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.

Happy New Year! I hope the year is off to a great start for everyone. At TDHS, we have already hit the ground running, starting the year with recruiting new talent, implementing fresh ideas and innovation to enhance our service delivery, while also creating opportunities to establish new community partnerships that help us achieve our mission to strengthen Tennessee by strengthening Tennesseans.

This year, we are especially focused on fostering collaboration and embracing solutions that address the unique challenges facing our communities. Whether through expanding access to resources, empowering individuals to reach their full potential, or building stronger partnerships with organizations that share our vision, we are committed to creating a brighter future for all Tennesseans.

At TDHS, we remain dedicated to making continuous improvements to better serve our customers, and we look forward to a productive year driven by forward momentum and a shared commitment to positively impact the lives of vulnerable Tennesseans across our state.

TDHS Commissioner Clarence H. Carter talks with CEO Magazine about his tenure in Human Services and his mission to transform Tennessee’s safety net. With over 30 years of experience, Commissioner Carter has dedicated his career to helping the most vulnerable populations in the United States live better lives. In the interview, he discusses his vision for TDHS, the challenges and opportunities in strengthening the state’s support systems, and his commitment to empowering individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency.

Please review the full interview here: https://www.theceomagazine.com/executive-interviews/government-defence/man-of-the-people-clarence-h-carter/

The deadline for replacing stolen SNAP benefits has ended. As of January 20, TDHS will not be able to reimburse customers for benefits lost due to skimming, cloning, and similar fraud. This is due to Congress’s decision not to reauthorize the program beyond December 20, 2024.

To further support customers and protect their benefits and personal information, TDHS strongly recommends customers change their pin regularly and check their balance often. TDHS also recently launched new tools for EBT cardholders through the ebtEDGE cardholder website and mobile apps to better protect customers’ account(s) and benefits. This new app gives customers more control of their cards through new security features including PIN changes, the ability to freeze cards when not in use, blocking of out-of-state transactions, and other card management features. The ebtEDGE mobile app allows customers to log-in securely using touch ID or facial recognition instead of entering a user ID and password. The ebtEdge mobile app is available from the Apple App Store for iPhone and the Google Play Store for Android devices.

For more information, please visit: https://www.fisglobal.com/ebtedgemobile.

Did you Know TDHS offers vocational training and education for students with disabilities at the Tennessee Rehabilitation Center (TRC) in Smyrna? TRC-Smyrna is a training center that provides career and technical education to prepare individuals with disabilities for greater independence and competitive integrated employment in their local communities. In addition to comprehensive vocational evaluation, TRC-Smyrna provides vocational skills training in several Areas of Study and offers additional enhancement courses as needed to support individual students’ educational goals.  Students who attend TRC-Smyrna participate in classroom instruction, hands-on-training, and campus life activities. To learn more, please review the recent interview below with Beth Dunahee, Superintendent of TRC-Smyrna, conducted by Mainstreet Media. 

Link to interview: https://www.youtube.com/live/erQEJUFm3_s

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) helps families who make less than $76,000 get the tax credits they deserve without the fees. You can file in-person, virtually, or do-it-yourself all for free. VITA is a program of United Way of Greater Nashville in partnership with the IRS. Each year, VITA volunteers help thousands of individuals and families prepare their taxes in middle Tennessee. They provide in-person locations in 8 counties and virtual options for the state of Tennessee.

During the 2023 tax season, United Way and the VITA free tax prep program completed 9,712 tax returns, helped taxpayers save $2.6 million in tax preparation fees and brought $10.3 million in federal refunds back to the community.

For more information, please visit VITA Free Tax Prep to learn more.

What: Career Readiness Workshop in Moore County

College students with disabilities are invited to a FREE Career Readiness Workshop hosted by the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program at the Tennessee Department of Human Services. The VR program is here to help job seekers with disabilities achieve employment success. Workshop topics will include: resume writing, job applications, job interviews, job search, job accommodations, and much more.

 

When: February 20, 2025, 11am Central Time

Where: Forrester Student Center Motlow State Community College - Tullahoma Campus

Jack Daniels Dining Room 

6015 Ledford Mill Rd. Tullahoma, TN 37388

What: Statewide Independent Living Quarterly Meeting

The purpose of the meeting will be to review the Division of Rehabilitation Services, Centers for Independent Living and Statewide Independent Living Council’s responsibility under Title VII, relating to promoting a philosophy of independent living to maximize the leadership, empowerment, independence, and productivity of individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014. The SILC is required to hold regularly scheduled meetings that are open to the public. Click here for more info.

 

When: February 21, 2025, 10am -1pm Central Time

Where: Comfort Suites - Jackson I-40
61 Casey Jones Ln, Jackson, TN 38305

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.

Executive Service

Rehabilitation Services

DHS Program Director 3
Statewide – 64589 (Closing Date 2/3/2025)

 

Contract

Rehabilitation Services

Medical Consultant
Statewide – (5) (Closing Date: Until Filled)

 

Preferred Service

Child Care and Community Services

DHS Licensing Consultant 1*
Davidson County – 64725 (3) (Closing Date 2/3/2025)

 

Child Support

DHS Program Specialist
Maury County – 64727 (Closing Date 2/3/2025)

 

Family Assistance

Eligibility Assistant
Davidson County – 64736 (Closing Date 2/3/2025)

 

Eligibility Counselor 1*
Johnson County – 64729 (Closing Date 2/3/2025)
Shelby County – 64719 (7) (Closing Date 2/3/2025)

 

Rehabilitation Services

DHS Campus Life Assistant
Rutherford County – 64735 (Closing Date 2/3/2025)

 

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor – Masters
Davidson County – 64713 (Closing Date 2/3/2025)

 

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.

The TDHS Summer Food Service Program hosted the annual Summer Summit on January 15th bringing together the Tennessee Department of Human Services, Tennessee Department of Education, United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, food program sponsors, community organizations, and national, state, and local thought leaders on food insecurity and food access.

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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