August 2022

From the Executive Director's Desk

Readers,

We hope you all had a great summer. Many of us are in “back to school” mode. In this edition, you will read about recent policy changes in Tennessee that affect students with disabilities, which we have been following all summer. Be sure to tell us your questions and thoughts on this topic. We are constantly learning from your perspectives and experiences.

We recently gathered with educators, state agency representatives, and Vanderbilt University’s Transition Tennessee teams. We were all there to discuss how we support students with disabilities preparing for life after high school. It was powerful to be together in person and in a school setting while talking about these issues.

I hope you will take time to check out the Center for Decision-Making Support, which shared a table with us at these events. Decision-making is the foundation of every other skill related to adult life. Until 2020, our state did not have a centralized resource to help students, parents, and educators navigate supports. At the transition events, we heard educators say things like: “This is exactly what we have needed for years!” It made us proud to have the Center for Decision-Making Support. Tennessee is the first in the nation to launch anything like it.

Lastly, we hope you’ll help us make sure all of the new adult-size changing tables grants are spent by this time next summer. Read on to learn how!

-Lauren Pearcy,
Executive Director

Back to school: Education issues we are watching

Students are headed back to school across the state this month. We wanted to tell you about some policy issues we’re watching closely as students with disabilities reenter the classroom.

First, a little about our role in education.
The Council on Developmental Disabilities works to improve education for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities by:

Providing reliable, accurate information
Learning about new best practices for inclusion
Engaging in solutions-focused advocacy

Our work is always informed by real-life experiences. Those come from our Council members, Partners in Policymaking graduates, and YOU - community members in our networks. We work with state agencies and community groups to inform families and educators and create meaningful change for students with developmental disabilities.

There are several key education issues we're tracking this year.

Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA)
TISA is the new education funding formula that will take effect next school year. Even though we have another 12 months before it impacts schools, it’s a big deal. Education funding hasn’t been changed in Tennessee for the last 30 years.

At the beginning of August, the TN Department of Education’s public comment period about the new funding plan closed. (You can read what we shared with the department here, based on feedback from our members.) Now, they’re reading through the comments and finalizing the regulations that will take effect in 2023. We’re waiting to see those final regulations to understand exactly how students with disabilities will be impacted. Stay tuned to our weekly public policy news for more information.

Behavior supports for students
We have heard countless stories from our Council members, as well as other community members, about difficulties in getting appropriate behavior supports for students with disabilities. We have also heard some amazing success stories about what happens when students get the right support.

This will be the first full school year that a new regulation from the Department of Education is in place. That regulation sets out guidelines for what must be included in a Functional Behavior Analysis (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). (Learn more on the TN Dept. of Education's special education behavior webpage here.)

We’ve also been tracking several legislative proposals that would punish students who need behavior supports, including criminalizing the behavior of many students with disabilities. We’re concerned these proposals may unintentionally harm students and their families. We’ve also heard stories that some students with disabilities are being removed from their classrooms more frequently. Research shows us that when educators are supported with the right tools to deliver the right kinds of behavior supports for students with disabilities, many students thrive in inclusive classes with their peers.

If you have stories about behavioral supports for your child/student with disabilities, please share those with us. We want to hear both the positive and the negative stories:

problems with getting the services your child needs,
being removed from their classrooms or dismissed early,
AND successes where your child is getting the right kind of support.

All these stories help us better understand what is going on in schools for TN students.

School staffing shortages
We’re following stories about staffing shortages in schools, both among teachers and paraprofessionals. There are hundreds of job openings across the state. We’re waiting to see how students with disabilities will be impacted once they get back to the classroom. Our hope is that districts can find a way to bring teachers back and provide meaningful supports and services in the meantime – no small task.

Every school year brings a new set of challenges, as well as opportunities, to be addressed by the community. Your stories help us better understand the issues and find the right policy solutions for students and families. Email us anytime at tnddc@tn.gov.

In addition to our newsletters and social media, connect with our partners who work on education issues for students with disabilities, like:

Council Member Spotlight: Allie Haynes, Rural Health Association of TN

Starting this year, the Rural Health Association of TN (RHA of TN) will be represented on our Council as our nonprofit agency partner. Allie Haynes, Membership Manager at RHA, will be attending our Council meetings and sharing information about their work. Read below about Allie and our new partnership.

Tell us a bit about your background and your current role at RHA.

I am the Membership Manager at the Rural Health Association of Tennessee. I have been with RHA of TN for a year, and I have greatly enjoyed advocating and learning more about rural healthcare.

My role is outreach to our members and to spread awareness about what we do at RHA of TN. I received my bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and I went on to serve in the Peace Corps as a Youth in Development Volunteer. I have a fifteen-year-old brother who has Down Syndrome, so advocating for both access to rural healthcare and access to programs for those with disabilities is very important to me.

Tell us a bit about the Rural Health Association. How is RHA working to improve rural healthcare for people with disabilities and their families?

The Rural Health Association of Tennessee (RHA of TN) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization of people and organizations committed to improving the health of rural Tennesseans. Our members are rural health care providers, school health professionals, and others who care about rural health work to affect positive change in the health and well-being of all rural people in Tennessee.

Our mission is to lead the way for a healthy Tennessee through partnerships, advocacy, education, and resources. Our advocacy focus includes addressing:

access to care and declining life expectancy in rural communities,
rural healthcare workforce shortages,
and investing in a strong rural safety net.

We serve as a healthcare resource. We now help with insurance, including enrollment in TennCare, Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP, and more.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I enjoy connecting with our members and learning about the challenges they are facing. It is no secret that healthcare professionals across the board are facing a broad array of challenges, from hospital closings to funding to workforce shortages. By finding out the problems, we can move toward helping relieve that stress through advocacy and education.

How do you think connecting with the Council will be beneficial to RHA’s work?

By working with the Council, RHA of TN hopes to bring more awareness to programs accessible in rural communities to those with disabilities. Rural counties often have a lack of resources and access to care, but that does not mean there are no available resources. By sharing the knowledge of the Council, we hope to share the resources available for families with disabilities in rural areas.

Get to Know a Leader: Kendra Thomas, TN Dept. of Health

We like to introduce our readers to different leaders in TN's disability field. Meet Kendra Thomas, the Director of Integrated Systems of Services for Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs at the Department of Health.

Tell us a bit about your career background and your current role at the Dept. of Health.

I have been a Licensed Social Worker for the past 9 years and have served as a Mental Health Supervisor, Managed Care Specialist, Foster Care Coordinator, and Foster Care Social Worker.

I currently serve as the Director of Integrated Systems of Services for Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs at the TN Department of Health, Central Office. I have the honor of serving youth ages 14-24 and families as well as overseeing two statewide emergency preparedness programs.

What is most exciting to you about your job?

The most exciting aspect of my job is watching our youth and young adults reach their goals and dreams. I enjoy engaging with them daily through several virtual platforms that are easily accessible. Several of our members have successfully transitioned into employment, post-secondary education, and mentorship for other youth. I love being a part of their journeys by writing recommendation letters and attending their virtual events. I look forward to attending in-person events with them in the future.

What is one of the biggest things you have learned from working with children/youth with disabilities and special healthcare needs and their families?

I have learned to always be open-minded and show support every hour of the day. It is vital to meet each individual where they are in life. If you support youth and families, they will support you.

What should the disability community know about the Youth Advisory Council?

The youth advisory council is designed for children and youth ages 14-24 with a special healthcare need. This includes physical, developmental, mental, emotional, or behavioral needs. YAC meets quarterly to discuss policies and events that impact their daily lives. The members also participate in countless trainings around IEP development, COVID-19 restrictions, transition services, and self-advocacy. Please contact me at Kendra.T.Thomas@tn.gov for additional information.

When should members of the disability community reach out to you directly?

Members of the disability community can reach out to me if they encounter youth and families that need assistance with transition resources, youth advisory council membership, emergency preparedness requests, or navigating the systems of care in Tennessee. This includes help with:

transportation
housing
mental health
financial
medical
education
post-secondary education
vocational rehabilitation
employment
legal services

I am a resource guru and will guide them in the right direction.

Silver Alert Program Helps Find Missing Adults with Disabilities

A mom is worried. Her young adult daughter with multiple disabilities and health conditions isn’t home and isn’t responding to texts or phone calls. The mom calls the local police department. She is told that her daughter hasn’t been missing for long enough to file a missing persons report. Where can the worried mom turn?

Maybe you’ve seen a Silver Alert pop up on your NextDoor app or the local news. You may know Silver Alert is a program to help locate missing persons age 60+. But this program under the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is also for missing adults (18+) who may be in danger or need help to return safely due to:

Intellectual/developmental disability
Physical disability
Dementia

What do I do if a loved one with a disability is missing?
If your loved one is missing and has a disability, ask your local police department to contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.

The local police department will follow the steps to request a Silver Alert from the TBI. You will need to give information about your loved one. That may include a description, photo, and statement about your loved one’s disability or health condition.

What happens once a Silver Alert is issued?
If TBI approves a Silver Alert for your loved one, the department will:

Create a poster and activate the Silver Alert on the TBI website.
Send the poster statewide to law enforcement, media, and social media platforms.
Activate the 1‐855‐ALERT‐TBI automated information line.

What’s different about the Silver Alert system?

There is no required amount of time for your loved one to be missing before they can be reported for a Silver Alert. Your police department can request a Silver Alert as soon as you report the missing person to them.
The program is statewide. This means law enforcement and the general public across Tennessee will be on the lookout and will know why your loved one may be in danger. This may be important if your loved one travels outside the local area.
The 1‐855‐ALERT‐TBI information line allows anyone to call if they believe they’ve seen your loved one.

What happens when my loved one is found?
Your local police department will call 1‐800‐TBI‐FIND to report that your loved one has been found. The Silver Alert will then be removed from the TBI website.

Who should I contact if I have more questions about Silver Alert?
Call 1-800-TBI-FIND and ask to speak with the Missing Persons Unit.

TennesseeWorks: Office of Mobility and Accessible Transportation

A few years ago, the Council began regularly bringing together state agencies and disability advocates to work on improving accessible transportation across the state. From that group, an idea emerged to create a new state office to oversee transportation for people with disabilities.

Read about how that new office has been studying transportation barriers facing Tennesseans with disabilities in this new TennesseeWorks blog. The blog talks about about the second annual report from the Office of Mobility and Transportation.

Via TennesseeWorks "Rise to Work" blog: Two years ago, in March 2020, the Tennessee General Assembly passed the Tennessee Accessible Transportation and Mobility Act. This legislation created a new office in the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the Office of Mobility and Accessible Transportation. It also required the new office to develop a mission and scope, a five-year strategic plan, and an annual report on mobility and accessible transportation in Tennessee. Now, the Office of Mobility and Accessible Transportation has been established in TDOT and recently submitted the second annual report about accessible transportation in Tennessee to the Tennessee General Assembly. Read the entire blog.