Let’s coordinate, share ideas, and learn from our individual customer groups on how we can work together to better serve Tennessee’s low-income families.

As we enter the season of Thanksgiving, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to TDHS staff and our valued community partners for continuing to work to support Tennessee families during a time of uncertainty. Over the past month, many families across our state have faced significant challenges due to the prolonged government shutdown, and your unwavering dedication ensured they continued to receive the support and nutrition they needed.

With the federal government now reopened, our teams have acted quickly and diligently to begin issuing full SNAP benefits for November, and ensuring families have the TDHS services they need ahead of the holiday. This rapid response would not have been possible without your extra time, flexibility, and collective effort. Your service exemplifies the very best of Human Services.

As we move forward, please know how deeply appreciated your work is by our leadership team, by your colleagues, and most importantly, by the Tennesseans whose lives you impact every day. Thank you for your resilience, your teamwork, and your dedication to support our mission to strengthen Tennessee, by strengthening Tennesseans.

For more information regarding SNAP benefits for November, please review the latest information here: https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/news/2025/11/17/tdhs-begins-issuing-full-snap-benefits-for-tennessee-families-for-november-2025-.html.

TDHS recently announced that, following the end of the federal government shutdown, it received guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service to begin issuing full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for November 2025 beginning Monday, November 17.

USDA has directed states to return to using the traditional calculation tables that determine maximum SNAP payment amounts, allowing benefits to be issued at the normal amounts. As a result, Tennessee SNAP recipients who received a partial November benefit will receive the remainder of their November benefit amount.

What SNAP Recipients Can Expect:

Additionally, December SNAP benefits will be issued in full on customers’ normal date.

SNAP recipients can use the One DHS Customer Portal to view the latest case details at https://onedhs.tn.gov/csp.

SNAP customers can also use the ebtEDGE app or Cardholder Portal to check their benefit amounts by visiting https://www.fisglobal.com/ebtedgemobile to download the app or log into the Cardholder Portal at https://www.ebtedge.com/gov/portal/PortalHome.do.

For any additional information, customers are encouraged to visit the TDHS website here: https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/federal-shutdown.html.

TDHS will soon introduce Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) for the One DHS Customer Portal which provides customers with the capabilities to apply and access all TDHS programs and services in one convenient location.

Set to launch next month, MFA will strengthen account security for all customers applying for benefits online. Multi-factor Authentication is a trusted security measure used across many industries to protect accounts and personal information by adding a verification step to confirm a user’s identity before logging into their account.

Additional information and instructional videos regarding MFA will be made available soon to help customers prepare for this important update.

As the holiday season approaches, we urge you to check in on your neighbors, particularly vulnerable residents that may be susceptible to elder abuse.

The Adult Protective Services (APS) program investigates allegations of abuse, neglect, self-neglect, and financial exploitation of vulnerable adults. APS staff assess the need for protective services and connect individuals to services to reduce the identified risk to the adult.

Often times, people do not want to admit that they’re being abused, and the signs of elder abuse may not always be evident, making it imperative for friends, family members, caregivers, and community members to stay informed and recognize the warning signs. Elder abuse can take various forms, including physical, emotional, sexual, and financial abuse, as well as neglect and abandonment. Some common indicators of elder abuse include unexplained injuries, sudden changes in behavior or mood, withdrawal from usual activities, unexplained financial transactions, and poor personal hygiene.

We encourage all Tennesseans to actively engage in preventing and reporting elder abuse. Individuals can report suspected abuse by filling out an easy form using the One DHS Customer Portal or by calling our hotline 1-888-277-8366.

Deer season is in full swing across Tennessee, and not just for hunters. State troopers say it’s the time of year when drivers are most likely to encounter deer where they are not hunting them...in the middle of the highway.

November is historically the peak month for deer-related crashes in Tennessee. The Tennessee Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to slow down, stay alert, and watch for wildlife, especially in rural areas and at dawn and dusk.

In 2024, there were just over 8,000 deer-related crashes statewide, including 465 injury crashes and five fatalities. The majority, 7,571, involved property damage only.

By the Numbers (2024)

Top counties by Grand Division

Most of these crashes happen on rural roadways, where limited lighting and higher speeds make it harder to avoid collisions.

Safety Tips for Drivers

Drivers can view deer-crash data by county on the Department’s Deer-Involved Crashes Dashboard at: https://gis.safety.tn.gov/Maps/Public/DeerInvolvedCrashes/.

What: Parents and Partners Connect – Child Support

A virtual question and answer session with Child Support professionals from the Tennessee Department of Human Services. These online sessions are an opportunity for Tennessee parents to get answers about Child Support Services from TDHS with topics including services offered, case classifications, the parties involved in child support, the application processes, and problem-solving.

If you’re new to child support in Tennessee or have questions about related services, this is a great opportunity to ask questions with experts.

When: November 12, 11:00am – 12:00pm CT

Where: Online; Register Here

This Newsletter will be distributed on the last Wednesday of each month, and we kindly ask that all news be approved by leadership and submitted at least three weeks in advance.

Let’s coordinate, share ideas, and learn from our individual customer groups on how we can work together to better serve Tennessee’s low-income families.

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