Office of Civil Rights

Overview

 Title VI, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq., was enacted as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. The State of Tennessee became the first state to pass legislation enforcing Title VI compliance in all of its departments, programs, and agencies. Accordingly, DDA and providers who contract with DDA to provide services are required to comply with Title VI and must not exclude, deny benefits to, or otherwise discriminate against any applicant for services or person supported based on race, color or national origin in the admission to or participation in any of its programs and activities.

DDA’s Office of Civil Rights has been given authority and jurisdiction to investigate and handle civil rights complaints related directly to the provision of services by DDA or provider agencies who contract with DDA to provide services. If you believe that someone has been denied access to, or is being discriminated against in the provision of, a DDA program or service, please contact either: (1) the Title VI Coordinator or the Title VI Representative for the provider agency; (2) either the Regional Title VI Coordinator for the Region where you are located [see “Contact information” tab] or the Central Office Title VI Coordinator at dda.ocr@tn.gov; (3) the Tennessee Human Rights Commission [https://www.tn.gov/humanrights/file-a-discrimination-complaint.html]; or (4) the federal government through the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/race/index.html]. 

Regional Contact Information

 

 

West Region

Janet Neihoff, RN
Program Director

(731) 423-5889

Janet.Neihoff@tn.gov

225 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Fourth Floor, Tower B
Jackson, TN  38301

Service Area:

  • Benton
  • Carroll
  • Chester
  • Crockett
  • Decatur
  • Dyer
  • Fayette
  • Gibson
  • Hardeman
  • Hardin
  • Haywood
  • Henderson
  • Henry
  • Lake
  • Lauderdale
  • McNairy
  • Madison
  • Obion
  • Shelby
  • Tipton
  • Weakley

Middle Region

Penar Shemssulldin​,
​Title VI Coordinator

(615) 884-1919 

Penar.Shemssulldin@tn.gov

Stamps Building, 2nd Floor #21
291 Stewarts Ferry Pike, Nashville, TN 37243
 

Service Area:

  • Bedford
  • Cannon
  • Cheatham
  • Clay
  • Coffee
  • Davidson
  • DeKalb
  • Dickson
  • Fentress
  • Franklin
  • Giles
  • Grundy
  • Hickman
  • Houston
  • Humphreys
  • Jackson
  • Lawrence
  • Lewis
  • Lincoln
  • Macon
  • Marshall
  • Putnam
  • Sumner
  • Stewart
  • Trousdale
  • Van Buren
  • Warren
  • Wayne
  • White
  • Williamson
  • Wilson

East Region

Tammy Green,
​Title VI Coordinator

(423) 787-6491

Tammy.R.Green@tn.gov

East Regional Office - Greeneville 
P.O. Box 130
Afton TN 37616

Service Area:

  • Anderson
  • Bledsoe
  • Blount
  • Bradley
  • Campbell
  • Claiborne
  • Carter
  • Cocke
  • Cumberland
  • Grainger
  • Greene
  • Hancock
  • Hamilton
  • Hamblen
  • Hawkins
  • Jefferson
  • Johnson
  • Knox
  • Loudon
  • Marion
  • McMinn
  • Meigs
  • Monroe
  • Morgan
  • Polk
  • Rhea
  • Roane
  • Scott
  • Sevier
  • Sullivan
  • Unicoi
  • Union
  • Washington.


Central Office

Office of Civil Rights
(800) 535-9725
DDA.ocr@tn.gov