About TN Caregiver Coalition
Our Mission
The mission of the Tennessee Caregiver Coalition is to be responsive to the needs of caregivers by providing relief and support services.
Our Vision
We envision a world in which caregivers are fully supported, connected and uplifted each day.
Our Organizational Values
Being a caregiver for your loved one can take a toll on your own health. It is important to find help to take care of your own physical, mental, and emotional needs.
A professional, friend, or family member who provides regular care for a child or person who is sick, elderly, or disabled.
Someone who gives caregivers a break by providing temporary care for a child or person who is sick, elderly, or disabled.
Still Not Sure?
It’s important that you identify yourself as a caregiver before you can begin finding resources to take care of YOU so that you can better take care of THEM.
Watch this video and see if any of these sound like your in-home story.
Complete your profile by taking a quick survey to help us identify your needs by learning more about you.
Respite is a period of rest and relief. It’s an opportunity for caregivers to have a break and take some time off for themselves.
Being a caregiver can be a very taxing and intensive job. Respite gives caregivers a chance to take some time for themselves, resulting in an enhanced quality of life.
Sometimes caregivers feel guilty accepting care. They also might not want others to take care of their loved ones, or they might feel that taking care is their responsibility. They also might not know about respite care or have the time to look into resources.
For caregivers of adults and children with special needs, respite can offer a chance for you to spend some time on your own. You could run errands, go to health appointments for yourself, take a nap, read a book, or just take a break and re-group which can leave you feeling refreshed. Making time for yourself can ultimately make you a better caregiver.
You can see more on our services page.
Your donation will help the TCC serve family caregivers. You can buy hours of respite time for a family caregiver for $5/hour.
Please mail your donation to:
Tennessee Caregiver Coalition
2603 Elm Hill Pike
Suite A
Nashville, TN 37214
Or call our office at (615) 269-8687 to make a donation.
During the month of November, the TCC hosts events around the state for National Family Caregiver Month. Many of these events need donations of door prizes or pampering items for caregivers.
Please call (615) 269-8687 for more information on how to donate items for caregivers.
You could become a TCC volunteer. Go to the Volunteer Opportunities page for more information on how to volunteer.
The Tennessee Caregiver Coalition (TCC) is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting family caregivers across Tennessee. Since becoming an independent 501(c)(3) organization in 2003, TCC has worked to ensure that caregivers have access to trusted information, respite resources, education, and connections that help them care for loved ones while also caring for themselves.
TCC’s roots reach back to a vision of expanding respite care and caregiver support throughout Tennessee. What began as a statewide information and referral initiative has grown into a network that serves caregivers of children, adults, older adults, and individuals with disabilities or chronic health conditions. Today, the Coalition continues to collaborate with community partners, healthcare providers, government agencies, and local organizations to strengthen caregiver support services across the state.
Beginning in 1996, a series of federal grants supported the development of a statewide caregiver information and referral service under the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS). After six years of successful operation, the program became an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in 2003, establishing what is now known as the Tennessee Caregiver Coalition.
Since its founding, TCC has remained committed to strengthening caregiver support across Tennessee through respite services, education, advocacy, and community partnerships.
The Tennessee Caregiver Coalition has benefited from the vision and leadership of dedicated executive directors who have guided the organization’s growth and impact:
One of the individuals whose leadership helped shape the foundation of the Tennessee Caregiver Coalition is Dr. Louise Barnes.
Dr. Barnes received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology in 1975 from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Her early work included projects with Dr. Nicholas Hobbs and with the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth.
She spent 29 years with the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), where she developed and oversaw programs focused on early childhood services and respite care. During the 1990s, Dr. Barnes pioneered planned respite services for families of children with serious emotional disturbances and helped establish programs throughout Tennessee to support these families.
Her work soon expanded into advancing respite services across the lifespan and for individuals with a wide range of disabilities. Beginning in 1996, she secured a series of federal grants that established and operated a statewide caregiver information and referral service. This successful initiative operated under TDMHSAS for six years before becoming the independent nonprofit now known as the Tennessee Caregiver Coalition in 2003.
Following her retirement from TDMHSAS, Dr. Barnes has continued to support the organization’s mission and growth. Her decades of leadership and dedication have helped shape caregiver services throughout Tennessee and have positively impacted countless families.
Dr. Megan Schwalm has served as President and CEO of the Tennessee Caregiver Coalition since 2019. She leads statewide initiatives that support caregivers through education, advocacy, respite, and community partnerships.
Dr. Schwalm earned her Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Public Health from the University of Iowa and brings more than fifteen years of nonprofit leadership experience to TCC. Before joining the Coalition, she served as Executive Director of two nonprofits dedicated to supporting individuals with disabilities and worked as a Community Organizer with organizations including Understood.org and the National Center for Learning Disabilities. She also served as an Adjunct Faculty member at the University of Iowa.
Passionate about building healthy, compassionate workplaces, Dr. Schwalm is committed to helping nonprofit organizations address compassion fatigue while strengthening support systems for caregivers and the professionals who serve them.
Outside of work, Dr. Schwalm enjoys creating art, traveling, reading, and spending quality time with her husband and their four children.
