Division of Recovery Services & Planning

Boards and Councils Related to
the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities

Planning and Policy Councils

• Developmental Disabilities Planning and Policy Council
• Mental Heath Planning and Policy Council
• 7 regional citizen-based developmental disabilities planning and policy councils
• 7 regional citizen-based mental health planning and policy councils

These councils advise the TDMHDD Planning and Policy Council on the three-year plan including the desirable array of prevention, early intervention, treatment and habilitation services and supports for service recipients and their families, AND such other matters as the Commissioner or TDMHDD P & P Council may request. They also provide information and advice to the department on policy, formulation of budget requests, and development and evaluation of services and supports.

These councils provide citizen participation in policy planning and represent service recipients and their families, service recipient advocates for children, adults and the elderly service providers, agencies and other affected persons and organizations. A majority of each council's membership is made up of current or former service recipients and their families.

The Commissioner of TDMHDD appoints members of the state and regional councils based on nominations by the service area. (T.C.A. §33-2-202) To achieve inter-related communication and work among and between councils, the chairs of each service area's 7 regional councils serve on the respective state planning & policy council, and 5 members of each service area's state planning & policy council serve on the TDMHDD P & P Council.

Statute is silent on the minimum number of members, terms of members and how often the state and regional councils meet.

Persons interested in serving on any of the above listed councils should send their curriculum vitae to: