The Department of Disabilities and Ageing officially became the newest cabinet-level state agency on July 1.
Governor Bill Lee signed the Disabilities and Aging Act in April, combining the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) with the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disabilities (TCAD). The new agency is responsible for overseeing services and supports for more than 1.5 million older and disabled Tennesseans.
“This is a great day for seniors and people with disabilities across Tennessee,” said DDA Commissioner Brad Turner. “We are committed to continuing to work tirelessly on behalf of the people the DDA serves and to doing everything we can to help them live the life they envision.”
The new department will serve thousands of people throughout Tennessee through a variety of programs aimed at both seniors and people with disabilities of all ages. These services include:
• Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS), which serves children from birth to age 5;
• Part B of the Katie Beckett Program for children under 18 with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
• Home- and community-based services through Medicaid waivers for the intellectually disabled and the OPTIONS program for the elderly and physically disabled.
• Provides nutrition services and Medicare benefits counseling for seniors through the state’s nine Area Agencies on Aging and Disabilities (AAADs).
• Family Support Programs
• Medicaid Alternative Pathways to Self-Reliance (MAPS)
• Long-Term Care Ombudsman
DDA delivers these services through more than 1,800 employees and hundreds of community-based providers.