February is often seen as a month of love. Flowers, sweet treats, and kind words take the spotlight. For Tennesseans navigating disabilities, mental health needs, or trouble accessing services, Disability Rights Tennessee shows care and compassion through advocacy, all year round.
Advocacy is the foundation of Disability Rights Tennessee’s Resource & Referral (R&R) Program. At its core, advocacy means being listened to and not being left alone when things get complicated.
Every day, people contact Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT) during moments of stress or uncertainty by phone, text, email, letter, or online form. For many, taking that first step towards advocating for themselves takes courage. Sharing your story is an act of trust, and honoring that trust is at the heart of DRT’s mission.
The First Point of Connection
The Resource & Referral (R&R) team is the first to respond when someone contacts DRT for protection and advocacy-related help. Team members are compassionate, empathetic, knowledgeable, and ready to listen.
During the intake process, R&R staff takes time to understand each person’s situation, concerns, and goals. They gather basic background information to help identify the most accurate and helpful referrals tied to rights‑based support. This information also helps DRT understand the needs across Tennessee.
Having one‑on‑one connection with the R&R team shapes how people experience DRT’s support. The R&R team works hard to make that experience one of respect, care, and consistency.
For R&R staff, every community interaction matters. One team member shared what keeps her going through hard calls:
“My love for my job and for people keeps me going through the hard calls. For the person on the other end, it’s not just a call—it’s the call. It may be one of the hardest days they are having and being calm on my end matters. I may not be able to fix everything, but I can listen and try my best.”
When Help Can’t Be a “Yes,” Care Still Is
As a Protection & Advocacy (P&A) agency, DRT has specific service areas. Due to funding limits, staff, and community priorities, not every request for help can move forward to legal review or direct services. DRT is committed to transparency about these limits.
When you contact Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT), your problem is carefully reviewed based on case selection criteria. If it is determined that DRT cannot provide direct services, our support does not end. The R&R Program exists to make sure Tennesseans are not left without a next step related to advocacy and rights protection, even when DRT cannot take the case.
That commitment to providing clear information and trusted options is part of what makes the work meaningful for the R&R team. As one staff member shared:
“My favorite part of my day is communicating and connecting with callers. Every day and every call is different, but being able to provide hope and possible solutions is very rewarding and meaningful to me.”
How Resource and Referral Works
Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT) keeps a tailored database of DRT keeps a tailored database of resources drawn from its work with partners and community members.
Referrals are not one-size-fits-all lists. R&R staff share resources and referrals based on the information you provide, such as location, eligibility, and urgency, to help people find support that aligns with DRT’s scope of work. The goal is to help people find support that fits their situation.
The R&R team wants the Tennessee community to know what this work means to them:
“Resource & Referral isn’t just about handing out phone numbers. We care very deeply, and we work hard to provide accurate and tailored resources. We wish every situation fell within DRT’s area of work.”
Care Beyond the Computer
The Resource & Referral (R&R) team’s work does not stop when the conversation ends. Team members also represent Disability Rights Tennessee in the community by attending local resource fairs and serving on community advisory councils.
These relationships strengthen referral networks and make sure DRT stays connected to changing community needs.
We invite you to explore our website and share with your community. In this work, care looks like follow-through. It looks like connection. And it looks like making sure Tennesseans are not left without support when seeking advocacy or rights protection.
ABOUT DISABILITY RIGHTS TENNESSEE
Disability Rights Tennessee is a nonprofit agency that protects the rights of Tennesseans living with disabilities and/or mental illness in the places where they live, work, learn, or receive other services.
From urban cities to rural towns, Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT) provides services in all 95 state counties. As the designated Protection & Advocacy (P&A) agency and Client Assistance Program (CAP) in Tennessee, we proudly offer all our services for free.
You can reach out to DRT 24/7. All requests for help are reviewed during agency business hours (8:00 am-4:30pm CST/9:00 am-5:30 pm EST). Contact DRT by voice call/text at 1-800-342-1660, by email at GetHelp@DisabilityRightsTN.org, or by online form at www.DisabilityRightsTN.org/Get-Help/.