.
  1. Home
  2. Council Offers New Funding for Family Support During COVID-19

Council Offers New Funding for Family Support During COVID-19

Press Release #
covid-19 vaccine bottles



The Council on Developmental Disabilities and the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) are partnering to offer $300,000 in new funding to help people with disabilities and their families during the pandemic through the Family Support program administered by DIDD.

This funding will be used on a wide range of costs and services related to disability. Examples include respite care, equipment/supplies, nursing, counseling, housing costs, personal assistance, health-related needs, equipment, and more.

The Family Support Program is managed by DIDD in partnership with 16 provider agencies. The agencies operate the program in all 95 counties across the state through 16 different service areas. A local Family Support Council in each of the 16 areas serves as the primary decision maker on the selection of families to be receive this funding, and determines the amount of funding which is to be provided to the family, based on need. A majority of each local council is made of up people with disabilities or family members who live in the area.

“We know the pandemic has had a heavy impact on people with disabilities and their families,” Council Executive Director Wanda Willis said. “We want to use our funds to help families across the state cover their most urgent needs. We are so grateful to our close partners at DIDD and the local agencies for helping us get these funds into the hands of the families who need them most.”

See below for a list of regional Family Support staff and a list of agencies in each region that run the Family Support program. Look for the agency that serves your county, and contact the person listed for that agency to apply for Family Support funding. Some agencies have online forms on their website, listed along with phone and email contact information for Family Support staff.


Crockett, Dyer, Lake, Lauderdale, Obion, and Tipton counties

Helen R. Tucker Adult Developmental Center

Chester, Decatur, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, and McNairy counties

Madison/Haywood Developmental Services

Fayette and Shelby counties

Shelby Residential and Vocational Services, Inc. (SRVS)

Benton, Carroll, Gibson, Henry, and Weakley counties

Training and Advocacy Referral and Peer Support (TARP)

Davidson and Wilson counties

The Arc Davidson County & Greater Nashville

Williamson County

The Arc Williamson County

Giles, Hickman, Lawrence, Lewis, Maury, Perry, and Wayne counties

Buffalo River Services, Inc.

Bedford, Coffee, Franklin, Lincoln, Marshall, and Moore counties

Community Development Center

Montgomery and Stewart counties

Developmental Services of Dickson County

Cheatham, Dickson, Houston, and Humphreys counties

Developmental Services of Dickson County

  • Phone: 931-648-3695
  • Website: https://dsdc.org/family-support/
  • Family Support Staff: Peggy Seay (pseay@dsdc.org); 931-994-8363

Robertson, Sumner, and Trousdale counties

Habilitation and Training Services, Inc. (HATS)

Cannon, Fentress, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, Van Buren, and Warren counties

Pacesetters, Inc.

Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Jackson, Macon, Overton, and White counties

Pacesetters, Inc.

Rutherford county

UCP of Middle Tennessee

Hancock, Hawkins, and Sullivan counties

The Arc Washington County

  • Phone: 423-928-9362
  • Family Support Staff: Joanna Staley, ext. 212 (joanna@arcwc.org)

Carter, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties

The Arc Washington County

  • Phone: 423-928-9362
  • Family Support Staff: Megan Buckles, ext. 207 (megan@arcwc.org)

Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Cocke, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Roane, Scott, and Sevier counties

Emory Valley Center, Inc.

Claiborne, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, and Union counties

Greene County Skills, Inc.

Bledsoe, Bradley, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Polk, Rhea, and Sequatchie counties

Orange Grove Center

Regional and Statewide Family Support Program Staff

West Tennessee

Janice Williams and Tanya Hardy; West Tennessee Regional Office, Arlington, TN 38002

901-745-7215; Email janice.williams@tn.gov; tanya.hardy@tn.gov

Middle Tennessee

Tammie Browning, Middle Tennessee Regional Office, Nashville, TN 37214

615-231-5057; Email: tammie.browning@tn.gov

East Tennessee

Jill Kiehna, East Tennessee Regional Office, Greeneville, TN 37745

423-787-6953; Email: julia.kiehna@tn.gov

Statewide

Patricia Edmiston, Director of Developmental Disability Services, DIDD Central Office

901-308-3430; Email: patricia.edmiston@tn.gov

Seth Wilson, Associate Counsel, DIDD Central Office

615-741-7262; Email: seth.wilson@tn.gov


DIDD Family Support webpage