Lee administration plans to spend $400M on services for people with disabilities
Gov. Bill Lee’s administration is earmarking $400 million in federal recovery money to provide home and community support services to people with disabilities.
Here’s the full release:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, TennCare and the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) announced a bold plan to invest up to $400 million of federal COVID-19 relief funds in direct supports for thousands of Tennesseans in need.
The funds, made available through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), will provide home and community-based services (HCBS) for older adults and individuals with disabilities across Tennessee, allowing them to live safely in their homes, support family caregivers, and live their lives as independently as possible within their communities.
“Through this historic investment, Tennesseans with disabilities will have greater opportunities to live independently, participate in the workforce and reach their fullest potential,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “It’s my hope that this enhanced support will shine a light on the important services that caregivers provide and change the lives of Tennesseans across our state.”
“This infusion of funding represents the single largest investment in HCBS services in the state’s history,” said Stephen Smith, TennCare Director. “It is an opportunity made possible by the TennCare III demonstration approved in January of this year, since the availability of shared savings and additional federal funding via the waiver will help ensure continued state support of these important investments once the federal funding has expired.”
“Serving more people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to reach their employment, community engagement, and independence goals has been a top priority for both DIDD and TennCare since day one,” said DIDD Commissioner Brad Turner. “This is an investment that will change lives, provide relief to family caregivers and direct support staff, and further our vision of supporting people to live the lives they envision for themselves.”
TennCare’s federally-approved plan, developed in partnership with the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD), is based on broad stakeholder input and focuses on two primary objectives:
- Increasing access to home and community-based services for those in need; and
- Strengthening the frontline workforce that delivers services to those enrolled in HCBS programs.
This historic plan accomplishes two priorities established by Governor Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly prior to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- Provides services to 2,000 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, clearing the TennCare Employment and Community First CHOICES program waiting list
- Invests in recruitment, training and retention of frontline support staff to better serve Tennesseans with disabilities.
Additional information about the plan can be found here.
Lee signs order moving disability services for young children out of Education Department
Gov. Bill Lee welcomes delegates to a summit on economically distressed counties in Linden on Aug. 13, 2019. (Erik Schelzig, Tennessee Journal)
Gov. Bill Lee has signed an executive order to move development services for young children with disabilities out of the state Education Department. They will now be housed within the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Here’s the release from the Lee administration:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued an executive order transferring the Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) from the Tennessee Department of Education to the Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to better align services for children with disabilities.
TEIS is a voluntary educational program for infants and toddlers with disabilities that supports families through child development resources. The program encourages optimal development through community and family activities.
“This program is vital to the growth and development of children with disabilities,” said Gov. Lee. “We look forward to better serving TEIS families and ensuring Tennessee is a place where people of all abilities thrive.”
Since taking office in January, this is the 10th executive order signed by Gov. Lee.
Reports of elder abuse prompt raid on legislative candidate’s business
An assisted living facility in Cookeville partly owned by Ed Butler, who is unopposed for the Republican nomination in the state House District 41 seat now held by Democratic Rep. John Mark Windle of Livingston, has been raided by authorities amid reports that some elderly residents have been mistreated.
Auditors find troubles at DIDD and see looming caregiver crisis
In an audit of the state Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities released today, the state comptroller’s office found shortcomings in several areas and included an “emerging issue” observation that the state faces “a critical shortage of caregivers for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
Sen. Massey retires from regular job, expands legislative work with new disabilities committee
While some of her colleagues are planning to leave their state Senate seats, Knoxville Republican Sen. Becky Duncan Massey says she plans to devote more time to legislative duties with retirement from her regular job, reports Georgiana Vines. She retiring as executive director of the Sertoma Center, which serves individuals with disabilities and where she has worked for 24 years.
A major focus for new legislative duties will be co-chairing with Rep. Kevin Brooks, R-Cleveland, a new joint ad hoc committee on disability services appointed by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Beth Harwell, to examine state services for the disabled, with a goal of making recommendations on how to streamline the services and improve their quality, access and affordability. The recommendations are for the next governor elected in 2018, she said.
Judge signs off on dismissing Clover Bottom lawsuit
News release from DIDD
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) Commissioner Debra K. Payne today announced the dismissal of the longstanding Clover Bottom lawsuit, effectively ending a quarter century of litigation and court oversight of intellectual disabilities services in the state of Tennessee. Continue reading
Green Valley Developmental Center finally closes
News release from Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
GREENEVILLE – The final two people living at Greene Valley Developmental Center (GVDC) transitioned to their new homes on Friday, effectively closing the state institution after more than 5 decades of operation.
Tennessee joins 13 other states and the District of Columbia with no large, state-run institutions for people with intellectual disabilities, which is a significant milestone in improving the lives of people with disabilities in Tennessee.
Just 35 enrolled in TN voucher program for students with disabilities
Tennessee’s first school voucher program, applying only to student with disabilities, has enrolled just 35 students in its first three months of operation out of a estimated 20,000 who are eligible, reports Chalkbeat Tennessee. Parents of the enrolled students get up to $6,000 per year in taxpayer funds to spend on private schools.
Officials say they never expected big enrollment, but are heartened by the program’s potential to grow.
Tennessee lawmakers passed the Individualized Education Act in 2015 to give students with certain disabilities public money for private services such as homeschooling, private school tuition, and tutoring. The catch: Students must leave their public school and waive their rights under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which mandates that all students receive a “free and appropriate” public education. That type of program has been lauded by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has said they “empower” parents to make the best decisions for their children.
But in its first year, only 130 families applied for Tennessee’s program. Just a third of those applications actually were approved, and even fewer ultimately decided to participate.
Many forces conspired to keep the number low. For one, the program started in the middle of the school year, a time when parents are unlikely to want to shake up their child’s education.
Plus, only eight private schools got the state’s approval to accept students using vouchers. Many private schools aren’t set up to deal with different disabilities.
Often, private schools charge far more than $6,000, with the tuition at Memphis-area private schools topping out at more than $20,000 a year. Public schools on average spend about $16,000 per special education student.
Six private schools deemed eligible for state vouchers to educate disabled kids
The Tennessee Department of Education has named the six private schools as the first eligible to accept taxpayer money to educate students with disabilities under a new state voucher program, reports Chalkbeat Tennessee.
They are:
Academy for Academic Excellence in Clarksville;
Bachman Academy in McDonald (a community in Bradley County);
Gateway Academy Learning Labs in Nashville and Brentwood;
Madonna Learning Center in Germantown;
Saint Ann School in Nashville;
Skyuka Hall in Chattanooga
The schools will participate in a program that allows parents of students with disabilities to receive public money for private services such as home-schooling, private school tuition and tutoring. Leaders for the schools met the Nov. 1 application deadline for the program, which was created by a 2014 state law called the Individualized Education Act (IEA).
Under the voucher program, families with a child with eligible disabilities can receive an average of $6,000 annually in a special savings account. State officials reported Wednesday that 130 families applied to participate during the upcoming semester, representing less than 1 percent of the 20,000 students eligible statewide. The final number of participants might be even lower, as application materials are reviewed.
All along, state education officials predicted low family participation. That’s because the $6,000 voucher falls far short of the $16,000 average cost of educating students with disabilities. Families who opt in must waive their federal rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which mandates that all students receive a “free and appropriate” public education.
