Jenness Roth, family disability training coordinator at the UT-Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), was recently appointed to Tennesee Governor Bill Haslam’s Tennessee Council on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Roth will serve a three-year term alongside the heads of a variety of governmental agencies.
The purpose of the council is to establish a long-term plan for a system of care for individuals with ASD and their families.
The legislation charges the council to assess the current and future impact of ASD on Tennessee residents; assess the availability of programs and services currently provided for early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of ASD; seek additional input and recommendations from stakeholders, including, but not limited to, families, providers, clinicians, institutions of higher education, and those concerned with the health and quality of life for individuals with ASD; develop a comprehensive statewide plan for an integrated system of training, treatment, and services for individuals with ASD; ensure interagency collaboration as the comprehensive statewide system of care for individuals with ASD is developed and implemented; coordinate available resources related to developing and implementing a system of care for individuals with ASD; and coordinate state budget requests related to systems of care for individuals with ASD based on the studies and recommendations of the council.
Roth, who has been employed with UTHSC for eight years, was a 2014 recipient of the Chancellor’s Exempt Staff Award. She is also the parent of a 31-year-old son with ASD.