TENNESSEE JUSTICE CENTER INC
211 7TH AVE N NO 100, NASHVILLE, TN 37219 www.tnjustice.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE TENNESSEE JUSTICE CENTER ADVOCATES ON BEHALF OF POOR TENNESSEANS:- IN AREAS OF PUBLIC POLICY HAVING THE GREATEST IMPACT ON THEIR HEALTH AND WELFARE;- BY MEANS WHICH AFFORD CLIENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE THEIR OWN VOICES HEARD; AND- WHICH EMPHASIZE COLLABORATION ACROSS LINES OF RACE, CLASS AND GENERATION.THE CENTER ALSO SUPPORTS THE WORK OF OTHERS ENGAGED IN SIMILAR ADVOCACY EFFORTS, BEYOND STATE BOUNDARIES, ON BEHALF OF THE POOR.

TJC USES THE LAW AND ADVOCACY TO ENSURE THAT TENNESSEANS CAN MEET THEIR MOST BASIC NEEDS.

TJC'S NUTRITION ADVOCACY PROGRAM SUPPORTS GREATER ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE NUTRITION, INCLUDING DEFENDING AND IMPROVING SAFETY NET PROGRAMS LIKE SNAP (FORMERLY FOOD STAMPS) AND SCHOOL-BASED MEAL PROGRAMS. TJC PROTECTED THESE PROGRAMS AGAINST CUTS AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL. TJC EDUCATES AND CONVENES OTHER AGENCIES AND STAKEHOLDERS WHO INTERSECT WITH LOW INCOME TENNESSEANS. OUR TEAM WORKS WITH LOW-INCOME CLIENTS ACROSS THE STATE THAT HAVE BEEN WRONGFULLY DENIED OR LOST THEIR SNAP BENEFITS. WE ADDRESS CHILD HUNGER AND POVERTY THROUGH WIC EXPANSION EFFORTS AND ADVOCATING FOR STRONGER CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS. WE EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW NUTRITION PROGRAMS LIKE SNAP AND WIC PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE FOR TENNESSEANS WHO STRUGGLE WITH HUNGER AND PULL FAMILIES OUT OF POVERTY. OVER 1,000 STAKEHOLDERS RECEIVE OUR MONTHLY UPDATES AND DOZENS OF PARTNERS STATEWIDE JOIN US AT TRAININGS AND REGIONAL ANTI-HUNGER MEETINGS TO WORK TOGETHER FOR A STATE WHERE NO TENNESSEAN GOES HUNGRY.

TJC'S MEDICAID AND CHILDREN'S HEALTH ADVOCACY PROGRAMS FOCUS ON IMPROVING WELL-BEING OF TENNESSEANS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO ARE VULNERABLE AND HAVE LOW INCOME, BY ENSURING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE COVERAGE. TJC IS CURRENTLY LEADING A STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN TO GET THE TN LEGISLATURE TO EXPAND TENNCARE. TJC ENGAGES ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNERS AND GRASSROOTS VOLUNTEERS TO CONTACT TN LAWMAKERS TO ASK THEM TO DRAW DOWN $1.4 BILLION/YEAR IN FEDERAL HEALTH CARE FUNDING IN ORDER TO PROVIDE HEALTH INSURANCE TO 300,000 TENNESSEANS (INCLUDING 24,000 VETERANS), GENERATE 15,000 JOBS, PROTECT THE STATE'S RURAL HOSPITALS, AND PROVIDE MUCH-NEEDED FUNDING TO ADDRESS THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC. ALSO AMONG TJC'S GOALS IS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY CHILD IN TENNESSEE IS ENROLLED IN HEALTH INSURANCE AND THAT PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAMS WORK EFFECTIVELY TO MEET CHILDREN'S NEEDS. THE TEAM EDUCATES THE PUBLIC, POLICYMAKERS, AND COMMUNITY LEADERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF VITAL CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE PROGRAMS, SUCH AS MEDICAID AND THE CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (CHIP), AND THE NEED TO PROTECT AND IMPROVE THESE PROGRAMS TO BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN TENNESSEE. IT ALSO EDUCATES COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND ADVOCATES THROUGH IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL TRAININGS, EDUCATION MATERIALS, AND A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER.

TJC CONTINUED TO PROVIDE LEGAL REPRESENTATION AND ADVOCACY FOR INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS AND ON BEHALF OF LARGE GROUPS OF VULNERABLE, LOW INCOME TENNESSEANS. TJC HANDLED 1,492 NEW CASES FOR VULNERABLE CLIENTS IN THE RESOLUTION OF THEIR LEGAL PROBLEMS, SOME OF WHICH INVOLVED ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS PROCEDURES OUTSIDE THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. TJC ALSO ADVOCATES FOR IMPROVED ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE IN GENERAL SESSIONS COURT BY CREATING RESOURCES AND PUSHING REFORMS THAT MAKE THIS COURT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO UNREPRESENTED INDIVIDUALS. TJC CONDUCTED TRAINING FOR PRIVATE ATTORNEYS TO ENABLE THEM TO HANDLE SUCH APPEALS ON A PRO BONO BASIS. THESE CASES SERVED THE PUBLIC BY PROMOTING THE RULE OF LAW BY HOLDING GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS AND CONTRACTORS ACCOUNTABLE FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW, AND BY AFFORDING ACCESS TO EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW TO INDIGENT CLIENTS WHO WOULD NOT HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN ABLE TO VINDICATE THEIR LEGAL RIGHTS. TJC ALSO PARTNERED WITH HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS THROUGH TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND MEDICAL-LEGAL PARTNERSHIP TO HELP THEIR PATIENTS ACCESS NECESSARY COVERAGE, AVOID MEDICAL DEBT, AND SUPPORT THE HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE ON WHICH ALL TENNESSEANS DEPEND. IN ADDITION TO THOSE SERVICES, THE ORGANIZATION LITIGATED THE FOLLOWING CASES IN THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN 2019: WILSON V. GORDON, DOC. NO. 3:14-CV-01492 (M.D. TENN.) THIS SUIT WAS FILED IN JULY 2014 TO ADDRESS SERIOUS BARRIERS TO ENROLLMENT AND MEDICAL CARE FOR LOW-INCOME TENNESSEANS ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICAID, WHICH IS KNOWN AS "TENNCARE" IN TENNESSEE. BEGINNING IN JANUARY 2014, TENNESSEE REFUSED TO ACCEPT AND PROCESS APPLICATIONS FOR ALMOST ALL TYPES OF MEDICAID COVERAGE, FORCING TENNESSEANS TO RELY EXCLUSIVELY ON THE FEDERAL MARKETPLACE AS THE SOLE POINT OF ACCESS TO TENNCARE. IN-PERSON ASSISTANCE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE, AS REQUIRED BY FEDERAL LAW. THE STATE'S FAILURES RESULTED IN MASSIVE DELAYS IN THE PROCESSING OF APPLICATIONS FOR TENNCARE AND DISRUPTED OR DELAYED NECESSARY MEDICAL CARE FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TENNESSEANS OF ALL AGES.IN 2014, THE COURT CERTIFIED THE CASE AS A CLASS ACTION AND GRANTED A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION TO THE CENTER'S CLIENTS. THE PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION REQUIRED THE STATE TO PROVIDE AN ADMINISTRATIVE APPEAL, INCLUDING A FAIR HEARING, UPON REQUEST TO ANYONE WHOSE TENNCARE APPLICATION HAS BEEN DELAYED WITHOUT A DECISION BEYOND THE FEDERAL TIME LIMIT, WHICH IS 45 DAYS IN MOST CASES. ON JANUARY 23, 2019, THE COURT FOUND THAT THE STATE HAD ACHIEVED SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW AND CLOSED THE CASE. THE COURT FOUND THAT TJC'S CLIENTS HAD, BY BRINGING THE CASE, ENFORCED FEDERAL LAW AND HAD ENABLED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF VULNERABLE ADULTS AND CHILDREN TO OBTAIN HEALTH COVERAGE THAT HAD BEEN UNLAWFULLY DELAYED. TJC'S APPLICATION FOR AN AWARD OF ATTORNEYS' FEES FOR WORK PERFORMED IN THE CASE WAS FILED UNDER THE CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEYS' FEES AWARD ACT AND REMAINED UNDER ADVISEMENT WHEN 2019 ENDED. DOE V. HENDERSON, NO. A-7980-I (DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE CHANCERY COURT) IS A CLASS ACTION IN WHICH A SERIES OF AGREED ORDERS GOVERN THE STATE'S TREATMENT OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES. THE ORDERS WERE ENTERED IN THE 1980S AND ESTABLISHED OPERATIONAL PROTOCOLS FOR CHILDREN COMMITTED THROUGH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM TO THE CUSTODY OF WHAT IS NOW THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES (DCS). TJC IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING COMPLIANCE. THIS CASE ADVANCES THE PUBLIC INTEREST BY ENSURING THAT JUVENILE OFFENDERS ARE TREATED HUMANELY AND RECEIVE EDUCATION AND TREATMENT THAT REDUCE THE RISK THAT THEY WILL RECIDIVATE.ROAN V. LONG / SHACKELFORD V. LONG, DOC. NO. 3:17-CV-01588 (M.D. TENN.) THIS SUIT WAS FILED IN DECEMBER 2017 AGAINST TENNCARE ON BEHALF OF ALISON ROAN, A YOUNG WOMAN WITH SEVERE DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. FOR TEN YEARS, THE STATE HAD AGREED THAT ALISON REQUIRES AROUND-THE-CLOCK PROFESSIONAL NURSING CARE TO SURVIVE AND PROVIDED HER THAT CARE AT HOME WITH HER FAMILY. WHEN SHE TURNED 21, TENNCARE RELIED ON A STATE RULE TO CUT HER HOME NURSING CARE BELOW WHAT SHE NEEDED TO SURVIVE BUT OFFERED TO PROVIDE HER ALL THE NURSING CARE SHE NEEDS IN AN INSTITUTION. THE SUIT ALLEGES THAT THIS POLICY VIOLATES THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, WHICH AIMS TO PROTECT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES LIKE ALISON FROM NEEDLESS INSTITUTIONALIZATION. IN JANUARY 2018, TJC PARTNERED WITH THE LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND THE CUMBERLANDS TO FILE AN AMENDED COMPLAINT ADDING TRISTEN SHACKELFORD AS A NEW PLAINTIFF TO THE LAWSUIT.TENNCARE AGREED TO KEEP THE PLAINTIFFS' HOME-BASED SERVICES IN PLACE PENDING A HEARING ON THE PLAINTIFFS' MOTION FOR A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION. BOTH PLAINTIFFS WERE PROTECTED FROM POTENTIALLY DEVASTATING REDUCTIONS IN THEIR CARE. IN JANUARY 2019, THE PARTIES MET FOR A COURT-ORDERED MEDIATION. THE PARTIES DID NOT REACH A SETTLEMENT, BUT THE PARTIES DID AGREE TO MEET FURTHER TO ENSURE THAT TRISTEN'S MOTHER WAS AWARE OF ALL OF THE OPTIONS FOR TRISTEN'S CARE. AS PART OF THIS CONTINUED DISCUSSION, TRISTEN'S MOTHER VISITED AN INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES (ICF-IID). TRISTEN ENTERED AN ICF-IID AND AFTER SIX MONTHS, HIS MOTHER IS PLEASED WITH THE CARE HE HAS BEEN RECEIVING. SHE VISITS HIM OFTEN AND SAYS HE IS AS HAPPY AS HE'S EVER BEEN. THUS, ON AUGUST 22, 2019 PLAINTIFF'S COUNSEL FILED A MOTION TO VOLUNTARILY DISMISS THE CASE WITHOUT PREJUDICE. THE SUIT ADVANCED THE PUBLIC INTEREST, AS EXPRESSED IN THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, IN PROTECTING THE HEALTH AND DIGNITY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AND ENSURING THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO LIVE IN AN INTEGRATED SETTING.

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