September 2022

From the Executive Director's Desk

Readers,

We have some exciting updates for you in this issue, including new Council members! As you’re reading this, we are gathering for our quarterly Council meeting in Nashville. Earlier today, new members attended orientation and our full membership will meet for dinner. Tomorrow we will have our typical business meeting. You can read meeting minutes and find information about visiting Council meetings on our website.

I also want to share that last weekend we launched of our Partners in Policymaking 2022-23 class. After hosting this program virtually for the past several years, it was extra special to be in person and see the connections made among scholars.

Learn more about Partners in Policymaking here.

We want to hear from you as you read these newsletters – let us know what resonates with you.

Wishing everyone a great week,

Lauren

Meet our New Member: Kimberly Boyd, Northwest TN Development District

Kimberly Boyd was recently appointed by Gov. Bill Lee to represent the Northwest Development District on the Council. She has a 12-year-old son, William, who goes by “Ty.” Ty has autism and is the recipient of a kidney transplant. Kimberly works for Amerigroup as the Employment and Community First CHOICES member advocate for the west TN region. She first became involved in the disability community when working as an Independent Support Coordinator in 2007.

Kimberly and Ty live in Martin with their toy poodle, Sophie. Kim's main areas of interest related to disability are increasing access to appropriate public education, support services, and health insurance. Right now, she also serves on councils related to the TARP Center for Independent Living in Paris, TN. She loves decorating, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Meet our New Member: Sara Miller, Southwest TN Development District

Sara Miller was recently appointed by Gov. Bill Lee to represent the Southwest Development District on the Council. Sara was born Deaf and says she became an active participant in the disability community when she began her teaching career in Deaf Education in 2008. In 2019, Sara founded her business, Language Priority, to design apparel and merchandise focused on ASL (American Sign Language) and the Deaf community. She also teaches online ASL classes.

Sara and her husband, Bryce, live in Jackson with their 2 dogs, one of whom is also deaf. She is passionate about accessibility to information, education, and communication. She shared, “I want to be a part of the change on behalf of the disabled community in Tennessee. I hope to use my lived experiences and those of others to help make changes for the better!” Sara loves reading, drawing, and creating designs for her business.

Meet our New Member: Bliss Welch, Southeast TN Development District

Bliss Welch was recently appointed by Gov. Bill Lee to represent the Southeast Development District on the Council. Bliss became a self-advocate during her teen years when diagnosed with Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy 2B/R2. During her reign as Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee 2013, she said she “developed a greater understanding of the need to advocate for change in policies so individuals with disabilities are viewed and treated as equals in society.”

Bliss and her 10-year-old daughter, Annabelle, live in Harrison, TN. Bliss works as an Accounts Specialist at Island Cove Marina & Resort. For the past decade, she has served as a volunteer for the Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee organization to empower other wheelchair-mobile women to find their voices and advocate. She also serves as the Chairwoman for the “Harvesting Inclusive Play” committee in Chattanooga, a group partnering with the City of Chattanooga and the Kiwanis Club of Chattanooga to raise funds for a universally inclusive playground.

2022-23 Partners in Policymaking Scholars Begin Training

Congratulations to our newest Partners class!

Heather Bensch - Ripley
Drake Box - Dyersburg
Becca Brnik - Cleveland
Garrison Buchanan - Johnson City
Lacey Bundrum - Oak Ridge
Colleen Campbell - Madison
Sarah Clinton - Nashville
Olivia Crossman - Nashville
Swathi Dasari - Brentwood
Monica Everett - Cordova
Barbara Goodrum - Paris
Megan Haynes - Knoxville
Jennifer Hout - Franklin
Gregory Hutchins - Murfreesboro
Kevin Krieb - Christiana
Nidhi Mali - Memphis
Alexis May - Milan
Katie Moore - Jackson
Lia Nichol - Powell
Edel Pace - Lebanon
Justin Ralls - Greenfield
Lindy Register - Bells
Sidney Roark - Oak Ridge
Michael Slowik - Knoxville
Lorraine Wakefield - Elizabethton
Dr. Sharon Webb - Memphis
Fleur Whitehead - Clarksville

This 29th Partners class kicked off last weekend - in person for the first time since the pandemic! Over the two-day session, these new scholars learned about themselves and each other and dove into the history of the disability rights movement.

Over the next few months, the class will continue to meet virtually. The scholars will learn about all aspects of Tennessee's disability service system. They'll learn how to help shape policies that affect the lives of people with disabilities. And if past years are any sign - they'll also form a tight-knit village of support and encouragement that will last long after their graduation in April.

Huge thanks to Cathlyn Smith, our Director of Leadership Development, for her excellent and compassionate work guiding our scholars through these months of learning that changes lives.

Get to Know a Leader: Katie Moss, Chief of Long-Term Services and Supports, Division of TennCare

We like to introduce our readers to different leaders in TN's disability field. Meet Katie Moss, Chief of Long-Term Services and Supports with the Division of TennCare, our state's Medicaid agency.

Tell us a bit about your career background and your current role at TennCare.

I am honored to have been recently appointed by Director Smith as the new Chief of Long Term Services and Supports for the Division of TennCare; a role I never dreamed I would have.

When I started college, I planned to become a geriatric doctor who made house calls. After a semester of organic chemistry, biochemistry, and physics, I decided that was not the right path for me. I changed to social work and started an incredible internship at Legal Aid in Knoxville. Then I decided to apply for law school. I went to the University of Tennessee College of Law so I could graduate and work at Legal Aid. I moved to Nashville for a position at Legal Aid Society (LAS) and worked there for about 7 years. My work focused on issues related to health and benefits, such as Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security benefits, and benefits like food stamps (now called SNAP) and Families First. During my time at LAS, I worked on several cases related to long-term care and TennCare in federal court as well as the Tennessee Court of Appeals. Although the work was fulfilling, it became clear to me that litigation was not going to result in real change.

In 2015, I had the opportunity to join the TennCare Office of General Counsel. I was fortunate there to gain a much deeper understanding of the TennCare program. Patti Killingsworth asked me to join the LTSS office in 2021 as her deputy. That was probably more shocking to me than it was to anyone else. I am so thankful for her support, encouragement, and confidence in me to follow in her footsteps.

What is one thing you’re working on right now that you are excited about?

There are SO many exciting things we are working on right now at TennCare (not just LTSS):

Expanding dental benefits to all adults
Moving to a new software system called PERLSS for all LTSS. This will eventually end the need for all other systems for LTSS medical decisions. It will be the single source for processing LTSS medical eligibility and appeals. Having a single system that links to TEDS (the financial system) will make it easier for our members to go through the process for eligibility or to file an appeal.
Bringing together the 1915(c) waivers and the Employment and Community First CHOICES program. This will make offering these programs easier for providers because they’ll have only one process to go through to be approved instead of separate processes for each program. It will also be easier to run the programs because they’ll be managed through the same system.
Working on all of the new programs funded through the American Rescue Plan Act funding. This includes a workforce development program that will help providers hire and keep good employees.
Partnering with sister agencies, organizations and other groups to build relationships and improve the experience for the people we support.

It’s hard to pick just one! From the perspective of impact for real people, I think Enabling Technology (ET) has the greatest potential to be a game changer. Not only can ET help people be more independent than they may have believed was possible, it also could help with the workforce crisis. We have several providers who have been accredited as Tech First organizations that are doing amazing things.

What is one of the biggest things you have learned from working with Tennesseans with developmental disabilities and their families?

I have learned that they are incredible and passionate advocates. That is saying something coming from a lawyer who considers herself a tenacious advocate!

What are some activities you enjoy doing in your free time?

I love spending time with friends and family, trying to garden (usually unsuccessfully, but if anyone needs some mint, I think it’s about to overtake my yard), hosting play dates for the kids or reading a good book (not of substance…think Janet Evanovich) in my hammock. Pre-COVID, I hosted parties: Halloween parties with a chili contest or Christmas cookie decorating parties for kids. I can’t wait to get back to that at some point.

When should members of the disability community reach out to you or your team directly?

I love hearing from families, individuals and providers! I welcome emails with questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions any time! Feedback is what allows us to improve and better serve individuals. Feel free to email me at katie.moss@tn.gov, but my staff are the subject matter experts in their programs, so working with them directly is usually the better option.

TDOT Becomes Newest Funder for TN Disability Pathfinder

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is joining 7 other state government agencies in guiding and funding Tennessee Disability Pathfinder. Pathfinder is a one-stop center for finding disability information and supports. Because of Pathfinder, Tennesseans can bring nearly any disability question to Pathfinder’s searchable website or phone line and get help finding what they need. We are one of very few states to offer this type of center.

The Council is a founding investor in Pathfinder. We brought these 8 newer funding agencies together to increase investment in Pathfinder. Pathfinder is operated by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.

Why does this matter?

Transportation comes up often as a top disability need (more on that below). TDOT launched the Office of Accessible Transportation and Mobility just a few years ago to study and work on barriers. TDOT has seen that a key barrier for people is having trouble finding services that already exist. This led the department to invest in Pathfinder. Increased funds will help link more Tennesseans with disabilities to transportation services.
People with disabilities and their families report struggling to find help with all kinds of disability-related needs. It can be hard to know what programs are available or where to find them. Pathfinder is a central place to connect to thousands of different services.
Increased funds pay for more Pathfinder staff and outreach. This allows Pathfinder to help more people with all kinds of disability needs.

Where is Pathfinder now?

Increased funding paid for a major upgrade to Pathfinder’s website last year. The new site is organized by life stage and has many new features. This makes it easier for families and professionals to find the disability resources they need. If you haven’t visited Pathfinder in the last year, go see the upgrades for yourself!
Another recent improvement with the site upgrade: service providers can add themselves to Pathfinder or make updates to their listing. If you offer disability services, make sure you’ve taken this step so people can find your services.
In the past fiscal year, Pathfinder served:
- 11,000+ people total through its website, phone helpline, and trainings
- 8,100+ website visitors
- 4,800+ social media followers

What’s ahead for Pathfinder?

New funding also paid for an in-depth study by Vanderbilt researchers. The study showed what issues matter to the disability community and how people want to find disability information. That research is now guiding improvements to Pathfinder, including a new strategic plan. This will help Pathfinder grow and serve even more people in the years to come.

The Vanderbilt study showed in more detail what our own public input surveys have said – that accessible, affordable transportation is a top need for people with disabilities. This makes the addition of TDOT to the Pathfinder leadership team a critical addition.

Who is the Pathfinder leadership group?

The Council on Developmental Disabilities
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center
TN Commission on Aging and Disability
TN Dept. of Education
TN Dept. of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD)
TN Dept. of Health
TN Dept. of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services
TN Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
TN Dept. of Transportation

All these agencies offer programs that serve people with disabilities. Together, the leadership group is making sure Pathfinder’s database and help line staff stay up-to-date. The group connects Pathfinder staff with state agency staff who know the most about their own programs. This allows Pathfinder to be the true expert in all areas of Tennessee’s disability services system. All agencies are learning that any time we get a question or need we can’t answer, we can refer people to Pathfinder.

Bottom line: If you or anyone you know needs disability information or services, TN Disability Pathfinder is your go-to! Connect on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for information and news about how Pathfinder is growing.