Tennessee DCS details contracted residential case managers, seeks funding for assessment-treatment beds

At a Finance, Ways, and Means budget hearing, Commissioner Glenn of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services said the agency’s budget is about $1,500,000,000 and that roughly 44% of that budget comes from the state, about 11% from the federal government and the remainder from TennCare matching, as members questioned staffing, caseloads and residential services.

Commissioner Glenn said contracted case managers “are serving our foster care families and carrying cases, which is helping us reduce the caseloads and helping us remain in compliance.” He contrasted those contractors with “specially trained residential case managers” who will “work out of the transitional homes and help us manage the behavioral issues that are going on in the transitional home.”

The distinction matters because the agency is seeking funding in its proposed budget to expand assessment-treatment capacity. Representative Hicks noted the budget includes $11,300,000 “to extend the beds to, so you can serve 48 new” children; Commissioner Glenn confirmed the agency is requesting those funds and said there are 72 assessment-treatment beds in operation now.

Glenn said the target length of stay in assessment-treatment beds is about 30 days but that current average stays remain at roughly 38 days. “We would prefer that number be right at 30 days,” he said, and added the agency is working with providers to shorten assessment timelines.

On caseloads, Glenn said the statewide picture varies by region. Davidson County, he said, is “hovering in the low thirties” for caseworkers’ active caseloads; when he joined the agency in September 2022 the average caseload was about 96. He said South Central is “in the mid twenties,” and that the only area currently out of caseload compliance is Northeast, which already has residential case management in place.

Representative Vaughn and other members pressed on pay and support for child advocacy centers and forensic interviewers. Glenn outlined comparative pay bands for investigators and related staff: “our starting salary for DCS case manager is 38,000,” he said, noting midpoint pay is about $48,000 and hotspot salary ranges at “50,000, 600” (as stated). He said forensic interviewers are at about $35,000 and that budgeted figures include attempts to close those gaps.

Members also asked about liability when private case managers make mistakes; Commissioner Glenn answered directly that the state is liable for those private workers’ actions under the current contracting arrangement.

Why it matters: DCS said contracted and residential case managers are intended to reduce caseloads and improve services for children in transitional and foster settings. The requested assessment-treatment-bed funding and the staffing mix the agency described affect capacity to place children in clinically appropriate settings and to keep caseworkers within compliance limits.

The committee did not take formal votes on these items during the hearing. Agency staff and members said budget hearings would continue the following day and that more detailed budget numbers and follow-up data would be provided to the committee.