June 15, 2023

We had a busy but exciting trip to Chattanooga and Knoxville last week. 

Our visits kicked off at the Southeast Point of Entry office where we joined staff in lunch and discussions about the TEIS Extended Option and IFSP teaming. Next, we joined Siskin and Signal Centers to answer questions and hear about how they are supporting children and families in East Tennessee.

We then headed to Knoxville where we visited our East Point of Entry office and our EIRA provider Sunshine Early Intervention.

DIDD’s application to receive funding from the federal government for Tennessee Early Intervention System for the fiscal year 2023 was posted on March 24, 2023 through May 23, 2023.  

The application indicated the expansion of our current TEIS Extended Option program for eligible children until the start of school following their 5th birthday. This is an expansion of the current TEIS Extended Option, which is available for eligible children until the start of school following their 4th birthday. This extension was included in Gov. Lee’s 2023-24 budget and approved by Tennessee's General Assembly, and is now pending final approval from the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). As noted in this application, DIDD has a target date of August 31, 2023 to submit our updated extended program policies to OSEP. We encourage everyone to stay up to date on our progress for the extended program through our Tri-Starts newsletter.    

The TEIS Extended Option Policy Statement and TEIS Extended Option Family Notification Document were posted on May 1, 2023 and will be available for viewing until July 3, 2023 on our website: www.tn.gov/didd/teis   

Click the following link to review the TEIS Extended Option Policy Statement: https://bit.ly/3HoqYwD    

Click the following link to review the TEIS Extended Option Family Notification Document: https://bit.ly/411lrDy   

We will hold three virtual public hearings to receive public comment. The first was held on May 18, 2023, and the second was on June 14, 2023. The information for the remaining public hearing can be found below.   

Monday, June 26, 2023   
3 to 3:30 p.m. CST   
Click here to join the meeting 

EIRA Agencies  

When completing invoices for payment each month, please ensure that you include the date the invoice was signed. The date of service does not serve as the date the invoice was signed.  

Vendor Agencies  

When completing claims for payment, please ensure that you include the date the claim was signed. The date of service does not serve as the date the invoice was signed. 

The deadline to submit budget revisions for this fiscal year is June 15, 2023.      

As we approach the end of the fiscal year, please be sure all invoices have been sent to TEIS.Invoices@tn.gov.  Invoices should be submitted no later than 60 days from the month of service. For example, April invoices should be submitted no later than June.   

The deadline to submit Annual Reports is September 30, 2023. A template for the annual report can be found here: https://bit.ly/3MfALXw. Information on what should be provided in the annual report can be found in your contract. 

The State of Tennessee will be conducting end-of-year procedures for fiscal year 2023 starting July 1, 2023. This is a customary year-end closing procedure. Starting July 1, 2023, any invoices for fiscal year 2023 will not be able to be processed for payment until mid- July 2023. Please read below for information specific to your contract type.  

Early Intervention Resource Agencies (EIRAs) and other contracts except vendors under contract #60327: Please submit your May and earlier invoices as soon as possible during the month of June. TEIS will attempt to get these in the payment process before payment processes are stopped on July 1. June invoices will be processed in July 2023 once payment processes resume. Please do not submit a partial invoice for June with a final to come at a later date. One invoice for June with all appropriate expenditures should be submitted no later than August 31, 2023.  

Vendors under contract #60327: Please continue to submit billing to the Fiscal Services Team using TEIS.Invoices@tn.gov. All billing will continue to be processed as normal. Agencies will receive an invoice report for May 1–31, 2023, and it is anticipated that payment should be made prior to payment processes being stopped. Agencies will also receive an invoice report for June 1-30, 2023; however, this invoice report will be delayed for processing until mid-July 2023.  

End-of-year processes should not affect invoices or invoice reports for July 2023. 

The next TEIS Provider Office Hours is Wednesday, July 12th at 11 a.m. Office Hours will include a presentation on the TEIS Extended Option for providers as well as time for pre-submitted questions. Pre-submit questions to Carly.Carlton@tn.gov by Monday, July 10th.   

Click here to join the meeting 

Check out our YouTube playlist of TEIS Professional Development videos here. 

Thanks to all who attended our Lunch and Learn last week! The slides from the presentation are below.  If you missed the training, watch the recording on our YouTube playlist linked above.

How to Identify Sensory Behaviors Slides and Handouts

Join us for our next Lunch and Learn: Motor Milestones and When to Do a “Shout Out” on June 21st from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST. Susan Anderson and Carrie Gross from LeBonheur Early Intervention and Development (LEAD) will provide an overview of the progression of motor milestones and how each one builds on the next. They will also discuss the importance of knowing when to reach out for support from other disciplines to address specific concerns-neurological, sensory, or equipment.  

Click here to join the meeting

Susan Anderson has been a physical therapist assistant (PTA) for 39 years, 35 of those years have been spent working in early intervention. Susan works for Le Bonheur Early Intervention and Development (LEAD) which provides early intervention using a transdisciplinary, routines-based approach. She has provided intervention in homes, daycares, and other intervention facilities.  She is also the Adaptive Equipment Specialist for Le Bonheur. She provides adaptive equipment support to LEAD, other Le Bonheur departments and other agencies in the community. She is also the Adaptive Equipment Specialist for the Le Bonheur Neuromuscular/CP Clinic. She has been a presenter for many years. She is a clinical instructor, guest lecturer and mentor for Southwest Tennessee Community College PTA program, University of Tennessee OT/PT program and the University of Memphis Biomedical Engineering program.

Carrie Gross is a physical therapist assistant (PTA) who has worked exclusively in early intervention for 27 years. Carrie works for LeBonheur Early Intervention and Development (LEAD) which provides early intervention using a transdisciplinary, routines-based approach. She provides physical therapy in natural environment settings mostly in rural county areas. She is a Certified Educator of Infant Massage (CEIM). She holds an Infant Mental Health Endorsement (IMH-E). She serves as a clinical instructor for Southwest Tennessee Community College PTA program. 

July's Lunch and Learn will focus on All Things Hearing: An Overview of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program. This informative session will provide an overview of the Newborn Hearing Follow-Up program and delve into the topic of hearing loss. Our esteemed presenters will include Holli Allen, the Newborn Hearing Follow-Up Program Director, Dr. Brittany Day, a Contracted Audiologist for the Newborn Hearing Follow-Up Program, and Charles Lechner, an Epidemiologist specializing in Newborn Hearing Follow-Up. 

During this Lunch and Learn, you will gain valuable insights into hearing loss diagnoses and learn about the specialized services required for children diagnosed with hearing loss. 

Holli Allen, B.A. is the Program Director for the Tennessee Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program. Her professional experience includes care coordination for families with special health care needs and federal grant management. Holli holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Tennessee at Martin and a graduate certification in Health Care Management from East Tennessee State University. 

Brittany Day, AuD, CCC-A is a pediatric audiologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and is the Audiology Consultant to the Tennessee EHDI program. Her clinical experience includes early hearing detection and intervention, electrophysiologic evaluation and management of medically complex infants and children, pediatric diagnostics and rehabilitation, and educational audiology. She previously directed the Inpatient Pediatric Audiology and Newborn Hearing Screening clinical programs at VUMC. Currently, she conducts research in the area of newborn hearing and is pursuing a Master of Public Health in Healthcare Management. Brittany volunteers as the Tennessee Professional Mentor for the Student Academy of Audiology State Ambassador Program and as Clinical Director of the Tennessee Special Olympics Healthy Hearing and Young Athlete Pediatric Screening programs. 

Charles Lechner joined the Newborn Hearing Follow Up Program within the TN Department of Health in February 2023 as an epidemiologist. Prior to this position, he was an Association of Public Health Laboratories Data Analytics Fellow stationed within the TN Newborn Screening Program for a year and a half. His background is in bioinformatics, and he is passionate about using technology and data to better the lives of others, especially within the fields of neonatology and pediatrics. 

We would like to express our gratitude to everyone who attended the webinar series with Dana Childress. Throughout the five-part series, we had a total of 982 attendees. We have compiled the data from the evaluation survey completed by the participants, which is provided below. 

Say hello to one of our providers in West Tennessee, Rehab at Your Place!

Rehab at Your Place has been a provider for TEIS since 2011, serving our largest district, Memphis Delta, which serves Shelby County. The 33 staff members strive to make therapy fun and exciting for children and their families so the children they serve can reach their potential in communicative, cognitive, social, and motor milestones.

In an effort to expand their staff’s ability to reach children and families in the many zip codes of Shelby County, Rehab at Your Place recently began seeing children for speech therapy in their clinic since it is centrally located.

“We have a passion for serving. Past and present leadership have both served in the community in various capacities as speech pathologists, educators, parents, and volunteers. We understand the needs of our community,” said Chrystal Lynn, EIRA director and Speech-Language Pathologist.

The small but mighty team at Rehab at Your Place is always looking to grow and open to hiring new therapists.

Mark your calendar for our next SICC meeting on Tuesday, July 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/2023/7/18/statewide-interagency-coordinating-council--sicc----july-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 July 12th. Sign up to speak here: https://stateoftennessee.formstack.com/forms/sicc_public_comment_form   

The best part of the inclusive playground? For some, it was all the bacon (There was no bacon.) and the zip line! We caught up with a couple of kids supported by the Katie Beckett program and their new friends at an inclusive playground and the verdict is in: They LOVE it! You heard it here, folks. Inclusive play is fun for everyone!

Help us spread the word about increasing the number of inclusive playgrounds across TN! DIDD is offering grants to government entities and nonprofit agencies to build more.

To learn more, visit: https://www.tn.gov/didd/for-consumers/inclusive-playground-and-facility-grant.html

This week, Tennessee celebrated 10 years of purpose, progress, and partnership in employing Tennesseans with disabilities. June 13th marked 10 years of Tennessee as an Employment First state! 
 
Several state agencies, disability service providers, and advocates are pausing to mark a decade of focused collaboration and success in expanding high-quality employment opportunities for people with disabilities in Tennessee. 
 
“Tennesseans with disabilities are making incredible contributions to our workforce and communities every day. The dedication, innovation, and partnership of the Employment First movement has shown the nation what’s possible with the right, person-centered supports,” said Brad Turner, Commissioner of the Departments of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD). “Our state will continue to lead the nation over the next 10 years as this work moves forward, blazing new pathways to competitive, integrated employment so that anyone who wants to work can find a job they enjoy.” 
 
We are so proud to be a part of a decade of Employment First efforts along with our partners: Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Tennessee Department of Human Services, Tennessee Department of Human Resources, Tennessee Department of Education, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, Tennessee Department of Health, Division of TennCare, Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities, The Arc Tennessee, Disability Rights Tennessee, and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. 
 
Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gHA4DHq4 

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.