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.

What does recovery mean to you? For Tennesseans living with mental health and substance abuse issues, recovery is the process through which people are able to live, learn, work, and fully participate in their communities.

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services opened the application period for its first Juvenile Justice Reform Local Diversion Grants. The investment of $4.5 million in recurring funding by Governor Bill Haslam and the General Assembly will go to expand community based-services and training.

NASHVILLE – Governor Bill Haslam and First Lady Crissy Haslam today honored 23 state employees who are helping Tennessee lead by providing outstanding state services every day. The employees, who were nominated by their departments’ leadership for the Governor’s Excellence in Service Awards, were invited to attend a luncheon at the Tennessee Residence for providing efficient and effective service to the state and their fellow Tennesseans. “The employees honored today are on the forefront of improving how Tennessee state government delivers services,” Haslam said. “By exceeding leadership and customer expectations, creating innovative solutions or improving processes and services, these state employees are helping provide taxpayers with the highest quality service at the lowest possible cost.”

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today praised the Commission on Pain and Addiction Medicine Education for identifying core competencies for Tennessee’s medical education institutions to ensure future doctors, nurses, dentists and other prescribers receive in-class training on how to best manage patient pain and properly treat addiction in response to the state’s opioid epidemic. Haslam established the 19-member commission by executive order in January as part of the TN Together plan to fight opioid addiction in Tennessee. The commission submitted a report to the governor outlining 12 competencies for health care educators, as well as strategies to assure they are successfully adopted.

MARYVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today signed legislation to support TN Together, the governor’s aggressive and comprehensive plan to end the opioid crisis in Tennessee through three key areas – prevention, treatment and law enforcement. “This legislation is a major step in helping fight this epidemic by limiting the supply of opioids and providing resources to provide treatment for those addicted,” Haslam said in a ceremonial bill signing at the Blount Memorial Hospital. “I am proud to sign the TN Together legislation today and I thank the members of the 110th General Assembly for their commitment to addressing this crisis. Opioid addition affects the entire state in some form, and with this comprehensive plan I feel confident that we can make a difference in the lives of Tennesseans.”

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse today unveiled the new Fast Facts data portal. The redesign of this popular feature allows visitors to TN.gov to interact with data that touches all facets of the department’s mission and vision.

May marks Mental Health Awareness Month in Tennessee. One in five Tennessee adults experiences a mental illness in a given year.

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services is proud to announce that the team from Brentwood High School won the viewer-voted Tennessee Together Teen public service announcement competition.

NASHVILLE — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today joined Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson to encourage Tennesseans to make an impact on the state’s opioid crisis by cleaning out their expired or unwanted medications on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Saturday, April 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The biannual event urges citizens to find the medications in their homes, including prescription opioids, and safely and securely dispose of them. During the most recent national take back event last October, Tennesseans disposed of more than 68,000 pounds of medication.

Tennessee is one of 19 states selected for a new training and support program to improve the social, emotional, and mental health of babies, toddlers, and young children. A group of leaders from several state agencies and other stakeholders led by the Association of Infant Mental Health in Tennessee (AIMHiTN) will participate in a year-long series of sessions with ZERO TO THREE.