Tennessee Resources

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State Mental Health Agency
For more information about admission, care, treatment, release, and patient follow-up in public or private psychiatric residential facilities, contact your State mental health agency:

Virginia Trotter Betts, Commissioner
Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
425 Fifth Avenue North
Fifth Floor, Cordell Hull Building
Nashville, TN 37243-0675
Phone: 615-532-6500
Fax: 615-532-6514
E-mail: opie.tdmhdd@.state.tn.us
Internet: www.state.tn.us/mental

Spanish language assistance available

State Protection and Advocacy Agency
Each State has a protection and advocacy agency that receives funding from the Federal Center for Mental Health Services. Agencies are mandated to protect and advocate for the rights of people with mental illnesses and to investigate reports of abuse and neglect in facilities that care for or treat individuals with mental illnesses. These facilities, which may be public or private, include hospitals, nursing homes, community facilities, board and care homes, homeless shelters, jails, and prisons. Agencies provide advocacy services or conduct investigations to address issues that arise during transportation or admission to such facilities, during residency in them, or within 90 days after discharge from them. Contact:

Shirley Shea, Executive Director
Disability Law & Advocacy Center of Tennessee
2416 21st Avenue South
Suite 100
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-298-1080
Toll-free: 800-342-1660
TDD: 888-852-2852
Fax: 615-298-2046
E-mail: GetHelp@DLACTN.org
Internet: www.dlactn.org

Spanish language assistance available

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which are part of the Department of Health and Human Services, investigate some complaints about treatment facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding. For further information at the national level, contact:

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
7500 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
Phone: 410-786-3000
Toll-free: 877-267-2323
TDD: 866-226-1819
E-mail: question@CMS.gov
Internet: www.CMS.gov

You may also share your concerns with staff at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services office in your area, which is Region 4. The regional office address and telephone number are:

Atlanta Regional Office
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Atlanta Federal Center
61 Forsyth Street, SW, Suite 4T20
Atlanta, GA 30303-8909
Phone: 404-562-7500
Fax: 404-562-7162
Internet: www.CMS.gov/RegionalOffices/05_RO4.asp

Advocacy Organizations
Mental Health America (formerly the National Mental Health Association) maintains a referral and information center and can help you locate local chapters. These local groups have information about community services and engage in national and State level advocacy. For more information about the association, write or call:

Mental Health Association of Tennessee
2416 21st Avenue South
Suite 201
Nashville, TN 37212-5318
Phone: 615-242-7122
Fax: 615-242-9637
E-mail: anitab@mhatn.org

The National Alliance on Mental Illness maintains a helpline for information on mental illnesses and referrals to local groups. The local self-help groups have support and advocacy components and offer education and information about community services or families and individuals. For information about the Alliance's affiliates and activities in your State, contact:

NAMI Tennessee
Sita Diehl, Executive Director
1101 Kermit Drive, Suite 605
Nashville, TN 37217-2126
Phone: 615-361-6608
Toll free: 800-467-3589
Fax: 615-361-6698
E-mail: sdiehl@namitn.org
Internet:www.namitn.org

Statewide consumer organizations are run by and for consumers of mental health services and promote consumer empowerment. These organizations provide information about mental health and other support services at the State level and are active in addressing and advocating for mental health system issues. For information about consumer activities in your area, contact:

Anthony Fox, Executive Director
Tennessee Mental Health Consumer Association (TMHCA)
480 Craighead Street, Suite 200
Nashville, TN 37204
Phone: 615-250-1176
Toll-free: 888-539-0393
Fax: 615-383-1176
E-mail: info@tmhca-tn.org
Internet: www.tmhca-tn.org

Joe Swinford, Director
Office of Consumer Affairs
Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
425 5th Avenue North
Cordell Hull Building, Third Floor
Nashville, TN 37243-0675
Phone: 615-532-6700
Toll-free: 800-560-5767
Fax: 615-253-3920
E-mail: oca.mhdd@state.tn.us

The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse, funded partly by the Center for Mental Health Services, promotes and helps to develop consumer-run self-help groups across the country. Technical assistance and materials are available on such topics as organizing groups, fundraising, leadership development, incorporating, public relations, advocacy, and networking. For more information, contact

The National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
1211 Chestnut Street, Suite 1207
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 215-751-1810
Toll-free: 800-553-4KEY (539)
Fax: 215-636-6312
E-mail: info@mhselfhelp.org
Internet: www.mhselfhelp.org

The National Empowerment Center is a Technical Assistance Center run by mental health consumers/survivors. The Center's mission is to carry a message of recovery, empowerment, hope and healing to people who have been diagnosed with mental illness. The Center provides information and referrals to consumer/survivor resources nationwide and offers technical assistance to individuals and groups involved in consumer empowerment activities. The Center distributes recovery-related publications and sponsors education and training activities. For information on consumer/survivor activities in your area, contact:

The National Empowerment Center
599 Canal Street
Lawrence, MA 01840
Phone: 978-685-1494
Toll-free: 800-769-3728
Fax: 978-681-6426
E-mail: info4@power2u.org
Internet: www.power2u.org

The Consumer Organization & Networking Technical Assistance Center (CONTAC), funded by the Center for Mental Health Services, is a resource center for consumers/survivors and consumer-run organizations across the United States. Services and products include informational materials; on-site training and skill-building curricula; electronic and other communication capabilities; networking and customized activities promoting self-help, recovery, leadership, business management, and empowerment. For more information contact:

Consumer Organization & Networking Technical Assistance Center (CONTAC)
P.O. Box 11000
Charleston, WV 25339
Phone: 304-345-7312
Toll-free: 888-825-TECH (8324)
Fax: 304-345-7303
E-mail: usacontac@contac.org
Internet: www.contac.org

Other Sources of Information
There are many sources of information that you can tap. Your area mental health authority, which is generally a part of the local government, may be useful. Other branches of your city or county government also may be able to help. For example, the education office might have information about help for children, and the agency for the aging might know about services for senior citizens. In addition, your family physician or area hospital may be able to make referrals. For legal advice, contact your local bar association or go to www.findlegalhelp.org. Also, your local library and telephone yellow pages may have resource lists for sources of help in your community.

SRG-TN
Updated 02/07