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Volume 2 - Number 8

August 1998

Information & Referral Help Available

The Tennessee Disability Information and Referral Office, located at the Kennedy Center on the George Peabody Campus of Vanderbilt University, is funded by the Tennessee Developmental Disabilities Council.

It offers assistance in finding appropriate resources for individuals with disabilities, their families and friends, and provider agencies.

The resource listing includes various types of services, provider agencies, advocacy groups/organizations, and guardianship services. For resource assistance CALL THE TOLL FREE NUMBER: 1-800-640-4636 (for hearing impaired, call TDD 1-800-273-9595). Information is also available on the World Wide Web site at: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy/findse.html

Divison Prepares Transition Guide For Families

A document entitled "Transition Guide for Families" has recently been prepared by DMRS to provide families of those moving from a Developmental Center to a community home with information about the transition process.

This booklet describes what the family can expect to occur during the process and how they can be involved. It includes the rights of the individual, family or guardian, and advocate.

Information is provided about what to do if there is disagreement with the Transition Plan relating to health or safety issues (Dispute Resolution.)

At the beginning of the transition process, each family will receive this Guide as part of their orientation. Anyone else wanting a copy of "Transition Guide for Families" may contact David Shoemaker by calling 615-532-6511 or 1-800-535-9725.

The Division of Mental Retardation Services (DMRS) recognizes the importance of training to ensure that those entrusted with supporting people with disabilities are confident and competent in their skills.

Training opportunities are made available to provider agency staff, independent support coordinators, people with disabilities, families, guardians, advocates, circles of support and other interested community through in-services, workshops, "train-the-trainer" and competency based training.

DMRS has established a regional training calendar web page, located at the Commission on Compliance Site <://www.state.tn.us/mental2/> in order to better inform the community of various training opportunities available. The web page is expected to expand over time as more training opportunities are posted. The training calendar will be updated on a regular basis.

All training opportunities, unless otherwise specified on the calendar, require reservations which can be made by contacting the Regional Training Coordinator in the region the training opportunity is offered. The Regional Training Coordinators are:

drawing of group of three people. (training image)

East Tennessee
Alice Taylor
(423) 787-6757, ext. 112

Middle Tennessee
Dot Williams
(615) 231-5105

West Tennessee
Paula Arrington
(901) 421-5165

Please note that all training is subject to possible change. If a change occurs for a particular training, those who have registered will be contacted by the Regional Training Coordinator.

TennCare Consumer Advocacy Program

"Advocating for persons having difficulty getting the medical care they need"

This program helps people with serious medical needs who have had problems getting medical care, medication or who have had problems with enrollment. Call:

Main Advocacy Line
1-800-722-7474
(8 am - 6 pm Monday - Friday)

Hispanic Line
1-800-254-7568
(8 am - 4 pm Monday - Friday)

TDD (for hearing impaired)
1-800-772-7647
(8 am - 6 pm Monday - Friday)

TennCare Bureau Appeals Line: 1-800-560-5767

"If you need a medical service that your TennCare Plan or TennCare Partners Plan stops, cuts or will not OK," call the above number.