Tennessee Disability Coalition News Blog

2008 TN Mental Health Consumers’ Association Statewide Public Forums

Mental Health Awareness in May: Erasing Stigma and Achieving Wellness (Speakers from mental health agencies will provide information about local overall services and recovery initiatives)

May 14th 1-4 pm Memphis Public Library, 3030 Poplar Avenue, Memphis

May 19th, 1-4 pm Bell Street Center, 503 Bell Street, Murfreesboro

May 23rd, 1-4 pm Ag Complex, 309 C N. Parkway, Jackson

May 27th, 1-4 pm Boones Creek Church, Johnson City

May 29th, 1-4 pm AIM Center, Chattanooga

For more information visit: http://www.tmhca-tn.org/

ACTION REQUIRED THIS WEEK

Metro Transit Authority - Dramatic Cutbacks

Due to a budget shortfall caused by spiking fuel prices, the Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and Davidson County is considering the following changes:

• eliminating routes, including night service
• eliminating weekend and holiday service
• eliminating Night Owl service
• reducing number of runs
• raising fares
• REDUCING ACCESSRIDE

These proposed cutbacks could have a serious impact on people with disabilities who do not have access to alternative means of transporation, particularly in the evening and on weekends.

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Cuts are being considered for the following routes:

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1 Vine Hill        2 Belmont        8 8th Avenue South       13 Sylvan Park         16 Madison/Old Hickory

18 Airport/Elm Hill Pike                     30 McFerrin                     31X Harpeth Valley Express

37X Tusculum/McMurray Express           41 Golden Valley                 45X Old Hill Express

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Public Hearings - This Week

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Monday, May 5th - 6pm at the Rochelle Center (Building A), 1020 Southside Court

Tuesday, May 6th - noon & 5:30pm at the Downtown Library

Thursday, May 8th - 6pm at the Madison Library, 610 Gallatin Pike

Monday, May 12th - 5:30pm at the Easley Community Center, 1000 Edghill Avenue

Submitting Public Comments

If you cannot attend a public hearing (more will be scheduled) then you can submit comments directly through May 14th. Submit comments by:

Email - mta.publichearings@nashville.gov

Fax - (615) 862-6208

Phone - (615) 862-5950

Write Your Council Member

In addition to attending public forums and submitting comments to MTA, we also encourage readers to sent a note to their councilman.  Find your council on this page: http://www.nashville.gov/council/council_roster.htm or scroll to the bottom of this mailing for a complete list with email addresses.

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Sample Letter

Dear _________:

I am writing to oppose any cutbacks to services that would negatively impact people with disabilities in Nashville.  As I understand it, MTA is not only considering cuts to regular routes, but is seriously considering cuts to AccessRide which is a lifeline to the community for many people with disabilities as well as a reducing nighttime and weekend service.

It’s true that fare increases, route eliminations and reductions will impact everyone, but any reductions in service would be especially hard on persons with disabilities such as those who use AccessRide.  These cuts could leave many stranded in their homes and dependant upon others, especially those who cannot drive or who may use a wheelchair.

For that reason I urge you to reach out into the disability community to learn more about their needs and how to minimize the impact on this community.  Better yet, I hope you will find an alternative to cuts that preserves 100% of AccessRide.

Sincerely,

Jane Q Public

Address

Phone number

Other Contacts

President of MTA, Paul J. Ballard

Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors

Council at Large (represents everyone)

Tim Garrett Megan Barry Charlie Tygard Ronnie Steine Jerry Maynard

Full Council by District-

Dist. 1 - Lonnell Matthews - Jr.lonnell.matthews@nashville.gov

Dist. 2 - Frank Harrison - frank.harrison@nashville.gov

Dist. 3 - Walter Hunt - whuntnash@aol.com

Dist. 4 Michael Craddock - michael.craddock@nashville.gov

Dist. 5 Pam Murray - pam.murray@nashville.gov

Dist. 6 Mike Jameson - mike.jameson@nashville.gov

Dist. 7 Erik Cole - erik.cole@nashville.gov

Dist. 8 Karen Bennett - karen.bennett@nashville.gov

Dist. 9 Jim Forkum - jim.forkum@nashville.gov

Dist. 10 Rip Ryman - rip.ryman@nashville.gov

Dist. 11 Darren Jernigan - darren.jernigan@nashville.gov

Dist. 12 Jim Gotto - jim.gotto@nashville.gov

Dist. 13 Carl Burch - carl.burch@nashville.gov

Dist. 14 Bruce Stanley - bruce.stanley@nashville.gov

Dist. 15 Phil Claiborne - phil.claiborne@nashville.gov

Dist. 16 Anna Page - anna.page@nashville.gov

Dist. 17 Sandra Moore - sandra.moore@nashville.gov

Dist. 18 Keith Durbin - keith.durbin@nashville.gov

Dist. 19 Erica Gilmore -erica.gilmore@nashville.gov

Dist. 20 Buddy Baker - buddy.baker@nashville.gov

Dist. 21 Edith Langster - edith.langster@nashville.gov

Dist. 22 Eric Crafton - eric.crafton@nashville.gov

Dist. 23 Emily Evans - emily.evans@nashville.gov

Dist. 24 Jason Holleman - jason.holleman@nashville.gov

Dist. 25 Sean McGuire - sean.mcguire@nashville.gov

Dist. 26  Greg Adkins - greg.adkins@nashville.gov

Dist. 27 Randy Foster - randy.foster@nashville.gov

Dist. 28 Duane Dominy - duane.dominy@nashville.gov

Dist. 29 Vivian Wilhoite - vivian.wilhoite@nashville.gov

Dist. 30 Jim Hodge - jim.hodge@nashville.gov

Dist. 31 Parker Toler - parker.toler@nashville.gov

Dist. 32 Sam Coleman - sam.coleman@nashville.gov

Dist. 33 Rober Duvall - robert.duvall@nashville.gov

Dist. 34 Carter Todd - carter.todd@nashville.gov

Dist. 35 Bo Mitchell - bo.mitchell@nashville.gov

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To read the MTA Notice about the Public Hearings - Available only in PDF  To request information from MTA in alternative formats please call 862-5950 and ask to speak to the MTA’s ADA Coordinator.

IF you write to MTA or your Councilman please feel free to copy us at news@tndisability.org so that we know who is hearing from the public.  Thank you.

 

 

In the fall of 2006, Family Voices of Tennessee worked in collaboration with Title V (Children’s Special Services) to conduct a Children & Youth with Special Health Care Needs Comprehensive Survey.  Approximately 6,200 surveys were mailed out to families enrolled in Title V (Children’s Special Services), Family Voices of Tennessee database. The data were analyzed by the Vanderbilt School of Nursing under the direction of Dr. Melanie Lutenbacher, PhD, MSN, APRN.

Family Voices of Tennessee is scheduling Town Hall Meetings across the state to share what we have learned and to obtain reaction to the survey results.  Information from the Needs Survey and the town hall meetings may be used by Children’s Special Services, Family Voices, and others to direct policy, program, and advocacy efforts on behalf of families and children.

Please assist us by attending a Town Hall Meeting at a location near you.  We also ask that you share this information with families/caregivers of children with special health care needs and encourage their attendance as well.  

Family Voices of Tennessee looks forward to seeing you at a Town Hall Meeting!

 Schedule

West TN

Location:             Memphis Center for Independent Living

Date:                  May 23, 2008

Time:                  6:00-8:00 PM  

Address:             1633 Madison Avenue, Memphis TN 38104

 

Middle TN

Location:           Cookeville, Upper Cumberland Career Center

Date:                May 12, 2008

Time:                11:30-1:00 pm

Address:           3300 Williams Enterprise Drive, Cookeville TN 38506

 

Location:           Nashville Marriott Airport Hotel – Jackson Room

Date:                May 28, 2008

Time:                5:00-7:00 PM

Address:           600 Marriott Drive, Nashville TN  37214

In conjunction with the Tennessee Megaconference

 

East TN

Location:           Knoxville, Second Presbyterian Church, Fellowship Hall

Date:                May 13, 2008

Time:                6:00-8:00 PM

Address:           2829 Kingston Pike, Knoxville TN 37919                         

 

For more information or assistance contact

Julie Sullivan                              Donna Graham                                                 

Phone: 931-686-3353                 Phone: 423-552-8218

      Email: fvtn@tndisability.org        Email: familyvoices@tndisability.org             

 

Tags: children, Family Voices, survey, tennessee

2008 Federal TBI Program

Most Adapted Product Award

Project BRAIN — Virtual School

Tennessee Department of Health

The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Program is pleased to announce that the Health Resources and Services Administration grant project known as Project BRAIN was recognized for its Virtual School as the “most adapted product” at the annual Leadership Grantee meeting in Bethesda, Maryland, April 4, 2008.

Forty-nine states and territories received Federal TBI grants and many develop products which are shared on the collaboration space of the TBI Technical Assistance Center. Project BRAIN’s Virtual School has been the product most adapted by other states which include Georgia, Missouri and Massachusetts.

To correctly identify and appropriately serve students with traumatic brain injury, it is essential that school personnel receive training about brain injury and its effect on children and youth. Project BRAIN staff developed the interactive CD-ROM entitled Virtual School in 2002 and in 2004 made it available on the web.

The training was created using a teacher-oriented model rather than a medical model. The “school” consists of several “classrooms” containing information that is pertinent to school personnel working with students with brain injury. Participants enter the school and access different sections for information. For example, the Nurse’s Office contains general information about the causes and effects of TBI; the Classroom has information on how the effects of brain injury might manifest within the educational environment.

Several states have added the link to the Virtual School to their training websites. The Internet allows these states to bridge the distance to school personnel located throughout their state and provide them with practical, hands-on training available at all times.

Visit the Virtual School:

www.tndisability.org/brain/cd/index.php

Pictured Above: Jean Doster; Janie Martin Heppel, Director of the Federal TBI Program; and Paula Denslow of Project BRAIN with Award

Tags: Award, CD, Project Brain, Virtual School