Our Services
Pacesetters provides day and residential services in 5 Tennessee counties through the 1915c Waiver, CHOICES, and the Employment and Community First Choices (ECF) Waiver. Pacesetters is also contracted with the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to oversee the Family Support Program. Pacesetters’ Family Support Program covers all 14 counties of the Upper Cumberland.
Residential Support
Pacesetters supports approximately 97 people in some type of residential support in 5 counties (Putnam, Overton, White, Warren, and Macon).
Community Participation
Community Participation, which typically includes groups of 3 or fewer, includes persons supported going out into the integrated community to create connections, be a part of the larger community, volunteer, look for job opportunities, and other means of community participation.
Health Support
Pacesetters manages the health care needs of each service recipient using a Health Services Coordinator (HSC) in each county.
​
Family Support
Family Support is designed to provide financial assistance and community resource information to individuals with severe or developmental disabilities and their families
Residential Support
Pacesetters supports approximately 97 people in some type of residential support in 5 counties (Putnam, Overton, White, Warren, and Macon). There are 34 sites agency-wide. Services are provided in Residential Habilitation (agency-owned homes with 2-3 people); Supported Living (homes/apartments with 1-3 people); Medical Supported Living (a home with 1-3 people with medical needs that must be provided by a nurse); Semi-Independent Living (individual homes/apartments with intermittent supports); Respite (relief services for people already receiving our day supports); and Personal Assistance (intermittent in-home supports to individuals with activities of daily living so that the person may remain in the family home). Supports include up to 24-hour staff supervision with assistance as needed for activities of daily living, budgeting, maintaining a home, and enabling the person to live in a home in the community.
Residential Supports allow individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live in their own homes in their communities instead of in a nursing or institutional facility. Though Pacesetters’ staff provide the services in these homes, they are not “Pacesetters’ Homes”; rather they are identified as the homes of the men and women who reside there. Pacesetters is thankful to be able to provide the needed support in these homes!
Community Participation
Pacesetters’ supports approximately 130 people in some type of day support in several counties. Our 3 county offices, covering 5 counties, provide a variety of day services.
Community Participation, which typically includes groups of 3 or fewer, includes persons supported going out into the integrated community to create connections, be a part of the larger community, volunteer, look for job opportunities, and other means of community participation. For those utilizing the 1915c Waiver, or the Medicaid Waiver, these services are simply called “Community Participation” (CP). For those utilizing the CHOICES or Employment and Community First Choices Waivers, or the TennCare Waivers, these services are called “Community-Integrated Support Services'' (CISS).
Employment Services covers a wide variety of options for those supported persons who wish to work in integrated environments. These services are similar for both Waiver Programs. Typically, but not always, persons supported start with Exploration–Do I want to work? If they complete Exploration and decide they do want to work or already know they wish to work, they move into Discovery–Where do I want to work? Discovery also includes applying for and interviewing for the job of the person’s choice. Supported Employment (SE) begins once the person is hired and includes support at the job of the person’s choice with training and prompts to ensure tasks are completed. Employment staff also work with supervisors and coworkers to ensure a healthy and safe work environment for all involved. This service continues so long as the person needs support at work. If the person supported no longer needs staff support at work, they can utilize Stabilization and Monitoring (SAM). With this service, an employment staff will complete a monthly check-in with the employer and is available to the supported person when needed.
Health Support
Pacesetters manages the health care needs of each service recipient using a Health Services Coordinator (HSC) in each county. It is the responsibility of the HSC to schedule required appointments, accompany service recipients to those appointments, and arrange for any needed follow-up. Each HSC communicates directly with physicians and other healthcare providers to ensure that the healthcare needs of each person supported are met in a timely manner. The HSC also works closely with family members and others that may be involved in the care of each person supported.
Persons supported are included in decision-making and provide information so that they can be active participants in meeting their health care needs. For those persons supported with more serious or chronic health care needs, Pacesetters provides RN oversight per state requirements. The RN works closely with the HSC, physicians, and family to monitor the person supported’s status and current plan of care.
Family Support
In 1992, at the urging of disability advocates and families, the Tennessee legislature established the Family Support Program. The program is funded by state dollars and designed to assist individuals with severe disabilities and their families to remain together in their homes and communities. Statewide funding for this program is determined by our state legislatures on a yearly basis from state tax dollars. The program is administered under an agreement with the state of Tennessee and managed by local agencies throughout the state. These services officially began in 1993. Pacesetters is happy to say that we have held this contract since the Family Support Program’s inception!
​
Pacesetters’ Family Support Program serves fourteen counties in the Upper Cumberland area: Cannon, Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, Van Buren, Warren, and White.
​
Family Support is designed to provide financial assistance and community resource information to individuals with severe or developmental disabilities and their families. Services can include but are not limited to: respite care, daycare services, home modifications, equipment, supplies, personal assistance, transportation, homemaker services, housing costs, health-related needs, nursing, and counseling. Services are flexible and responsive to families and their needs. An essential element of the Family Support Program is family and consumer involvement. Local and District Councils have been established and meet on a regular basis to oversee and provide advice on the distribution of local services.
Please note: Family Support is not a substitute for more comprehensive services provided under other programs, including the Medicaid HCBS Waiver, TennCare, Medicare, or private insurance.
​
If you have any questions or would like more information, contact our Family Support Staff:
-
For Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Jackson, Macon, Overton, and White Counties: 931-537-9100 ext. 1007.
-
For Cannon, Fentress, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, Van Buren, and Warren Counties: 931-537-9100 ext. 1006.
To contact our Family Support Staff.