Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
E. Douglas Varney, Commissioner

Comments sought on PATH funding grant renewal application

Tennessee seeks comments on its Federal Fiscal Year 2013 grant renewal application for Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) funding through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services. This grant funds agencies in Tennessee to conduct outreach and referral services to homeless individuals. If they have serious mental illness, this program seeks to link them to behavioral health and housing services. The full text of the renewal application can be viewed here. Please send any comments to Bob Currie, Director of the TDMHSAS Office of Housing & Homeless Services, at Bob.Currie@tn.gov or 601 Mainstream Dr., Nashville, TN 37243. Comments must be received by 4:30 p.m. CT on Monday, June 3, to be included in the plan.

The First Annual Aging & Behavioral Health Symposium is planned for June 10 in Nashville

Alzheimer's disease, health care decisions, and Medicare are the often topics associated with aging, but there are other taboos often not discussed among senior citizens - from substance use and co-occurring disorders to the fact that 70-year-old brains are different from 30-year-old brains. This symposium provides time information from some of Tennessee's best speakers on topics you need in order to better serve aging Baby Boomers and senior citizens. For more information, click here, or go online to http://www.mhamt.org/.

New Rules Filed for Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs)

The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) has filed new administrative rules affecting methadone clinics and other non-residential opioid treatment facilities. To see the rules, click here.

Consumer Advisory Board Meetings Information

The Consumer Advisory Board meets via conference call on the first Friday of each month from 9 to 11 a.m. Central. The conference call is open to the public. The call-in numbers are 741-1513 (Nashville area) or 1-866-525-0738 (toll-free). The mission of the Consumer Advisory Board is to voice an informed perspective on policy and planning issues that impacts the recovery, resiliency, and rights of people with mental illness.

Read the current issue of The TDMHSAS Newsletter and check out past issues here.

The Peer Support Work Group was established in 2011 to review various models and programs of providing peer support services in order to determine the best model(s) for Tennessee. Click Here to read their report, which was issued in March 2012.

My Health, My Choice, My Life is a health promotion and wellness initiative for Tennesseans who live with mental health and substance use conditions. My Health, My Choice, My Life provides individuals with self-directed tools, empowering them with the knowledge, skills and resources to improve their overall well-being and resiliency and live healthy and purposeful lives. Click Here for more information.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Mandatory Prescreening Agents are required to take the MPA Refresher Course every two years.

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  Tennessee Mental Health Top to Bottom Review