Statements
Mission
To empower people with disabilities with opportunities for inclusion, choice, and independence.
Background
Empower Tennessee can trace its origins to Cope/Inc. of Nashville, established in 1986 as a program dedicated to the vocational training and employment placement of individuals with developmental disabilities. During this same period, research and grant-writing began in an attempt to attract funding for a Center for Independent Living (CIL) in Nashville. As a result of these efforts, the Consortium on Disability Issues met in 1991 and created a task force to establish a CIL. The Center for Independent Living of Middle Tennessee was started in July 1992, as a program of the Council of Community Services (and as a successor organization to Cope/Inc. of Nashville) with start-up funding from the HCA Foundation and the Tennessee Developmental Disabilities Council. In 1995, the Center became a free-standing, tax- exempt organization with 501 (c) (3) status under the IRS. In 2015, the Board of Directors voted to change the name of the organization to Empower Tennessee to establish a distinctive brand of disability services within the Middle Tennessee community.
Impact
For the 2021-2022 fiscal year, Empower Tennessee served approximately 1,000 people with disabilities through various activities, including information and referral, advocacy, peer support, skills training, and transitions into community living. We hosted six virtual events, called EmpowerCon, to provide targeted training on subjects like employment, relationships, transportation, and emergency preparedness. An enhanced service that emerged during the year was to provide support for people with disabilities moving into community living for the first time. New funding allowed us to empower clients with State IDs, security deposits, and household items to maintain a clean, safe, and accessible home.
For the 2022-2023 fiscal year, Empower Tennessee will expand services further to include peer-driven mental health support for people with disabilities -- particularly those whose identity intersects with other marginalized communities such as LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, etc. Additionally, we plan to strengthen person-centered practices that will broaden and deepen circles of support for our clients.
Needs
Empower Tennessee has identified the following needs:an office location that provides needed community visibility and engagement opportunities; developing creative marketing material;establishing an engaged donor base;diversifying revenue resources; and establishing an engaged volunteer base.
CEO Statement
Empower Tennessee is one of over 400 Centers for Independent Living (CILs) across the United States and one of six across Tennessee. A common thread that binds all CILs is a dedication the to Independent Living (IL) Philosophy that is rooted in the 'nothing about us, without us' movement of consumer control. As a result, at least 51% of a CIL's Board and staff must be people with disabilities. Likewise, all CILs provide the same five core services: information and referral, peer support, independent living skills training, advocacy, and transition services. However, each CIL, including Empower Tennessee, is autonomous in implementing these services to best address the identified needs of the local community.
Additionally, we are unique from other human service providers by insisting on opportunity as our product and empowerment as our method. Our clients determine their goals and plans for success, and we see our role as being the facilitator of these important discussions by providing resources and training and the means by which to utilize them. This translates into not only meeting short-term needs but connecting them with long-term goals and the means to make them happen.
Board Chair Statement
Empower Tennessee is a growing organization that is making an impact in our community. It exists as a unique agency for change in dispensing with the enabling model of social service we so often see in social services and leads with empowerment for people with disabilities. The staff and the Board are, themselves, people who have been empowered to be part of the community and advocate for access and inclusion -- not 'specialness' and protection. I'm proud to be part of Empower Tennessee and its work and look forward to its continued success in cultivating a community of equality for all.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Human Services - Centers to Support the Independence of Specific Populations |
| Secondary Category: | Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy - Disabled Persons' Rights |
| Tertiary Category: | Community Improvement, Capacity Building - Alliances & Advocacy |
Areas Served
| TN - Cheatham |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Robertson |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Sumner |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Wilson |
