Tennessee ACEs, Overdose, and Suicide Prevention Funding

ACEs prevention funding - Tennessee

ACEs are preventable, potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (0-17 years). Examples include neglect, experiencing or witnessing violence, or having a family member attempt or die by suicide.

*ACE statistics are reported by U.S. adults and include exposure to eight types of ACEs: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, witnessing intimate partner violence, household substance abuse, household mental illness, parental separation or divorce, and incarcerated household member.

Examples of how Tennessee is working to prevent ACEs

Surveillance activities

Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and the Shelby County Board of Education are adding questions about experiencing ACEs to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey to provide representative state-wide estimates of ACEs among public high school students in Nashville and Shelby Counties.

Other Support for ACEs in Tennessee

Beyond the ACEs appropriation, CDC supports several initiatives, research, and partnerships to build state and tribal surveillance infrastructure and enhance ACEs prevention and mitigation.

In Tennessee, some of those other initiatives include:

• Core State Injury Prevention Program
• Overdose Data to Action

Overdose prevention funding - Tennessee

There were 106,699 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2021 (32.4 deaths per 100,000 standard population), a 16% increase from 2020.2

*average award amount

Examples of how Tennessee is working to prevent overdose

Virtual overdose fatality reviews

Under the state's Overdose Response Strategy Team, the Metro Drug Coalition partnered with Knox County Public Health and Public Safety to pilot the development and use of a virtual telehealth platform to host Overdose Fatality Review Team meetings. This adaptation allowed critical work to continue during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Substance use disorder linkage to care in emergency departments

Tennessee improved emergency department-initiated treatment for patients with substance use disorder. A workgroup of community partners and clinical leaders from 17 emergency departments hired Tennessee Recovery Navigators to champion treatment for patients with substance use disorder within hospitals. More than 200 patients were identified, and more than 100 individuals were connected to treatment and/or social services.

Data to inform prevention

Tennessee developed a dashboard for state officials to identify areas at high risk for drug overdose across the state. This information is critical because it can be used to direct resources, prevention activities, and education for higher community-level impact.

Suicide prevention funding - Tennessee

Tennessee's suicide prevention priorities

Tennessee is preventing suicide with CDC Injury Center funding by:A

• Creating protective environments
• Teaching coping and problem-solving skills
• Identifying and supporting people at risk
• Strengthening access and delivery of suicide care

Some groups have higher suicide rates than others. To address disparities, Tennessee is focusing on:

• Residents of all rural counties, specifically men and people aged 15-64 living in rural counties

Examples of how Tennessee is working to prevent suicide

Expanding trainings

The Tennessee Department of Health is expanding its Be the One gatekeeper training program, which is specifically designed to increase the workforce staff's ability to identify suicide warning signs among co-workers and refer them to appropriate resources.

Educating the public

The Tennessee Department of Health is funding the Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network to develop and promote education for providers and the public about the mental health parity laws. These laws ensure that health insurance coverage for mental-health related visits is on par with coverage for physical health-related visits.