January 2023

From the Council's Chief Public Information Officer

Dear readers,

Is it too late in the month for new year wishes? I’m going with it: Happy New Year, faithful readers! We at the Council hope you had a restful holiday season and are entering 2023 with hope and courage.

Our staff are already hard at work on Council priorities for this year. Growing employment for people with developmental disabilities is on that list, as it has been for many years. Check out our new video about the Employment Roundtable and how we’re working with partners to “close the gap” in employment rates for people with and without disabilities.

Also below: key details about Tennessee’s behavioral health safety net. This program makes sure that people who don’t have insurance or resources to pay for mental health care are still able to get the support they need.  If you or someone you love has a developmental disability and is struggling to access mental health care, please contact us. This is an area we’ll be working more on in the coming year.

These gray months of winter can be hard on all of us. I hope you’ll take courage in knowing that you are an important part of the Tennessee disability community. Together, we’re taking on a year of growth. Here’s to new opportunities in 2023!

Jolene Sharp
Chief Public Information Officer

New Council Video: TN's Disability Employment Roundtable

“The focus of the Employment Roundtable is to make sure state government programs that all have the same charge in different areas are rowing in the same direction, know each other, and can work together.” -Lauren Pearcy, Council Executive Director

Watch our new 2 minute video to learn why we began the Employment Roundtable and how this group is helping to close the gap between employment rates for people with and without disabilities in Tennessee.

For more history on the Roundtable and Employment First movement in TN, explore this page on our website.

Get to Know a Leader: Gary Smith, Director of Employment and Community First CHOICES and Katie Beckett, TennCare 

We like to introduce our readers to different leaders of agencies and programs that impact Tennesseans with disabilities.

Meet Gary Smith, TennCare's new director of 2 important programs serving Tennesseans with intellectual and developmental disabilities:

  1. The Employment and Community First CHOICES ("ECF") program
  2. The Katie Beckett program

Click those links to read more about each program if you don't already know about them!

Tell us a bit about your career background and your current role.

I have been with TennCare in the role of the Director of Employment and Community First CHOICES and Katie Beckett since mid-October 2022.

Employment and Community First CHOICES is an innovative program providing services and supports to people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. This program has a strong focus on promoting independence, employment, and community integration.

The Katie Beckett program supports children under 18 with disabilities or complex medical needs,. The program is for children who do not meet Medicaid eligibility due to their parents' income or assets. The Katie Beckett program helps provide care for the medical or disability needs that private insurance does not cover.

My role is to provide leadership, oversight, and support for these two programs.
 
Before my current position, I was the Director of Early Childhood Special Education at the TN Department of Education (TDOE). I worked there for nearly 10 years. While at TDOE, I had a great passion for helping local school districts across the state offer quality integrated services for children with disabilities.

Before my time at TDOE, I was the Director of Child Care Planning and Development with the Department of Human Services. I worked there for over 10 years. Prior to that, my first job in Tennessee was with TN Voices for Children, a statewide advocacy and support organization for the emotional and behavioral well-being of children and their families.

What is one thing you’re working on right now that you are excited about?

I have been really excited and proud to learn about all of the great services being offered to support people and families in our state through TennCare. I am an advocate at heart. I’ve always been drawn to any mission that helps people and families in need. That is truly reflected in the two programs that I now have the privilege of leading.

These programs not only address practical needs, but also help Tennesseans grow and pursue meaningful goals in life.

What is one of the biggest lessons you have learned from working with TN’s disability community?

We have some truly amazing and resilient people with disabilities and families supporting them across our state. Each have their own unique and important story that’s often characterized by courage and determination.

I have also found that we have a lot of terrific professionals in our state who are passionately committed to supporting these folks and their families. These professionals are helping families navigate state systems that can sometimes be confusing and challenging.
 
Back in 2016, I had a great opportunity to participate in the first TN Leadership Academy for Excellence in Disability Services (LAEDS). (Council note: we started this academy in partnership with the TN Dept. of Human Resources. The third class will graduate this year.) This one-year program provided a great opportunity to engage with leaders across the state whose work impacts Tennesseans with disabilities. It was a great way to connect with others who have made it a personal mission to make Tennessee a better place for all. I’m grateful to have had this and many other opportunities to work with so many caring and compassionate people.

What are some activities you enjoy doing in your free time?

I enjoy spending time with my wife of over 27 years and our two older teenage boys. I love spending time at the beach. That’s a great place to play as well as contemplate life.

I enjoy both watching and playing sports. Being from Indiana, basketball remains my favorite. I exercise regularly. In many ways, it’s my therapy. I also enjoy reading for professional growth as well as personal pleasure.

My wife and I love having people over at our house, whether it’s for dinner, playing games, or just fellowshipping. I’ve been active in a number of ministries over the years. I enjoy supporting people at their point of need and helping them grow. Helping meet the needs of others is at my core and something I really enjoy doing both professionally and in my free time.  

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

Please direct any questions about the Employment and Community First CHOICES or Katie Beckett programs my way. While I am still learning, if I don’t know the answer, I will be glad to seek it out and provide direction. I can be reached at (615) 906-0450 or Gary.A.Smith@tn.gov

You can also reach Kati Snow, the Assistant Director of Employment and Community First CHOICES and Katie Beckett, at Kathryn.R.Snow@tn.gov.

Program Spotlight: Office of Mobility and Accessible Transportation, TN Dept. of Transportation

Thanks to Emily Duchac, Mobility and Accessible Transportation Supervisor, for answering our questions about this important TN program!

The Office of Mobility and Accessible Transportation is an office in the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). It was created in March 2020 by the Tennessee Accessible Transportation and Mobility Act.

The mission of the Office is to provide resources and expertise for expanding and improving accessible transportation and mobility across the state.  Accessible public transportation is in all 95 counties of Tennessee, but not every traveler has access to transportation when and where they need it.  We are working to help make accessible transportation more widely available and easier to use, so that more Tennesseans—especially seniors and individuals with disabilities—can get where they need to go.

In our first two years as an office, we heard from a lot of people across Tennessee, especially people who use accessible transportation and their families. We also talked to experts in aging, disability, and transportation, such as transportation providers. A few of the things we heard were that:

  • Transportation services can be very complicated or difficult to navigate, especially between urban and rural areas. Sometimes, even if transportation is available at the right place and time, people may not know how to find it or who to call to get help. 
  • Some kinds of transportation, like employment transportation, are a big challenge, both for riders and for transportation providers. For example, people often need to get to work at night and over the weekend, when many transportation providers are closed.
  • Accessible transportation users and providers both want technology solutions that make scheduling rides easier. 

Questions from Council Members

We recently met with the Council on Developmental Disabilities to discuss accessible transportation needs.  Here are some of the questions they asked, and our answers:

  • How do people with disabilities in rural areas get help with transportation?

Accessible public transportation in rural areas is provided by your local Human Resource Agency or Development District.  A list of public transit providers is available on TDOT’s website, or you can contact Disability Pathfinder for help. 

  • Are the vehicles provided by senior centers just for seniors/people traveling to the center?

Senior centers are different in every county. Some senior centers provide transportation just to the center and back home. Some senior centers provide transportation to other places, like grocery stores, doctor appointments, or the pharmacy.

Looking ahead: What’s next for 2023?

The Office follows a five-year Mobility and Accessible Transportation Strategic Plan that guides mobility and accessible transportation improvements across the state. This plan has five key goals:

  1. Expanded Access: Help local providers expand and improve transportation services
  2. Service Solutions: Address overlapping barriers to transportation
  3. Collaboration: Work together to fund transportation service
  4. Technology Solutions: Prioritize more user-focused transit technology
  5. Communication: Help travelers understand and access their transportation options

We will continue update the strategic plan every year as part of our annual report. This plan also supports projects that we are excited about. 

Some of the Office’s projects for 2023 include:

  • Tennessee Disability Pathfinder:  TDOT recently joined the Council on Development Disabilities and other state agencies in supporting Tennessee Disability Pathfinder. The goal of this project is to make it easier for people with disabilities to find and get connected to the transportation services they need. 
  • Statewide Job Access Plan: The Office is working with consultants and stakeholders across the state to develop a job access plan. The plan focuses on employment-related transportation, such as rides to work and work-related training and childcare. 
  • Transit Technology: Many transit agencies needed new software to help them schedule and dispatch rides. We also heard from transportation users who wanted more modern technology options, like smartphone apps. New preferred software vendors will help transit agencies schedule rides and offer more technology options for the future.  

To find out more about the Office, and to read the Strategic Plan and Annual Report, please visit our website.  If you would like to share your experiences with accessible transportation, or tell us how you would improve accessible transportation in Tennessee, you are welcome to reach out to us by email at TDOT.OMAT@tn.gov.

Program Spotlight: Behavioral Health Safety Net, TN Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS)

Thanks to Matthew Parriott, communication director at TDMHSAS, for answering our questions about this important TN program!

What is TN’s Behavioral Health Safety Net?

The Behavioral Health Safety Net for Adults and Children (BHSN) is a program from the TN Dept of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. It provides important "safety net" services for people who do not have any behavioral health insurance or have limited behavioral health coverage. It lets people get the mental health treatment they may need. (These are "outpatient" services, which means services you get in your home or at community providers, not hospitals or residential institutions.)

Who is the program for?  

The BHSN for Adults program is for any Tennessean age 18 or older who:

  • has a qualifying mental health diagnosis (see a list on this page)
  • has an income at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level ($18,754 for a household of one and $38,295 for a household of four; see amounts for other households here)
  • has no behavioral health insurance, including TennCare or Veteran’s benefits (People with Medicare Part B who meet all other BHSN eligibility requirements may be enrolled to receive some outpatient mental health services not covered by Medicare.) 
  • are a US Citizen or have a qualified Alien Status (note: this is because this program is funded by state dollars)

The BHSN for Children program for TN kids ages 3 to 17 has similar eligibility requirements. 

There is no income cap for the BHSN for Children. Kids with private/commercial insurance or enrolled in CoverKids who meet all other eligibility requirements can get some outpatient mental health services that are not covered by their family's private/commercial insurance or CoverKids.

How do I get help through the Behavioral Health Safety Net? 

There are 15 Community Mental Health Agencies who provide BHSN services across the state. They have more than 130 physical locations. They can also help people through telehealth.

To apply for BHSN:

  1. Find a BHSN Provider in your area.
  2. Make an intake appointment.
  3. Tell them you want to apply for safety net services.

The provider will help figure out if you qualify and, if so, help get you or your child signed up.

For a list of BHSN Providers, visit the TDMHSAS website, look at the One Pager, or call the TDMHSAS helpline.

What happens after I am enrolled? 

After a person is enrolled in BHSN, they can get outpatient mental health services through the BHSN Provider with which they are enrolled. People are re-assessed for BHSN eligibility each year to make sure they still meet requirements. 

What might covered services look like?  
The most used services in the program are:

  • intake services for assessment and evaluation
  • case management
  • medication management appointments with psychiatrists or psychiatric nurse practitioners

Other services that may be offered include:

  • psychosocial rehabilitation
  • group therapy
  • peer support
  • transportation

BHSN for Children also offers family therapy and family support specialist services.

Who should I contact if I have questions?

The TDMHSAS Helpline offers families access to an advocate to listen to concerns and provide information about available resources. The Helpline is available Monday through Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. CT at (800) 560-5767 or at oca.tdmhsas@tn.gov.