It has been an exciting couple of weeks visiting TEIS providers and staff in the communities we serve! We began our tour by stopping by MTSU's HCBEI program in Murfreesboro and the Point of Entry staff in our South Central district. Next, we traveled to Jackson to see our Southwest Point of Entry office and the Therapy and Learning Center. Finally, on Friday, Commissioner Turner joined us for a visit to Kids Putnam in our Upper Cumberland district. We have enjoyed discussing how providers, staff, and families are working together to develop and implement individualized plans for TEIS children to ensure they reach their goals. 

The leadership team plans to visit with the Greater Nashville staff at the end of March, and then we are heading to the Northwest district soon after the 2023 BBP conference.

We look forward to continuing our visits across the state!

Group of people standing in front of white board smiling

Commissioner Brad Turner and TEIS leadership standing with Kids Putnam Director LaTonya Mott

south central office staff with TEIS leadership smiling

Southwest POE office staff standing together with TEIS leadership smiling

Vendor Claims

Vendors should follow the Billing and Timely Payment Policy to ensure payment for services. This policy can be found on the TEIS website under Information for Vendors & EIRAs and can also be accessed here.

All claims should be submitted to TEIS.Invoices@tn.gov.

TEIS does not utilize the Clearing Houses for claim processing. If you submit claims to the Clearing Houses, it will not be received by TEIS Billing and therefore, it will not be processed for payment.

Vendor Expansion

TEIS is looking for current providers who are interested in expanding services and service coverage areas. We are looking to increase capacity for services in all counties across the state.  If you are an EIRA with interest in adding therapy services or if you are a current vendor who is ready to expand and hire additional therapists, we want to talk to you! Contact Beth Hailey at Beth.Hailey@tn.gov for more information.

Early Intervention Lunch and Learns

Our next Lunch and Learn will be on March 22nd from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m. CST.

Alison Clougherty, Executive Director of Programs and Development for Blind Early Services TN (BEST) will present on BEST Practice: Tools You Can Use to Support Families of Children with a Vision Impairment.

Alison Clougherty is a Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) and the Executive Director of Programs & Development for Blind Early Services TN (BEST) which she co-founded in 2020. BEST serves as both an EIRA and vendor, providing developmental therapy and vision services for TEIS families. Alison holds an undergraduate degree in Psychology with a focus in Early Childhood Development, a master’s degree in Education Leadership and Policy, and a second master’s degree in science as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired. Alison is also the mother of a young child who is completely blind which led to her mission to support and help ensure the BEST outcomes for other families and children like her own.

Join here: https://bit.ly/3YyFRTO

It’s a Balance: Supporting Caregiver & Child Learning during (and between!) Early Intervention Visits Series

Thank you to all who attended the first webinar, Fundamentals of Early Intervention Practice! If you missed the webinar, the link to the handout and recording can be found below.

Professional Development Fundamentals of Early Intervention Recording
Session 1 Handout - Fundamentals of EI_TEIS_Childress

Don't forget! The next webinar of the series is March 23rd! Handouts for the session are provided below.

This series is designed to build awareness and bring a balanced perspective to early intervention practice that facilitates learning for both caregivers and children during visits. These sessions will also include opportunities for participants to reflect on their practices, practice using specific strategies between sessions, and learn from others during interactive chat conversations that engage participants during each webinar.

Statewide Early Intervention Service Providers, Service Coordinators, and TEIS leaders are welcome.

Click the title to join.

Early Intervention Adult Learning Principles for Supporting Caregiver Learning
March 23rd from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST

Session 2 Handout - 6 EI Adult Learning Principles
Self-Assessment - How Are You Supporting Adult Learning during Balanced Intervention Sessions

Gathering Meaningful Information from Families to Guide Early Intervention
April 20th from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST

Writing Functional IFSP Outcomes: A How-To Guide
May 11th from 11 to 12:30 p.m. CST

Steps & Strategies for Conducting Balanced EI Visits: Time to Reflect
May 25th from 11 to 12:30 p.m. CST

Dana is facilitating 5 interactive webinars encouraging frequent engagement with and among participants using chat and Teams. Each webinar will stand alone but concepts also build on each other as participants gain a deeper understanding of how to support caregiver and child learning during and between intervention visits. She will provide a note-taking handout with key points from each session and a self-assessment or checklist on each topic to be shared with participants before each session.

Woman with blonde curly hair. S0he has on clear framed glasses and is wearing a white shirt. Text: It's a balance: supporting caregiver & child learning during (and between!) early intervention visits with Dana Childress.

TEIS Provider Office Hours

The next TEIS Provider Office Hours is Wednesday, April 5th at 10:30 a.m. Please pre-submit questions to Carly.Carlton@tn.gov by 12 p.m. on Friday, March 31st.

Click the following link to join: https://bit.ly/3J0ZsXm

Kids Putnam, Inc.

Kids Putnam has provided services for TEIS families in the Upper Cumberland district for over 30 years. Their vision is to provide safe and affordable, high-quality childcare and developmental therapies within their center and in natural home environments across the rural community of Upper Cumberland. Kids Putnam believes caregivers are a child’s first teacher, and they strive to support families and as children to reach their goals. Kids Putnam empowers caregivers with the ability and confidence to provide their children and families with a bright tomorrow. 

In addition, Kids Putnam partners with local school systems to provide needed services for children after the age of four, both at home and within their center, which is an inclusion-based learning.

collage of pictures of Kids Putnam staff

Statewide Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC)

Don't forget to mark your calendar for our next SICC meeting on Tuesday, April 18th! The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at DIDD's Middle TN Regional Office. This meeting is open to the public, space permitting. More meeting information can be found here: https://www.tn.gov/didd/events/2023/4/18/statewide-interagency-coordinating-council--sicc----april-18--2023.html

If you would like to make a public comment during the meeting, please sign up online no later than 4 p.m. CST on January 20th. Sign up to speak here: https://stateoftennessee.formstack.com/forms/sicc_public_comment_form

TEIS Staff Learn about Seating and Position Clinics

Knowledge is power!  TEIS staff visited the Middle Regional Seating and Positioning Clinic earlier this month to learn more about the work they do and the customized equipment made onsite to support people with varying abilities.

Did you know each of the regional clinics are staffed with physical and occupational therapists who have specialized expertise in evaluating individuals who have complex seating and positioning needs? DIDD also has two mobile clinics and a team of Therapeutic Equipment Workers at each location who are skilled in creating the custom equipment!

To learn more about our Seating and Position Clinics, visit: https://www.tn.gov/didd/for-consumers/seating-and-positioning.html

BEST Practice: Tools You Can Use to Support Families of Children with a Vision Impairment: March 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST
Early Intervention Adult Learning Principles for Supporting Caregiver Learning: March 23 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST
TEIS Provider Office Hours: April 5 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. CST
Statewide Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC): April 18 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. CST

Do you have a story you would like to share with the TEIS community? Send your newsletter ideas to Carly Carlton at Carly.Carlton@tn.gov.

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