In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, TDMHSAS is sharing public service announcements with broadcasters to increase awareness of its Statewide Crisis Line.

If you saw a relative, a friend, or even a stranger choking, you wouldn’t hesitate to try to help. There might even be a crowd of people trying to help all at the same time. Our response to suicide prevention can be the same! If more of us are trained to see the warning signs, effectively respond, and connect the person with professional care, we can save lives.

TDMHSAS is receiving a $10 million federal grant to take behavioral services to the rural Tennesseans who need them the most. The funding will be spread over five years and will fund a pair of mobile health clinics to address the behavioral health and physical health needs of residents in ten rural Tennessee Counties.

I write to you at a time of great challenge for our state and local communities. Countless individuals have contacted me to express feelings of fear, anxiety, and stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. While we do not possess all the answers about the COVID-19 crisis, I am writing to offer suggestions that I hope will be instructive and empowering in the midst of such uncertainty. Pat Summitt, the acclaimed Lady Volunteers coach, would no doubt give us a legendary pep talk if alive today. That pep talk might start with a quote of hers: "Attitude is a choice. Think positive thoughts daily. Believe in yourself."

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) is receiving almost $500,000 from the federal government to support the mental health needs of survivors of recent tornados.

The commissioners of Tennessee’s Departments of Children’s Services (DCS) and Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) are asking for individuals who are students who have earned or are pursuing a master’s degree or are retired from counseling, clinical therapy, social work, and related fields to consider joining the workforce in the event there are workforce needs caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.

March 10, 2020 is being proclaimed as “Tennessee’s Day of Hope” by Governor Bill Lee. The proclamation is in recognition of community events planned across the state to educate, energize, and empower Tennesseans to do what they can to get involved and reverse the trends of deadly drug overdoses and suicides.

TDMHSAS is proud to add five new Lifeline Peer Project Coordinators in rural and distressed areas of the state. The new Lifeliners, as they are known, will be based in Cocke, Grundy, Lauderdale, McNairy, and Scott Counties.

TDMHSAS is excited to announce the expansion of a successful program to divert people from jail into mental health treatment services.

Parents have a valuable opportunity to influence their children’s use of substances if they approach the conversation in early middle school grades, but these conversations are only happening for about half of Tennessee youth. That is one of the primary takeaways highlighted by the first-ever TN Together Student Survey.

Governor Lee is proposing a budget that will truly result in transformational and generational change for the lives that we touch. In all, Governor Lee’s FY21 budget proposal includes nearly $33 million in new funding for our department.

TDMHSAS is proud to announce five community-based behavioral health agencies that will be instrumental in the state’s efforts to increase housing opportunities for people recovering from substance use disorder.

TDMHSAS is continuing the state’s leadership in improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities through a new grant award. Tennessee is one of 13 Capacity Building States identified for the Visionary Opportunities to Increase Competitive Employment (VOICE) program through the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy.

This holiday season, I want you to give yourself a gift that always fits, is never the wrong color, and can definitely be re-gifted – Better Mental Health.

TDMHSAS is proud to unveil a new web-based video series profiling the stories of 14 Tennesseans who are Certified Peer Recovery Specialists. The CPRS program trains individuals with lived experience of mental illness, substance use, or co-occurring disorder to use their past history and journey to recovery to benefit others