Pro-life providers trained on state benefits available for moms in Tennessee
It takes a community, and the community in Tennessee showed up.
Last week, over 100 Tennesseans gathered just outside of Nashville to attend Her PLAN’s workshop on state benefits, hosted in conjunction with the Governor’s Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives. The workshop covered the various state programs available to moms in need – many of which attendees learned about for the first time.
When Her PLAN started working in Tennessee a few years ago, it became clear that state providers were unaware of the vital work pregnancy centers are doing across the state. Pregnancy centers and other providers were also often unaware of the vast state benefits available for pregnant women in Tennessee. To bridge this gap, Her PLAN brought together providers from all over Tennessee to hear directly from the state departments on the programs they offer that are relevant to pregnant and parenting moms.
Her PLAN Executive Director, Autumn Christensen, attended the workshop and welcomed attendees. She described the excitement of the day’s trainings and how they will help the moms and babies that participants serve. “This Benefits Training is a deep dive into health insurance, food support, housing and so much more,” she said. “It’s incredible to see how all of these pro-life organizations are walking with her every step of the way!”
Local assistance providers, such as pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes, learned of helpful state programs that could help meet the specific needs of their clients.
The workshop highlighted the Department of Human Services (DHS), which provides SNAP food benefits and childcare subsidies and also offers a vocational rehabilitation program to help moms return to the workforce. Attendees also learned about the DHS portal, where providers and their clients can create a customer profile and apply for any of the more than 100 benefits available through DHS.
The Department of Health presented on the pregnancy and postpartum medical support they offer to moms. Tennessee is dedicated to decreasing the infant and maternal mortality rates and offers benefits such as free prescribed blood pressure cuffs for pregnant mothers and safe sleep guidance for babies. Moms can also receive free therapy, which helps to give them a soft place to land and a listening ear as they adjust to life with their new little one.
TennCare is the Tennessee’s Medicaid program, available to any pregnant mom in need. Whenever a provider in the state has a client lacking health insurance, they can call TennCare and get her qualified for presumptive care immediately. The program provides her with needed prenatal and emergency care, and it also offers transportation assistance, dental care, diaper benefits and care management so clients can connect with other eligible benefits or local assistance providers.
Rachel Preston, director of Her PLAN’s Care Partner Program, welcomes over 100 local providers and state department representatives to have meaningful conversations on programs available to meet the needs of vulnerable moms in Tennessee.
Attendees were overwhelmingly grateful for the event and left eager to continue serving their clients, now equipped with a broader network of resources to help meet their often complex needs. Many stressed how critical these conversations between state departments and local providers are to ensuring every mom receives the support she needs. With so many benefits spread across different departments, providers shared how they often struggle to navigate and to be fully aware of any changes being made at the state level. If it’s hard for providers, it’s even harder for abortion-vulnerable moms who are seeking support while already navigating overwhelming circumstances around their pregnancies.
“Providers are hungry for this. They want to know what’s available for women,” said Rachel Preston, director of Her PLAN’s Care Partner Program. The pro-life safety net is stronger when different groups in our local communities work together and innovate to support moms and meet their diverse needs. Local providers and state programs want to partner to help women and children in Tennessee. At this Tennessee Benefits Workshop, Her PLAN provided the forum to make that happen.
Her community in Tennessee is ready to walk with any vulnerable mom – from Bristol to Memphis – so she can choose life knowing she has local providers and state programs ready to do life with her and her baby.
