MIRECC / CoE

Program Personnel

Keith G. Meador, MD, ThM, MPH
Director

Keith G. Meador, MD, ThM, MPH, has served as the Director of Integrative Mental Health since its inception in 2008. Additionally, Dr. Meador is the Anne Geddes Stahlman Professor of Medical Ethics and serves as the Director of the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University, where he is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He joined the faculty at Vanderbilt in July of 2010 and previously served as Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University. Dr. Meador is a physician and board certified psychiatrist with training in theology and public health. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Vanderbilt University and received his medical degree from the University of Louisville. He completed his residency in psychiatry and fellowship in aging and human development at Duke University. His theological education leading to the ThM was at Duke Divinity School and he received his MPH in Epidemiology from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.

Dr. Meador's scholarship builds on his clinical, research and teaching background in mental health, practical theology, and public health about which he lectures widely and has published numerous publications including the co-authored book, Heal Thyself: Spirituality, Medicine, and the Distortion of Christianity. His academic work includes theological and ethical exploration of the intersections of religion and health and empirical research regarding socio-cultural determinants of illness, health, and human flourishing.

 

Jason A. Nieuwsma, PhD
Associate Director

Jason Nieuwsma, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and serves as the Associate Director for Integrative Mental Health. He also holds faculty appointments in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and in the Divinity School at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Nieuwsma completed his undergraduate education at Taylor University, his graduate training at the University of Wyoming, and his clinical internship and postdoctoral work at the VA Mid-Atlantic MIRECC / Duke University Medical Center. His work, which includes numerous journal articles and book chapters along with a co-edited book, has focused on increasing the availability and cultural relevance of evidence-based psychosocial approaches to care across a variety of contexts. In recent years, Dr. Nieuwsma has served as lead and co-lead on multiple national-level projects aimed at more effectively integrating chaplaincy and mental health care services in VA and the military.

 

Jennifer H. Wortmann, PhD

Jennifer Wortmann, PhD, is a clinical psychologist who serves as instructor and consultant to chaplains in the Mental Health Integration for Chaplain Services (MHICS) intensive training program, which forms the core of the first three semesters of the Doctor of Ministry degree in Integrative Chaplaincy offered by Vanderbilt Divinity School. She holds faculty appointments in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and in the Divinity School at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Wortmann is engaged in a variety of research, educational, and clinical efforts related to mental health and chaplaincy integration. She completed her undergraduate education at North Park University, graduate work at the University of Connecticut, clinical internship at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, and postdoctoral training in PTSD and moral injury at the VA Boston Healthcare System. Her work has focused on the intersection of religion and spirituality with PTSD, moral injury, and meaning-making in the context of trauma, bereavement, serious illness, and young adult life transitions. Dr. Wortmann has additional expertise in measure development and psychometric evaluation.

 

Melissa A. Smigelsky, PhD

Melissa Smigelsky, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and serves as the facilitator of the Dynamic Diffusion Network (DDN) through Integrative Mental Health, which focuses on collaborative approaches to moral injury care. She also holds a faculty appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Dr. Smigelsky completed her undergraduate education at Wheaton College (IL), graduate work at Wheaton College Graduate School and the University of Memphis, and clinical internship at the Durham VA Healthcare System. Her work focuses on the intersection of mental health and spiritual/existential concerns, particularly in the context of both individual and community experiences of trauma and loss. She has authored or co-authored numerous papers on topics including moral injury, suicide bereavement, and complicated grief. Additionally, she has presented and published papers on psychotherapy process, outcome research, and clinical supervision. Dr. Smigelsky also has experience with community-based participatory research, qualitative methods, and program evaluation.

 

Sarah Elmer, MS

Sarah Elmer is a graduate of the University of Georgia. She has a background in allied health and has spent most of her career working on interdisciplinary mental health treatment teams. She is excited to be a part of the Integrative Mental Health team and looks forward to supporting collaboration and the provision of culturally-sensitive mental healthcare. Her favorite thing to do outside of work is spending time outside, especially if it involves being in, on, or next to water.

 

Chaplain Coaches

Integrative Mental Health works closely with multiple field-based chaplains across the country who serve as chaplain coaches for the Mental Health Integration for Chaplain Services (MHICS) training program.