Evidence Step:
Evidence
Priority Area:
Strong Families and Communities
Program Demographic:
Adolescents / Young Adults, Children, Infancy / Early Childhood
The Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit provides comprehensive and preventive health care services for children under age 21 who are enrolled in Medicaid. The program uses evidence-based approaches including primary care, preventive care visits, and vision screening. EPSDT is key to ensuring that children and adolescents receive appropriate preventive, dental, mental health, developmental and specialty services.
Evidence Step:
Outputs
Priority Area:
Education Quality and Access, Strong Families and Communities
Program Demographic:
Families, Infancy / Early Childhood, Persons with Disability
The Early Childhood Quality and Supports Office works to understand the current birth to 5-year-old landscape in Tennessee, build a comprehensive strategic plan identifying and capitalizing on areas of opportunity to ensure these children are in safe, healthy, and high-quality school-administered child care programs in public, private, and community-based programs in alignment with State Board of Education rules and policies. The office provides support to schools and districts to provide high-quality learning environments, including by conducting site visits and observations, supporting professional development, and helping childcare programs to meet state rules.
Evidence Step:
Outputs
Priority Area:
Education Quality and Access
Program Demographic:
Infancy / Early Childhood, Persons with Disability
IDEA 619 Preschool special education is a state and federally mandated and funded program for children ages three to five (not in kindergarten) who are experiencing challenges in their learning and development and meet eligibility criteria for special education and/or related services. Early childhood special education addresses individual needs within the context of inclusive, developmentally-appropriate early learning experiences including early literacy, math, play, and social areas.
Evidence Step:
Evidence
Priority Area:
Education Quality and Access
Program Demographic:
Adults
The Early Literacy Network is geared to support implementation of Early Reading Training in selected districts. Districts are granted funds ($80,000 or $100,000 depending on enrollment) for two years to receive support from an approved vendor partner. Grants provide professional development opportunities through regional convenings and virtual learning opportunities. Districts can invite teachers, instructional leaders, administrators, school leaders, and other key education staff to these professional development opportunities.
Environment and Conservation
Evidence Step:
Outputs
Priority Area:
Workforce Development and Employment
Program Demographic:
Adults
The Fleming Training Center provides water and wastewater treatment operators with education and technical assistance on water/wastewater issues. The Center provides training opportunities for operators to gain the experience and knowledge to become certified after passing the State certification exam. Additionally, the training center offers seminars and other training courses for operators to maintain their Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) to retain their certification. Fleming Training Center also offers Cross Connection Control classes to operators to become certified to test backflow preventers to ensure drinking water supplies remain safe.
Evidence Step:
Outputs
Priority Area:
Education Quality and Access
Program Demographic:
Adolescents / Young Adults, Children
The Education Savings Account (ESA) Program allows eligible K-12 students in certain zoned districts to use state and local money to attend an approved nonpublic school and pay for educational expenses such as tuition, uniforms, textbooks, technology, tutoring, and summer programs.
Evidence Step:
Outcomes
Program Demographic:
Adults, Businesses / Entrepreneurs
The Educational Outreach to Individual Taxpayers and Businesses program provides timely tax guidance to individual taxpayers, tax professionals, business owners, and the general public in a variety of ways. That includes Rural Outreach for Tax Assistance that helps connect rural taxpayers to in-person help completing their tax returns; New Business Workshops that provide an overview of the tax requirements for new business owners; University-Based Seminars on Tax Updates that provide tax law updates to tax professionals; and Online Tax Webinars that provide monthly a virtual educational series about various tax topics to individual taxpayers and the general public.
Evidence Step:
Outputs
Priority Area:
Government Efficiency and Effectiveness
Program Demographic:
Adults
911 training initiatives delivered by the Tennessee Emergency Communication Board (TECB) ensure emergency communications district (ECD) and public safety answering point (PSAP) leadership and telecommunicators have the knowledge, skills and abilities required to improve emergency response outcomes. These training opportunities are made available through both Virtual Academy online training program and in-person classroom offerings.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Evidence Step:
Strong Evidence
Priority Area:
Strong Families and Communities
Program Demographic:
Adolescents / Young Adults, Adults
The Emerging Adult Services program is a strengths-based program to support young adults, ages 18-25, who have a Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED), mental illness or a co-occurring disorder, as they transition to adulthood. Available services include quality, affordable and safe supportive housing with individualized support services for young adults who have been either in foster care or in treatment for mental illness or a co-occurring substance use disorder and have very low income. As young adults demonstrate their ability to live more independently, the program assists in their transition to more independent community living. Available services also include daily adult living development opportunities for the targeted population, such as education on mental health, substance use disorders, and life skills. Group topics include coping skills, medication education, financial management, nutrition, personal grooming and hygiene, relationship building, and more. Service recipients also actively work toward employment and education goals.
Evidence Step:
Evidence
Priority Area:
Workforce Development and Employment
Program Demographic:
Adolescents / Young Adults, Adults, Children, Persons with Disability
Employment and Community First (ECF) CHOICES is for people of all ages who have an intellectual or developmental disability (I/DD). It provides a range of supports and services to help the person with I/DD become as independent as possible including support to explore the possibility of working. It also includes support to be involved in their communities outside of work opportunities, helping them stay healthy, and build self-confidence. Supported employment, a major component of ECF CHOICES, is evidence-based.
Evidence Step:
Outputs
Priority Area:
Strong Families and Communities
Program Demographic:
Adolescents / Young Adults, Adults, Aging Adults, Persons with Disability
Enabling Technology is a person-centered approach that provides access to equipment and/or methodologies that help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities increase their independence, achieve personal development, and enhance their self-determination in their homes, communities, and/or workplaces. The Enabling Technology Program is available to any person enrolled in the 1915(c) waivers, Employment and Community First (ECF) CHOICES, or CHOICES long-term services and supports programs.
Environment and Conservation
Evidence Step:
Strong Evidence
Program Demographic:
Adolescents / Young Adults, Adults, Aging Adults, Children, Rural Focus
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program, funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), is designed to assist states, local governments, and Tribes in implementing strategies to reduce energy use and improve energy efficiency. The Tennessee program funds audits of and energy efficiency upgrades to county-owned, commercial buildings with multi-use purposes that support community resilience or that are deemed critical facilities. Examples of eligible buildings include K-12 schools, hospitals, emergency management facilities, and/or community centers, all of which may also function as emergency shelters or staging areas during emergency response and recovery efforts.
