m. | Registration required to receive Zoom link | Co-sponsored by UVA Health CEHO, Greater Charlottesville Trauma-Informed Community Network,  and Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition. A  series of conversations, each focused on a different wellness topic:

• May 6: Learning the Art of Self-Care | Melody M. Pannell, D.Min,, M.Div., MSW, MACE
• May 13: Creating Trauma-Informed Environments | Greater Charlottesville Trauma-Informed Community Network
• May 20: Cultivating Community Wellbeing | Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition

An Introduction to Compassionate Listening Practice
Tuesday, May 19 | 12-1 p.m. | Registration required to receive Zoom link | Melody M. Pannell, D.Min., M.Div., MSW, MACE, welcomes Susan Partnow, Founder, Partnow Communications, and former high school teacher and speech pathologist. She’s also founding board member of Compassionate Seattle and has served as an advisor to the National Coalition on Dialogue and Deliberation as well as a senior  facilitator and mentor for The Compassionate Listening Project. They'll ask: what does it mean to truly listen, explore the foundations of compassionate listening, and practice it together. Expect a concise overview of the model and core skills — and a chance to experience the kind of honest, heart-to-heart conversation that reminds us why we entered healthcare in the first place. Ideal for healthcare educators and professionals seeking to deepen relational skills in both clinical and academic settings.

Reflective Writing Session: The Hidden Curriculum
Wednesday, May 20, 2-3 p.m. | Auditorium 3110, Claude Moore Medical Education Building | Melody M. Pannell, D.Min., M.Div., MSW, MACE, leads students to engage in reflective writing practices that explore the underlying realities of the PhD academic experience from a socio-emotional framework. In this Graduate Biosciences Society (GBS) Wellness Event, students are empowered to evaluate their own personal and professional growth through reflective learning methods. Co-sponsored by UVA Health CEHO, UVA School of Medicine Office of Medical Sciences Outreach, and GBS.

Caring for the Caregiver Health Series Part 3: Caregiving Youth — Hidden in Healthcare | Thursday, May 28, 12-1 p.m. | Auditorium 3110, Claude Moore Medical Education Building | Registration Required | Connie Siskowski, RN, PhD, Founder and President, American Association of Caregiving Youth, leads participants on a journey to discover the realities of this growing population of hidden children who are caregiving. Learn how your recognition and support can make a significant difference for them, their families, and ultimately for society. Co-sponsored by UVA Health CEHO and UVA School of Medicine Office of Medical Sciences Outreach.

The Socio-Ecological Model

This model  “represents a mental health ecosystem that encompasses the complex network of individuals, organizations, and resources that influence and support mental wellbeing. It extends beyond traditional healthcare settings to include schools, workplaces, communities, and even the broader societal environment. This holistic approach recognizes that mental health is shaped by a multitude of interconnected factors and requires a coordinated effort to address diverse needs.” 

12 Dimensions of Wellness 

• Self-Responsibility & Love
• Breathing
• Sensing
• Eating
• Moving
• Feeling
• Thinking
• Playing and Working
• Communicating
• Intimacy
• Finding Meaning
• Transcending

MAPP2Health 2025-28 CHIP Priority: Chronic Conditions | Mental Health

As Director of Healthcare Leadership Education and Community Wellness, Melody M. Pannell, D.Min., M.Div., MSW., MACE, GC-RJ, serves on the MAPP2 Health Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) — a roadmap to turn recommendations into measurable action in the next three years — and on the Steering Committee of the Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Coalition. Through these external connections, UVA Health can be a vital partner in our collective efforts to effectively address mental health throughout our communities.:

GOAL 1: Decrease the days of self-reported poor mental health: 

• Objective 1.5: Increase advocacy efforts from CMHWC.
• Objective 1.6: Launch programs that mitigate loneliness and help participants increase social connections.

GOAL 2: Improve access to mental health services:

• Objective 2.3: Train more folks to be certified as mental health advocates/"soft supports."
• Objective 2.7: Reduce stigma of mental health challenges in community settings.