Tennessee Voices (TN Voices) is a non-profit organization of more than 100 social workers, peer support specialists, therapists, and care coordinators who are dedicated to providing advocacy, peer support, counseling services and trainings to children, teens, young adults, and adults in all 95 counties in Tennessee. Our vision is to build hope for all generations and our mission is to be the collaborative leader guiding mental health transformation. TN Voices speaks out as an active advocate for the emotional and behavioral well-being of Tennesseans by providing essential services, support, and advocating for policy change at the local, state, and federal level. We are passionate about helping and supporting fellow Tennesseans.
Expanding the Early Childhood Program
The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) selected 10 agencies across the state to receive funding to expand mental health services for children and youth, including TN Voices. This funding has allowed TN Voices to expand our Early Childhood Program, which we believe is critical to establishing children on a path of wellbeing and success.
We seek to develop children’s healthy social emotional development across the state of Tennessee by providing support to early childhood educators and caregivers. The goal of the Early Childhood Program is to support the adults in a child’s life to promote necessary social-emotional skills for children to develop a foundation for success in the early years and beyond! Pre-K students are expelled at rates three times higher than K-12 students, and preschool expulsion is linked to negative outcomes later in life. It is estimated that over 5000 pre-kindergarten children are expelled each year.
TN Voices believes all children can be kept in the classroom when caregivers and educators receive ample support so they can deliver high-quality supportive environments and nurturing relationships to children. With new funding from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, TN Voices is proudly expanding the Early Childhood Program to deliver more assistance to early childhood educators, and in turn ensure children feel nurtured and supported.
Pyramid-Model Framework is Nationally Recognized
Our Early Childhood Program serves teachers, administrators, parents, and caregivers of children birth to 8 years old in multiple settings including Head Start centers, voluntary Pre-K, faith-based Pre-K, and elementary schools. Services offered include training and technical assistance, individual classroom consultation and coaching, site-wide program consultation and development, and child-focused consultation.
Our Early Childhood services follow the Pyramid Model Framework – an evidence-based and nationally recognized program that targets early childhood social skills and challenging behavior. The Pyramid Model Framework delivers nurturing relationships and a high-quality environment to all children, targeted social-emotional instruction and strategies, and individualized interventions for children needing more support. The Pyramid Model Framework helps educators teach children how to self-regulate, identify emotions, appropriately communicate emotions, and solve social problems, which are necessary life skills.
TN Voices is pleased to have Katherine Bell, MA, as the Early Childhood Program Director. Katherine’s professional background includes experience in early childhood education, organizational leadership, and children’s mental health. Katherine is a Pyramid Model trainer, coach, and consultant who is passionate about partnering with educators and families to better understand children’s behavior and to promote optimal social emotional development.
TN Voices Early Childhood Program is available statewide, including Nashville and Middle Tennessee. We would welcome the opportunity to work with your organization to create bright outcomes for Tennessee’s children. If you would like more information, please visit our program website (www.tnvoices.org/programs/early-childhood) or give us a call at 615-269-7751.
