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OUR ISSUES
WHAT WE DO
At TJC we work to educate Tennesseans about how public programs work, what problems and gaps we see in our health safety net, and how these issues impact everyone in our state. From connecting the dots between health outcomes and childhood hunger, to working hand in hand to pursue a healthier future, we are working for you. We are here to help you cut through red tape barriers that stop too many Tennesseans from getting the assistance they need.
HEALTH JUSTICE
TJC works to ensure all Tennesseans have access to affordable healthcare. All of our work is inspired by the courage and generosity of the families and children we are privileged to serve. We pursue that vision by assisting over a thousand individual clients each year, enabling us to identify systemic barriers to care that broadly affect many other families. We advocate — in the courts, before government agencies, in the state legislature, and before Congress — for policy changes to address those barriers and to increase access to and affordability of healthcare in Tennessee.
CHILDREN'S HEALTH
TJC advocates for children across the state through advocacy, education, and client partnerships. We educate the public and policymakers about the importance of vital children’s healthcare programs, such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the need to preserve, protect and improve these programs to better meet the needs of children and families in Tennessee.
INDEPENDENCE
TJC’s Independence team works to support the dignity and independence of seniors and individuals with disabilities. More than half of Americans over the age of 65 will need long-term care at some point, either at home or in a nursing home. But this care is too expensive for all but the wealthiest older Tennesseans. We work to ensure that older adults and people with disabilities get the supports they need to be independent, healthy, and to participate in their communities, without red tape barriers standing in their way.
ANTI-HUNGER
Tennessee Justice Center is working to ensure that nutrition programs are the best they can be and that every Tennessean can put food on the table. One in seven Tennessee households is unsure of where their next meal will come from. We work with SNAP, WIC, school and summer meals programs to get Tennesseans enrolled and eradicate red tape barriers in these life saving programs.
HEALTH EQUITY
We believe every person regardless of their color, faith, gender, wealth status, background, ability, or other demographic deserve to live with dignity and health. We pursue health justice under the lens of equitable and compassionate inclusion. We know this work must center health equity as its touchstone and confront racism as a systemic barrier to the equitable allocation of resources among different groups.
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