Connecting, Advocating, Educating.
We help people experiencing mental illness and substance use disorder in the greater Charlottesville area by navigating access and utilization of mental health and community resources, and through crisis prevention and intervention.

Connecting
We provide intensive, flexible, and comprehensive assistance to help people living with mental illness meet their recovery goals.
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Sometimes this looks like helping people access clinical services at the appropriate level of care, but more often it looks like helping people improve their social determinants of health and increase their inclusion within their communities.
We have formal agreements to accept referrals for this service from the Albemarle County and Charlottesville City Emergency response/CARS/HART team, ACRJ (the regional jail), and the Charlottesville-Albemarle Mental Health Therapeutic Docket.
Advocating
We believe that all Virginians deserve an anti-racist mental health service system that is easily accessible and provides the full continuum of evidence-based and person-centered care.
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Through consultation with state agencies, we advocate for the reform of Virginia’s mental health care system. We also work locally and at the state level to prevent the incarceration and hospitalization of people with serious mental illness in various capacities, including:
- Chairing Mental Health America’s statewide Public Policy Committee
- Serving on the Board of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Mental Health Therapeutic Docket and offering navigation services for participants
- Participating in the local Crisis Intervention Team
- Private-public partnership with Albemarle County Social Services on the Human Alternative Response Team (HART)
- Re-entry navigation services through a contract with Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail
- Navigation and crisis intervention services with Charlottesville City’s ANCHOR program.
Educating
We provide educational opportunities to increase the community’s ability to be a place where people with mental illness can live self-directed lives.
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We are happy to lead a lead a workshop, give a lecture, or participate on a panel related to building communities best able to support citizens living with mental illness. We are also available to help your organization, faith community, social group, school, or workplace assess its ability to support your members with mental illness and improve your practices and policies to increase inclusivity.
Please email us at kay@partnerformentalhealth.org to inquire about these opportunities.
Latest News and Stories
Discover Mental Health

Harm Reduction and Compassionate Care
"Harm reduction is a practical and transformative approach that incorporates community-driven public health strategies — including prevention, risk reduction, and health promotion — to empower people who use drugs (and their families) with the choice to live healthy,...
Around The Web

Important news about youth mental health in Albemarle…
Charlottesvile Tomorrow shared an important update about the state of youth mental health. Important! "Editors’ note: This article discusses mental health challenges, including depression and suicide. Some readers may find this content distressing. If you or someone...
Announcements

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and PMH Spring 2025 updates
More Navigator updates, digital resources, and news: The United Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville has again selected PMH for its June donations recipient. Dr. Shaune McKinnon, PMH’s Board President, will make a brief presentation at the church on June 8th....

A call to action this Spring from Partner for Mental Health
Our community needs Navigators Mental Health America (of which PMH is a chapter) and NAMI and ten other leading mental health and substance use organizations issued a joint statement this past Wednesday following the announcement of widespread staffing cuts at...
