More Tennesseans are now eligible for free mental health services through the state’s Behavioral Health Safety Net program. New, broader eligibility criteria take effect today (July 1, 2019) increasing the number of uninsured, underinsured, and indigent people who can receive services through the program.

TDMHSAS is adding seven new team members and 19 new counties to its Tennessee Recovery Navigator program. With the expansion, the TN Recovery Navigators program is adding coverage in rural areas at both ends of the state, the Cumberland Plateau, and suburban areas around Nashville.

TDMHSAS today released a report on the usage of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) techniques across the state noting the successes seen in areas where the specialized training for law enforcement is improving outcomes for residents living with mental illness.

The Departments of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) and Environment and Conservation (TDEC) are urging Tennesseans to do their part to address addiction in Tennessee by participating in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The 17th National Take Back Day is this Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In response to federal arrests of medical professionals in Tennessee and other nearby states through the Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force Takedown, the Departments of Health and Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) and the Division of TennCare have activated community-based substance abuse resources and statewide call lines to serve affected patients.

A program aimed at improving the emotional and behavioral health of youth and young adults is growing to new areas of the state with the support of a new federal grant.

TDMHSAS announced that its Regional Overdose Prevention Specialists (ROPS) distributed 35,000 units of naloxone across the state from October 2017 to present. More than 14,000 of the units were distributed directly to law enforcement.

TDMHSAS today premiered a new video and photo project documenting the faces and stories of people who have received treatment and found recovery through or who work in the state’s recovery courts.

TDMHSAS Commissioner Marie Williams has been named the recipient of the National Council for Behavioral Health’s 2019 Excellence in Advocacy Individual Achievement award.

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) is adding five new community anti-drug coalitions to its statewide network. Coalitions provide information, coordinate resources, and conduct education events with the goal of preventing addiction in their communities.

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) received three of the six annual awards given by the Information Technology Professionals Association at its 2018 ceremony.

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) is expanding its System of Care Across Tennessee (SOCAT) program into a new, rural area of the state with a new partnership with the Department of Children’s Services (DCS). The addition of a SOCAT site in Lawrenceburg will add eight new counties to the program bringing the total counties reached to 88.

The TN Together media campaign to raise awareness about opioid addiction, treatment, recovery, and prevention resources has been nominated in the 33rd Midsouth Regional Emmy® Awards. The campaign is one of three entries nominated in the category for Community/Public Service (PSA) Campaign.

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services awarded more than $4 million in Juvenile Justice Reform Local Diversion Grants to six recipients. Grantee agencies along with partners at the state and local levels work will toward the overarching goal providing evidence-based treatment options that reduce out of home placements and help to better serve youth in their community.

Tennesseans have a powerful opportunity to prevent drug addiction in their homes and communities by participating in the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday, October 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.