Our History
In the late 1980s, a group of parents were in need of an organization that could provide better services for their children. With the support of a grant from The Arc of Davidson County, a Supported Living Project was established to research options. From this research project, a board comprising family members was formed to establish a small agency that offered support and medical assistance that differed greatly from what was available at the time.
In 1997, Mid-TN Supported Living, Inc. was officially incorporated by this dedicated group of parents. Since then, we have continued to assist people to live in their own homes while actively participating in their communities. Each person receives services tailored to their specific needs.
What Supports Does Mid-TN Offer?
Mid-TN offers services that prioritize the people that we support. Each individual is included in decision making in the context of a variety of support models. Examples are:
Other Services
Additionally, we provide several supplementary services, such as nursing care, community-based day services, and supported employment. At Mid-TN, we are dedicated to ensuring the people we assist have a meaningful day and a fulfilling life through the following means:
⦁ Nursing: Whether it’s RN or LPN care that is needed, we can meet the medical needs of the people we support.
⦁ Day Services: We provide community-based day services (at home or in the community, depending on the need) that help build a meaningful day for those that we support.
⦁ Supported Employment: We will help the person supported locate and maintain meaningful employment and provide job-coaching services
Eligibility and Funding for Services
Mid-TN provides support for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Most of the people we assist receive Medicaid Waiver – HCBS funding from the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. For more information on eligibility and enrollment, please visit their website.
Additionally, Mid-TN offers personalized support on a private pay basis. To discuss services through Mid-TN, please get in touch with Executive Director Michelle McCain via email: mmccain@midtn.org.
Our Board of Directors
Doria Panvini Founding Member President Emeritus
Doria joined the Board of Mid-TN Supported Living in 1997 as Board President. She has an adult son with intellectual disability, two other adult children and a grandson. Doria is a long-time advocate for people with disabilities to be a part of their community. She chairs the Public Policy Committee of The Arc Tennessee, is a member of the Community Advisory Committee of the UCEDD at Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and serves on other committees supporting integrated employment for people with disabilities. She also has been a volunteer with the Nashville Symphony since 2005.
Kathleen Clinton President
Kathleen has almost 40 years working in various capacities with people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities having worked in institutions as direct support and in the community as a case manager. She has a Master’s degree in counseling from Southern Illinois University.
Additionally, Kathleen served as the Middle Tennessee Regional Director of Operations for the State of Tennesee in the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabitlies.
Marge Naughton Vice President
Marge joined the board of Mid-TN Supported Living in October 2018. She has a BS and MS in engineering and is currently retired from working as a Facility Manager for Starbucks Coffee Company as well as having worked as a manufacturing Plant Engineer for Quaker Oats. She grew up in a suburb of Detroit, MI as the youngest child in a family of four children. Her older brother, Michael, had an Intellectual Disability and Autism diagnosis. She and her family have actively volunteered for Special Olympics, Protection & Advocacy, and Saddle Up (therapeutic horseback riding, non-profit). Her perspective is that there are many kind and loving community services available to people with disabilities and their families that need our support.
Errol Elshtain Secretary
Errol joined the board of Mid-TN Supported Living in November 2018. His family includes an adult daughter who has an intellectual disability, three other adult children, four grandchildren and a great granddaughter. He moved to Tennessee in 1988 and very soon became a volunteer advocate with several disability organizations. In 1992, he was appointed to the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities by Governor McWherter. In 1994, he became the Planning Coordinator and later Director of Development for the Council and worked there until his retirement in 2012. He represented the Council on several boards, including the State Family Support Council and the Tennessee Disability Coalition.
Norman Tennenbaum Treasurer
Norm joined the board of Mid-TN Supported Living in 2012. He was executive director of The Arc of Davidson County from 1983 until 2011. During his tenure The Arc established a supported living program that eventually became Mid-TN Supported Living.
Prior to serving as The Arc executive director Norm served as executive director of Tennessee Foster Grandparents, founder and executive director of Handicapped Adult Training Services (HATS) in Sumner County, and Mid-Cumberland Director of Community Services for the Tennessee Department of Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities. Norm was also a middle and high school teacher in Washington, DC. Topeka, Kansas and Farmington, New Mexico as well as having served in the Peace Corps in Pereira, Risaralda Columbia from 1967 to 1969. He has a BA from Creighton University.
Norman Lives in East Nashville with his wife Wanda Willis, who is former executive director of the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities, and their cat Edward. He has two children, Caroline and Zena, and a granddaughter, River.
Carolyn Lantz iknownumberers
Carolyn Lantz joined the Board of Mid-TN Supported Living in 2021. She retired from the State of Tennessee with over 35 years of service. Prior to her retirement, she worked in the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) as a Policy Coordinator, the Director of Administrative Services at the Middle Tennessee Regional Office and for the Council on Developmental Disabilities. Carolyn also worked for TennCare and the Department of Public Health during her time with the State.
Carolyn has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Lincoln Memorial University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Tennessee State University. She has been interested in persons with disabilities since her college years where she took courses in Special Education and Counseling. She believes in inclusion as she had a family member who felt different when he had to attend special education classes as a child.
Carolyn is a graduate of Leadership Donelson Hermitage (L’Evate) M3 and is active in the organization. She participates in a variety of volunteer activities in her community and her church. She enjoys reading, spending time with her dogs, going to movies, and traveling.
Elizabeth Gerlock Tellitlikeitiser
Elizabeth Gerlock was the mother of a son with Down Syndrome who passed away at the age of 62. He lived a full life with family, friends and employment having worked at Goodwill Industries for 30 years. Now retired, her work experience was teaching in early intervention programs for children with disabilities and in the TN State Regional Office for Intellectual Disabilities. She has a master’s degree in Special Education from Vanderbilt University. She has been on the MidTN board for over 20 years fully embracing the philosophy of assisting people with disabilities to have the care they need and opportunities to enjoy life to the fullest.
Pamela Romer Nevergiveupper
Pam joined the board of Mid-Tn Supported Living in 2022. Pam began supporting persons with disabilities at Clover Bottom Developmental Center. She then transitioned to providing services in community-based agencies, providing direct care. She continued her affiliation with community agencies after moving to Los Angeles. Upon returning to the Nashville area, she worked in the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities as the Middle Tennessee Coordinator for Family Support, as the Director of Appeals and as an Intermediate Care Facilities (ICF) state surveyor. She and her husband have 4 children, 8 grandchildren and 1 great granddaughter. She is now retired and enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.