NEWS FROM PATHFINDER By Melissa Fortson
HURRICANE KATRINA RESOURCES AT
WWW.FAMILYPATHFINDER.ORG
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many
people with disabilities were not able to
leave the Gulf Coast and are still being
affected by power outages. Some are
scattered and still unaccounted for, and
others may be cut off from needed
supports and services–for example, Katrina
devastated the local chapter of United
Cere b ral Palsy in New Orleans, virtually
ceasing services to many in need of 24-
hour supports. Here in Tennessee, where
emergency management officials estimate
the total number of evacuees to be
approximately 20,000, Tennessee Disability
Pathfinder has developed a collection of
resourcesto help them at
www.familiypathfinder.org.
“ Pathfinder created this Web-based
collection of resources because of
evacuees who have contacted us needing
services,” said Carole Moore-Slater,
Pathfinder director. “ Pathfinder can provide
evacuees with information they will need
during their time in Tennessee, from where
to find specialized equipment, such as
wheelchairs, to what kinds of adult day
services are available and how to enroll
their children in special education
programs.”
By going to www.familypathfinder.org and
clicking on “Hurricane Resources ,” users
can access information that includes
emergency management agencies and
education, employment, equipment,
financial assistance, health care, insurance,
long-term care, shelter, social security
disability, transportation and more.
Pathfinder’s Hurricane Resources page is
updated frequently, and additions,
corrections, or suggestions may be sent to
tnpathfinder@ vanderbilt. edu. Tennessee
Disability Pathfinder Staff is also available to
provide telephone assistance (see “For
Further Information” below).
HEALTH CARE SERVICES:
THE PATHFINDER CONNECTION
Due to the recent changes in TennCare, a
health insurance program for certain people
who live in Tennessee, many people are
currently struggling as they face the
reduction or loss of their health insurance
coverage. Tennessee Disability Pathfinder
can help TennCare disenrollees and others
without health insurance by connecting
them with helping resources. Some of
these helping connections include:
• Low-cost primary care clinics
• Local health departments
• Programs that provide medical, dental,
mental health and substance abuse
services for uninsured persons
• TennCare advocacy
• Transportation to medical services
• Prescription assistance programs
• Insurance assistance progra m s
To be connected to a re s o u rce in your are a ,
contact Tennessee Disability Pathfinder
(see “ For Further Information” below).
Users may also search for Health Care
Services using the Pathfinder database
at www.familypathfinder.org .
FACES OF PATHFINDER
Melissa Fortson has joined the Pathfinder
staff as its disability re s o u rce specialist. A
magna cum laude
graduate of The
University of the South
(Sewanee), Melissa is
certified as an
Information and
Resource Specialist by
the Alliance of
Information and Referral Systems (AIRS). As
Pathfinder's resources specialist, she is
responsible for activities associated with
the Tennessee Disability Services and
Supports Directory and maintains the
Pathfinder database and Web site, which
include over 1600 agencies and 4000
Tennessee and national agencies.
Immediately prior to joining Pathfinder, she
served as the information & re s o u rc e
specialist at the Greater Nashville Area
Agency on Aging & Disability (GNAAAD).
Melissa joins Christina Jensen, part- time
social work student, Mayra Yu Morales ,
part-time disability community outreach
worker, Claudia Avila-Lopez , bilingual
social worker, and Carole Moore-Slater,
program dire c t o r.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Tennessee Disability Pa t h f i n d e r
(615) 322-8529 (Nashville are a )
(800) 640-4636 (toll-free)
(800) 273-9595 (TTY)
www.familypathfinder.org
tnpathfinder@vanderbilt.edu