Resources from our Community Partners

Broadband access is more important than ever as many Tennesseans have been instructed to stay home from work and school as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Accessibility is critical to meet our needs for education, telemedicine, telecommuting, and overall quality of life. You will find resources to help navigate through this uncertain time.

If you are covering the cost of a COVID-19 funeral, FEMA may be able to help. You may qualify for up to $9,000 per funeral for expenses. Call 844-684-6333; Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Multilingual services are available. If you use a relay service, please provide FEMA with the specific number assigned to you for the service so we can follow up with you about your application.

RCORP-ETC has put together a list of COVID-19 resources available in our area.

Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services is aware that children and families across the state may need additional support during this unprecedented and challenging time. As always, our priority is ensuring the safety, permanency and well-being of children by building strong, healthy and empowered families. You can help achieve this goal by looking out for the children and families in your community. If you identify a family that may need assistance, reach out with a helping hand to link them to important resources found in this guide.

Seniors and Tennesseans with disabilities (over the age of 18) can now get a free COVID-19 vaccine in their own home! The preferred way to refer someone who wants a vaccine to this program is for a trusted organization to input their information on the online form provided at here. However, the individual can also complete the form on their own and simply include the name of the referring organization in the space provided. Please find more information at here.

During the COVID-19 crisis, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is leading efforts to ensure that prevention, treatment, recovery support services, and safe and effective pain management remain available nationwide.

Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA)'s Rent Relief Call Center is now live and available to help individuals with questions regarding the COVID-19 Rent Relief program, eligibility, needed documentation, etc. 

844-500-1112       Hours: Monday- Saturday, 8am-8pm (central time)

Please find the THDA COVID-19 Rent Relief application portal here. Tenants in Davidson, Knox, Rutherford, and Shelby County/Memphis will NOT BE ELIGIBLE for THDA funds and will need to contact their local government for more information on local rent relief programs.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is partnering with the U.S. Department of Treasury to encourage tenants and landlords to take advantage of emergency rental assistance available through the American Rescue Plan Act. The rental assistance will help cover rent, utilities, and other housing costs to keep residents in their homes. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has a new website (consumerfinance.gov/renthelp) that allows renters and landlords to find information on rental assistance in their area. Please find the flyer at here.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has released a list of training and technical assistance related to COVID-19.

COVID-19 Emotional Support Line is now open to Tennessee healthcare workers and educators. Please find more information at here.

Call: 888-642-7886  Hours: 7am-11 pm ET

Please read the policy brief that was developed by the Weitzman Institute. It looks at how the health, social, and economic impact of COVID-19 will result in an increase in ACEs, especially in our most vulnerable populations, and discusses the public health responses needed to effectively address ACEs in our communities. 

USDA and its Federal partners have programs that can be used to provide immediate and long-term assistance to rural communities affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The UT Extension team has developed many resources to help the citizens of Tennessee and beyond as we navigate the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. From families to farmers, UT Extension has resources available. Find them here.

Invest in your future with a scholarship from the National Health Service Corps. The 2022 National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program (NHSC SP) will soon begin accepting applications from health professional students studying to become physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives or physician assistants. The NHSC Scholarship Program participants agree to provide a one year service commitment in an underserved community for each year of scholarship support received. There is a two year minimum service commitment and participants can receive a maximum of four years of support. For additional information, visit the NHSC Scholarship Program website. 

First founded as the Knox County Council of the Boy Scouts of America in 1915, today’s Great Smoky Mountain Council serves more than 10,000 young people annually across 21 counties, creating a resounding positive impact on East Tennessee. Scouting is a year-round program so youth can join anytime. Please find more interesting programs at here. 

NIDA is excited to announce the newest Kahoot! quiz, Coping With Stress. This quiz aims to help youth understand how acute stress affects their bodies, how it differs from constant (or chronic) stress, and learn strategies to support their mental and emotional health. NIDA also offers the National Drug & Alcohol IQ Challenge on Kahoot. Both quizzes are great activity options for your class or group and beyond! Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform used in schools and universities. Play NIDA's Kahoots.

The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids is hosting live online gatherings for parents with children who are experimenting with or dependent on substances. Learn ways to talk with your child so they listen, establish healthy limits and consequences, and practice self-care. These sessions are hosted by specially trained parent coaches and are a great resource for families in these uncertain times. Sessions are hosted on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays 8-9pm EST, and Saturdays 11-12pm EST.

Knox County Schools last day is May 25, 2022, which will be a half-day. There are several types of summer programs available for children. Please find a list of programs and resources here.

Aunt Bertha powers findhelp.org, a free online platform that allows anyone to find and connect with local free and reduced-cost programs. Through the extraordinary efforts of local community organizations, findhelp.org makes it easy for Tennessee residents to find programs that help them stay in their homes, feed their families, and assist with other needs like employment, education, childcare, and more. Just enter your ZIP code and select the type of service you’re looking for. 

Centro Hispano is a welcoming community center and serves as a resource and gathering place for families of all backgrounds to feel like they are an integral part of Tennessee. Centro Hispano promotes empowerment and civic participation through education, workforce development, youth and family engagement, and community-strengthening initiatives. Please find the resources and programs here.

Tennessee has a network of centers across the state, simultaneously servicing both employers and job seekers alike. Companies find ideal workers while candidates receive vital career information and services. This document includes contact information and hours of operation for the American Job Centers throughout East Tennessee. Please find the August 2022 job event calendar here. Please find the services in Union County.

Worthy Women Ministry provides Supportive Housing. This is a Sober Living Home. Each home right now will have a four member cap. The deposit is $150.00 and monthly rent is $600.00 which includes internet, utilities, washer & dryer, life skills and assistance with obtaining a better employment if needed. This is Transitional Housing. For additional information, please see this flyer or email info@worhtywomenministry.org.

Goodwill Industries-Knoxville is a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing lives and strengthening families by helping people reach their full potential through community-relevant job training, work experience, and career services. For questions, please call 865-588-8567 or email goodjobs@gwiktn.org. Here is the meeting Zoom link. Please find the certified nurse assistant class schedule here. 

The Knoxville Area Urban League, an affiliate of the National Urban League, is dedicated to empowering communities and changing lives. The START SMART program provides services to individuals in Knox, Anderson, and Blount counties to fill the gap between the skills employers want and the skills job seekers need. The RISE reentry program (RISE Program) is ready to prepare justice involved individuals to reenter the workforce. Please find more information at here. Computer lab hours are Mondays (1:00pm-3:30pm) and Thursdays (10:00am-12:30pm) by appointment only. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Urban League is open to the public by appointment only. Masks required. For assistance and to make appointments, please reach out via phone at 865-524-5511 or e-mail at info@thekaul.org.

The mission of the New Opportunity School for Women at Lees-McRae College is to improve the educational, financial, and personal circumstances of low-income women—usually between the ages of 30-55—who live in or hail from the Southern Appalachian region. The curriculum is designed to foster skills that will help them approach life and work from diverse perspectives. Please find more information here.

Skill Up Tennessee is UT Extension’s SNAP Employment and Training program. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment & Training (SNAP E&T) is a partnership between the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and states to provide training and employment services to eligible SNAP participants. The purpose of the program is to assist eligible SNAP participants in gaining skills, training, work or experience that will increase their ability to obtain regular employment. The ultimate goal is self-sufficiency. In Tennessee, the program is administered by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development through a partnership with the Tennessee Department of Human Services. UT Extension provides Skill Up Tennessee as a SNAP E&T partner. Please find more information and check your eligibility here.

Please see the Power Point presentation by Attorney Mary Gillum from The Tennessee Taxpayer Project, a Low Income Tax Clinic of Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands. This presentation includes the scope of their free services with taxation issues, information on Child Tax Credits (CTC), Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) eligibility, Recovery Rebates Credit (RRC), and much more. Plus what is new for the 2021 tax year. 

IRS Certified Volunteers provide free and confidential tax assistance through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for persons with low-to-moderate annual income. VITA operates just like any professional tax preparation business. Since they are a certified, trained volunteer-based operation, they don’t charge fees for the services. All taxes will be done by appointment, no walk ups will be accepted. The LT Ross VITA free income tax site is now taking calls for appointments: 865-244-3086. Please find the program flyer 1, flyer 2, and flyer 3 with more information. 

Choice Health Network’s Harm Reduction program uses practical strategies to reduce the negative consequences associated with drug use and improve overall health and wellness. This includes the distribution of naloxone.

Choice Health Network started to provide weekly harm reduction services in Cocke County. Please find day, time, and location from here. 

The National Harm Reduction Coalition aims to connect people who use drugs to resources and community to thrive. You may find local harm reduction supplies from here. 

Claiborne County Live Free Syringe Services Program is ready to serve communities. They provide services including one-to-one needle exchanges, sterile injection supplies, hepatitis C screening and treatment referrals on Tuesdays 4pm-5:30pm ET at 1216 Cedar Fork Rd. Tazewell, TN, 37879. Please find the flyer at here.

Metro Drug Coalition (MDC) is a nonprofit organization striving to create a healthy and safe community, free of substance misuse. MDC served the Knoxville community for over 34 years. MDC provides primary prevention, harm reduction, and recovery support. Please find more information here. Contact Jessica Stanley at jstanley@metrodrug.org or 865-440-5598 for questions.

The NaloxoFind app allows anyone to identify and locate available naloxone within a two mile radius and to communicate directly with those carrying this life-saving drug. This free app also allows first responders and good Samaritans to register as naloxone carriers, making them reachable by NaloxoFind App users in emergency situations.

Regional Overdose Prevention Specialists (ROPS) are located throughout the state of Tennessee as a point of contact for training and education on opioid overdose and for overdose prevention through the distribution of naloxone.

ASAP of Anderson is responsible for Naloxone training, branded as TN Save a Life Training, for Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Grainger, Morgan, Roane, Scott, and Union Counties in Tennessee. Trainings are conducted by Regional Overdose Prevention Specialists or (R.O.P.S.). If you are located in one of these counties and are interested in a training, please follow the links below or contact Catherine at catherine@asapofanderson.org. If you are located in a different county in the region, review the map below to find your local R.O.P.S. For more information about Naloxone or the Good Samaritan Law, visit TN Dept of Health.

Please find the guides that were developed by the Department of Health & Human Services on how to support older youth with foster care experience through co-regulation for caring adults, child welfare professionals, foster families, and kinship caregivers. 

The Association of Infant Mental Health Tennessee (AIMHiTN) fosters healthy social and emotional development of infants and young children through learning and collaboration among families, caregivers, providers, educators, agencies, and systems. Click on the map to see the resources (social services, mental health, and early childhood) available in each county.

The Mental Health Association of East Tennessee is dedicated to educating the community about mental health issues, including the signs and symptoms of mental illness. An ardent advocate on behalf of those who sometimes are not able to advocate for themselves, the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee works to improve the mental health system in our communities for those who need mental health care today or ten years from now.

Funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the MHTTC Network includes 10 Regional Centers, a National American Indian and Alaska Native Center, a National Hispanic and Latino Center, and a Network Coordinating Office. The purpose of the MHTTC Network is technology transfer - disseminating and implementing evidence-based practices for mental disorders into the field. The collaborative network supports resource development and dissemination, training and technical assistance, and workforce development for the mental health field. Please find more information and activities at the Southeast MHTTC website here.

Like any other health crisis, it's important to address a mental health emergency quickly and effectively. This guide outlines what can contribute to a crisis, warning signs that a crisis is emerging, strategies to help de-escalate a crisis, available resources and so much more. 

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has released a resource directory related to suicide prevention in East Tennessee. Please find upcoming One Suicide Prevention and Opioid Overdose Reversal training sessions at here. Here is the Statewide Directory and Resouce Information Guide.

Sunshine Behavioral Health aims to provide the highest quality substance abuse treatment services and deliver them with passion, integrity, and company spirit. Please find useful resources on telehealth and mental health during COVID-19 pandemic at the resource page.

None of these sites are associated with specific treatment/recovery centers and do not require individuals to register first to access online group support services.

A collection of online and voice resources for those in recovery looking for extra support during social distancing

This tip sheet from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration describes resources that can be used to virtually support recovery from mental/substance use disorders. It also provides resources to help local recovery programs create virtual meetings.

"Our aim is to educate communities and reach out to local organizations in an effort to provide information about substance abuse. The focus are various areas of prevention, interventions, and treatment options. We identify and support all pathways of Recovery and understand that one size does not fit all."

Find substance misuse treatment providers available in near real-time based on the type of treatment you need, the type of payment and insurance options you require, and your current location at FindHelpNowTN.org.

Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is a treatable condition that newborns may experience as a result of prenatal exposure to certain substances, most often opioids. Neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) is a related term that refers to the symptoms that infants may experience as a result of exposure to opioids specifically. Here are some resources.

• SAMHSA- Clinical Guidance for Treating Pregnant and Parenting Women With Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants
• AAP- New Guidance on NOWS
• AAP- ​Medications and Breastfeeding: Tips for Giving Accurate Information to Mothers
• NCSACW- Five Points of Family Intervention

More resources and trainings could be found from American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) websites.

Our community partner developed an useful resource sheet with websites, podcasts, YouTube videos, films, and books on SUD prevention, treatment, and recovery for faith-based communities. Please find more information at here.

A Step Ahead Foundation of East Tennessee provides education, information, and access to long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) for anyone in our 16-county service area who wants it, for free. The goal is to improve reproductive health equity, access, and literacy in our region, connect people to existing resources for birth control, share information about reproductive health and preventive birth control. With reliable birth control, women are free to focus on their futures: advancing in education and careers, recovering from abuse or addiction, and strengthening their families and communities - all without having to handle an unplanned pregnancy.

Blount County Community Action Agency provides a range of services for eligible low-income individuals and families and programs for seniors. These range from energy assistance, food resources, dental supports, employment resources and emergency assistance opportunities. Please find more information here. 

The Cherokee Health Systems Mobile Clinic is the newest extension of Cherokee’s brick-and-mortar primary and behavioral health care clinics. Cherokee’s 38-foot clinic on wheels is bringing comprehensive healthcare services to the underserved populations across East Tennessee. Please find the mobile clinic events here.

CHANT (Community Health Access and Navigation in Tennessee) was developed by the Tennessee Department of Health to provide care coordination services to pregnant and postpartum women; infants and children through age 21 at no cost. Please find the English version flyer and the Spanish version flyer here. Please contact email: CHANT@knoxcounty.org or phone: 865-215-5190 for more information.

The Department of Human Services helps provide approved families with extra money for child care. Tennessee has a program to help people struggling to pay for child care. The less money a parent makes, the more funding that is available. Families can also cut out child care costs by having grandparents watch their kids. Families can apply for funding on the state’s website.

The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry is excited to partner with Heartland Forward and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to get eligible Tennesseans connected to affordable internet through the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program. The program will provide eligible households discounts on home internet service, making the service more affordable and accessible for qualifying low-income families. The program also offers a $100 discount towards the purchase of a laptop, computer or tablet from a participating provider. Please find more information here or call 833-511-0311.

This guide includes useful updated resources including health services, education, transportation, food and housing support, SUD referral and counseling services in Knox county region. 

The McNabb Center Mobile Health Clinic operates in Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hancock and Jefferson counties. Through the clinic, clients can receive primary care in addition to mental health and substance use treatment. Please find more information here. McNabb Center also provides military services. 

The Omni Family of Services is a multi-state placement agency serving Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Omni provides services for adults and children. Omni focuses on family, providing each individual with a community support system to facilitate and inspire growth and development. Please read here to learn how you can make a difference in the life of a child. Please find more information at here.

Using data from the Tennessee Department of Health, the UT Substance Misuse and Addiction Resource for Tennessee (SMART) Policy Network created a map to locate opiate treatment centers in Tennessee.

TennCare is the state of Tennessee’s Medicaid program. It provides healthcare to mostly low-income pregnant women, parents or caretakers of a minor child, children and individuals who are elderly or have a disability. The kind of benefits you have depend on the kind of TennCare you have. Please find more information here. Please find the TennCare Benefit Packages here. 

 Tennessee Disability Pathfinder offers a statewide database of services including everything from social service agencies to low income medical clinics to recreational programs.Use the TDP to find resources related  to Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) provides nutritional assistance benefits to children and families, the elderly, the disabled, unemployed and working families. SNAP helps supplement monthly food budgets of families with low-income to buy the food they need to maintain good health and allow them to direct more of their available income toward essential living expenses. The primary goals of the program are to alleviate hunger and malnutrition and to improve nutrition and health in eligible households. 

RCORP-ETC partners have put together a resource guide for Union County, including information on alcohol and drug services, food pantries, transportation, veterans services, and much more.