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.

I am excited to announce that we have launched the Summer EBT program to ensure that school aged children have access to needed food benefits while school is out.

Summer EBT is a supplemental nutrition benefit program that provides families $120 for each eligible school-aged child to buy groceries when school is out. Most families will get these benefits automatically if their child is enrolled in the National School Lunch Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Families First (TANF), and/or TennCare, but some parents will need to apply. The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) will distribute Summer EBT benefits based on records provided by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE), school districts, and through funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service.

At TDHS, it is our mission to ensure that all families, regardless of their circumstances, can enjoy a worry-free summer knowing that their children will have access to nutritious meals, ensuring they can thrive and make the most out of their time while away from school. In addition to the Summer EBT program, we also have the Summer Food Service Program that helps to provide free meals at various meal sites across the state for children in low-income areas during summer months.  Our goal is that no child in Tennessee goes hungry. For more information on either of our summer food programs, please visit the website for the Summer EBT Program or the  Summer Food Service Program.

I hope everyone enjoys some relaxing time off and has a wonderful summer break!

The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) fatherhood grant program is a significant investment in the health and well-being of Tennessee society. Through this program, TDHS seeks to collaborate with public, private, and non-profit organizations to promote fatherhood and provide the necessary support to empower fathers.

The grant program will provide funding to organizations to support projects to advance the essential role of fathers in Tennessee society. Broadly, TDHS seeks to fund grants that directly invest into services for fathers. Intended grant recipients are on-the-ground service delivery providers with previous experience providing fatherhood or related programming to communities.

Specific eligibility criteria will be provided for the grant; however, generally, interested organizations should have a mission or intended output of benefitting and improving outcomes for fathers and families.  

If you are interested in applying for this grant opportunity, applications will be accepted until Sunday, June 30, 2024 at 5:00 PM Central Time. More detail, including an application instructional video and templates are available on the Tennessee Department of Human Services website.

In partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education, the Tennessee Department of Human Services has launched the Summer EBT Program for the 2023-24 academic school year.

Summer EBT is a new supplemental nutrition benefit program that provides families $120 for each eligible school-aged child to buy groceries when school is out. Eligible students will receive Summer EBT benefits beginning June 14, 2024. Most families will get these benefits automatically if their child is enrolled in the National School Lunch Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Families First (TANF), and/or TennCare, but some parents will need to apply. The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) will distribute Summer EBT benefits based on records provided by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE), school districts, and through funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service.

Summer EBT Eligibility

Students K-12 are eligible to receive benefits for the Summer 2024 if they attended school for the 2023-24 academic school year in person and:

Summer EBT application is required for families who are not automatically enrolled but attended a NSLP-participating school during the 2023-24 school year. The application can be completed using the Summer EBT Parent Portal at https://onedhs.tn.gov. Benefit approval will be based on income guidelines.

Families will receive a one-time lump sum of $120 per eligible child in Summer EBT benefits.

Summer EBT benefits will be provided on an EBT card and can be used to buy groceries after the card has been activated. The new Summer EBT card will be mailed to the eligible child’s home based on current school records. 

Parents can log in to the Summer EBT Parent Portal at https://onedhs.tn.gov to view Summer EBT benefits, link their child(ren), verify or change address, and sign up to receive text message notifications.

If a parent or guardian has questions that are not answered through the Summer EBT website or Summer EBT Parent Portal, they may call One DHS Customer Service at 833-772-TDHS (8347) for assistance.

In response to the early May issuance payment that occurred on April 20, 2024, TDHS recently announced that June 2024 benefits will be split into two payments for customers who received their May benefits early and participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This is a one-time schedule adjustment for June benefits only to ensure Tennessee families receive necessary assistance following the early issuance payment for May benefits.

The first benefit distribution for June benefits was May 24, 2024. The second benefit distribution will take place in June on the standard monthly distribution date. 

Regular deposit schedules will resume in July 2024. Customers are encouraged to check their EBT card balance by calling 888-997-9444 or accessing the One DHS Customer portal at https://onedhs.tn.gov/csp. Valuable resources on budgeting and meal planning can also be found here: https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/resources/nutrition-education-materials/meal-planning-shopping-and-budgeting)

For additional information on the SNAP program, please visit: https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/for-families/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-snap.html.

Middle and high school are a critical time for developing social skills, self-advocacy, and the groundwork for employment and, life after high school and independence made possible through employment. The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) Vocational Rehabilitation Services is dedicated to helping students with disabilities across the state find employment success, wellness, and independence by offering Pre-Employment (PREP) Summer Camps to students with disabilities in secondary school between the ages of 14-22. Vocational Rehabilitation Services will offer PREP camps across the state and will include training and experience in the following areas:

Camp details are below:

Maury County Camp

When: June 3-7 9:00 am - 2:00 pm EST
Where: Columbia Central High School  
921 Lion Parkway
Columbia, TN 38401

Grundy County Camp

When: June 3-7, 2024 9:00 am - 1:00 pm CST
Where: Grundy County High School
24970 TN-108
Coalmont, TN 37313

Hamilton County Camp

When: June 10-14, 2024 10:00 am - 2:00 pm EST; June 17-21, 2024 10:00 am - 2:00 pm EST
Where: Eastgate Town Center
5600 Brainerd Road
Chattanooga, TN 37411

To review more information on camp availability, please visit the links below: Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) and/or Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Visit the TDHS event calendar to learn more. 

TDHS is here to ensure every Tennessean has the tools they need to become financially stable. Many of our programs provide benefits based on documented need and some programs utilize Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Cards to deliver food or cash benefits. Unfortunately, some criminals are willing to steal benefits meant to help families on their way to financial stability. Unfortunately, some criminals are willing to steal benefits meant to help families on their way to financial stability.

Common Types of Benefit Theft and Fraud

Customers can file for replacement requests within the One DHS Customer Portal at OneDHS.tn.gov. Customers that cannot access the online portal to submit a request can retrieve a paper form at their local TDHS office.

For more information on replacement benefits related to fraud, please visit https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/need-help-/tdhs-fraud.html.

DIDD Announces Grant Opportunity to Create Respite Ministries – Deadline June 14th

The Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) recently announced new funding aimed at creating and expanding the availability of respite within faith-based communities and community nonprofits.

The department is providing up to $25,000 in one-time funding to faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations with the purpose of creating respite ministries or programs that provide people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families with a safe place of rest. 

An example of faith-based respite includes providing a church activity with trained staff for people with disabilities so that parents can enjoy a night out. The grant is designed to provide flexibility to applying organizations to build a respite plan that meets the needs of their community. 

More information and the application process can be found here: http://tn.gov/didd/for-consumers/respite-ministries-grant.html

The Tennessee Investments Preparing Scholars (TIPS) program was created to encourage families of qualifying income levels to save for the growing costs associated with post-secondary education.

You want your kids to go to college. Find out how TIPS can help you get them there. Parents want to save and invest in their child’s future, but getting started can be the hardest part. The Tennessee Department of Treasury created a program to help. Tennessee Investments Preparing Scholars (TIPS) is a 4-to-1 matching grant program encouraging families that meet the income requirements to save for the future cost of college. That’s $100 for every $25 contributed by the account holder. Beneficiaries can receive a match of $500 per year, with a lifetime maximum match of $1,500.

For more information, please visit: https://treasury.tn.gov/Services/For-All-Tennesseans/College-Savings/TIPS-Program

What: Franklin County Community Job Fair    

The Division of Rehabilitation Services  is hosting a Job Fair to connect job seekers with disabilities and other community members with employers and businesses who are ready to hire.

When: June 4, 2024 10am-2pm CST

Where: Franklin County Annex Community Room
855 Dinah Shroud Boulevard Winchester, TN 37398

Click Here for More Info

What: Putnam County Job Club    

Job Club is an opportunity for job seekers with disabilities to share experiences and build job-ready skills on their way to competitive employment. The Division of Rehabilitation Services  (DRS) and its Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program organize and host Job Club events at no cost to Tennessee workers with disabilities.

VR staff work with participants on job search tactics, employment planning, and related topics during each meeting. Job Club sessions are also a great opportunity for Tennessee workers with disabilities to explore the Vocational Rehabilitation program and start the referral process.

When: June 4, 2024 10am-11am CST

Where: Community Tennessee Rehabilitation Center
955 E. 20th Street Cookeville, TN 38501

Click Here for More Info

What: Transition Tuesday   

The Transition Services Team is hosting a series of virtual presentations to help students who are deafblind and other adolescents with disabilities. These sessions will focus on resources and options for life after high school. Students with disabilities, parents, providers, and advocates are invited to join and bring questions to these virtual sessions happening on the first Tuesday of each month between February 2024 and January 2025.  

When: June 4, 2024 3:30pm-4:30pm CST

Where: Available Online

What: Computer Literacy Workshop

The Division of Rehabilitation Services is partnering with the American Job Center to help Hamilton County residents learn basic computer skills. Community members are invited to attend one-hour workshops held on the third Wednesday of the month.

When: June 19, 2024 at 10am-11am

Where: American Job Center
5600 Brainerd Road Suite A-5 Chattanooga, TN 37411

Click Here for More Info

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 by the TDHS, 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: June 26, 2024 11:30am-12:30pm CST

Where: Online; Register Here

At TDHS, we are consistently looking for dedicated and enthusiastic individuals who are eager to make a meaningful difference in our state. If you are interested in joining our team, please review new career opportunities on our website.

Detailed listings on all open positions (Preferred and Executive Service) can be found at https://www.tn.gov/careers/apply-here.html. Preferred Service job postings through the Tennessee Department of Human Resources (DOHR) open on Thursday and close on the following Wednesday evening at 11:59 pm CST, depending on the length of the requisition.

Operations

DHS Program Director 4 (Technology Operations Coordinator)
Davidson County - 58278 (Closing Date 6/17/2024)

Director of Operations - Research and Analytics
Davidson County  - 58263 (Closing Date 6/17/2024)

 

Child Care and Community Services

APS Intake Counselor 2*
Montgomery County – 58183 (Closing Date 6/10/2024)

 

Child Support

Administrative Assistant 2
Davidson County –58365 (Division Promotional) (Closing Date 6/3/2024)

 

Family Assistance

Eligibility Assistant
Fentress County – 58182 (Closing Date 6/3/2024)
Hardeman County – 57993 (Closing Date 6/3/2024)
Knox County – 57990 (Closing Date 6/3/2024)

Eligibility Counselor 1*
Henderson County – 58275 (Closing Date 6/10/2024)
Hickman County – 58206 (Closing Date 6/10/2024)
Putnam County – 58282 (Closing Date 6/17/2024)
Roane County – 58283 (Closing Date 6/10/2024)
Sevier County – 58281 (3) (Closing Date 6/17/2024)
Sullivan County – 58276 (2) (Closing Date 6/10/2024)
Davidson County – 57991 (Closing Date 6/3/2024)

 

Rehabilitation Services

Vocational Rehabilitation Business Employment Consultant
Rutherford County – 58299 (Closing Date 6/3/2024)

Vocational Rehabilitation Career Training Coordinator
Maury County – 57954 (Closing Date 6/3/2024)

Vocational Rehabilitation Career Training Specialist
Carter County – 58307 (Closing Date 6/3/2024)

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor - Masters
Obion County – 58137 (Closing Date 6/10/2024)

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor – Masters
Davidson County – 57949 (Closing Date 6/3/2024)

Vocational Rehabilitation Support Coordinator
Knox County – 58360 (Closing Date 6/10/2024)

Everyone can be a recruiter! Please help us by tapping into your network of talented friends, family and associates.

NOTE: You may now find TDHS jobs also posted on the TDHS LinkedIn page

Tennessee Department of Human Services: Overview | LinkedIn

Please encourage your friends and colleagues to visit our site for opportunities at TDHS.

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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