January 2024 Open Line

Holly White

In Loving Memory

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of one of our own.  Holly White, one of our Permanency Specialists in the Upper Cumberland Region, had been fighting a protracted battle with cancer for the past several years.  While she had beaten it twice and had been in remission, she found out earlier this year that the cancer had returned and had spread. Holly worked out of our Smith County office and had a very close relationship with several of the staff in the office.  Holly’s 10th anniversary with the department was just last year. We are keeping Holly’s family and DCS staff members who knew her in our thoughts. 

Continuous Quality Improvement

CQI Open Line Flyer
CQI Open Line Flyer 2

Ribbon Cutting at New Mountain Youth Academy in Mountain City

Frank Mix, Executive Director of Network Development & Provider Relations, helped cut the ribbon on the new Mountain Youth Academy in Mountain City. Here’s a link to news coverage of the grand opening. New youth mental health facility to open in Mountain City | WJHL | Tri-Cities News & Weather

 

Foster Parent Post-Approval Training

DCS FP Post-Approval Training
Employee of the Month Candi Glasscock

Central Office Employee of the Month

We would like to recognize Candi Glasscock as the DCS Central Office Employee of the Month for January 2024. 

Candi is the Organizational Culture and Safety Systems Analyst for Child Health.   

Candi was nominated by CQI Director, Rebecca Whiteside, who had the following to say about all her hard work:

“Candi always puts her all in everything she does and is a dedicated individual who is always taking care of others. She has been the volunteer front-person leader for Team Support, which is a group to help provide compassionate support and technical assistance to DCS employees following the deaths of children (custodial/non-custodial) or employees and/or other traumatic events. Candi has recruited members, shared information about how to utilize team support, organizes the groups and who to contact, and always goes above and beyond to show support during times of need. Even though this is a completely voluntary program, she always finds time to call, email, or send cards to anyone who may need extra support during a difficult time. She has on countless occasions sent baskets of food, lunch, or flowers just to let the individuals know they are supported during difficult times. Candi always does so with a smile on her face and exemplifies going the extra mile to help others.”

”Candi sets a strong example for others and displays integrity in all she does. Candi is an amazing asset to the DCS team.” -Lynnie Vaughn, Organizational Culture and Workplace Safety Director for Child Health

Data Quality

CQI and Data Quality Referral Box

2024

January 2024

Wellness Wednesdays

Wellness Wednesdays
Every Wednesday from 9-9:30 a.m. CT

Take a 30-minute time out to focus on your health and well-being! You will get 30 minutes of training credit, and we will have different wellness topics each week.

  • Wednesday, Jan. 31: Making Time for Fitness (presented by Optum Health)
  • Wednesday, Feb. 7: Heart Month Trivia (presented by Working for a Healthier TN) *Prizes for participation will be up for grabs!
  • Wednesday, Feb. 14: HeartMath Mindfulness (presented by DCS Training)
  • Wednesday, Feb. 21: February is American Heart Month! (presented by Rolanda Perkins, Community Educator for the American Heart Association and DCS Trainer)
  • Wednesday, Feb. 28: Mindfulness Session (presented by Steve Vance COE Consultant and Counselor)

Have a wellness-related topic you’re passionate about and willing to share with your DCS colleagues? Drop us a line at dcswellness.council@tn.gov

Download calendar series.

On-Demand

You can now stream the following on your own time in case you missed the live events:

You can access all upcoming activities, webinars, and workouts at https://www.tn.gov/wfhtn/challenges/wellness-events.html.

Active at All Ability Levels

Active at All Ability Levels

Anyone can be active! For people with disabilities, physical activity can help support daily living activities and independence. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that all adults, with or without disabilities, get 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week. Activities can be broken down into smaller amounts, such as 25 minutes a day.  Learn about overcoming barriers to activity and available resources:

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/wfhtn/documents/wfhtn_active_at_all_ability_levels_final.pdf

HotCocoa

Sip on Some Hot Cocoa

Jan. 31 is National Hot Chocolate Day! Warm up with some sweet and creamy Healthy Hot Chocolate. This is a low-fat version of classic hot chocolate made with milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla.

https://www.tn.gov/wfhtn/resources/recipes/drinks/healthy-hot-chocolate.html

Healthier Heart Challenge

Join the 21 Days to a Healthier Heart Challenge ❤

Are you aware of just how powerful you are? You have the power to stop a killer. According to the CDC, heart disease is the number one killer of men and women. It claims more lives than all forms of cancer. Preventive power lies with real changes to your lifestyle, which can reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as 80 percent.

You’ll have a daily activity to complete to earn a heart. You can earn a maximum of 21 hearts. Don’t worry if you don’t complete all the activities, just do your best!

Start Strong, Stay Healthy

Start Strong, Stay Healthy

The new year can be a great opportunity to kickstart long-term healthy habits that you can apply all year long. Whatever your resolution may be, here’s how to ensure it lasts.

January is the perfect time to find flavorful sweet potatoes, which act as the star of this filling Sweet Potato Curry dish.