Self-Advocacy and Person-Centered Planning

 

What is Self-Advocacy?

Self-advocacy is setting goals, making decisions, speaking up for oneself, solving problems, and understanding the support one needs.

What is Person-centered planning (PCP)?

Person-centered planning involves tailoring transition planning to meet the individual’s needs, strengths, preferences, and goals.

To learn more about self-advocacy and person-centered planning, check out this video:

State and Local Level Resources:

Legal advocacy, community organizations, education/transition services. Below, we share some relevant resources in Tennessee.
All resource descriptions are derived from the respective organizations.

The Arc Tennessee: People First TN

People First is a place for self-advocates and those who support the disability community, including family members, friends, direct support professionals, service coordinators, and anyone wanting to make a difference. People First is a catalyst for addressing issues affecting people with disabilities to lead lives of their own choosing, be free from poverty, be employed, reside in the community, and live independently with access to necessary supports. The People First Leadership Manual offers history, activities, and information to help self-advocates move toward their advocacy goals.
(615) 248-5878 or toll free (800) 835-7077
Email: info@thearctn.org

Tennessee Disability Coalition (TDC)

The Tennessee Disability Coalition is an alliance of organizations and individuals joined to promote the full and equal participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of life.
(615) 383-9442
Email: coalition@tndisability.org

Family Voices of Tennessee

Family Voices of Tennessee, a program of the Tennessee Disability Coalition, provides emotional and educational support to the families of children with special healthcare needs, chronic illnesses, or disabilities. To reach these families on what can be a lifelong, complex healthcare journey with their child, Family Voices of Tennessee has created a unique network of experienced staff and volunteers who have personal experience navigating the healthcare journey of an individual with a special healthcare need, chronic illness, or disability.
(615) 383-9442
Email: familyvoices@tndisability.org

Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT)

Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT) is a non-profit agency that assists, advocates for, and protects the rights of Tennesseans living with disabilities and/or mental illness. DRT is also the Protection & Advocacy (P&A) and ClientAssistance Program (CAP) in Tennessee.
Tip: Contact DRT for legal rights questions or concerns about discrimination or denied services.
Middle Tennessee (Admin Office): (615) 298-2046
East Tennessee: (865) 670-2944
West Tennessee: (901) 302-1980
Email: GetHelp@disabilityrightstn.org

Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities

The TN Council on Developmental Disabilities exists to improve services and supports to make life better for people with developmental disabilities and their families.

We build bridges between the experiences of real people with disabilities and the policies and service systems that affect their lives. We see the big picture across government programs to help connect dots and fill gaps to meet real needs. We use these connections to make change toward greater inclusion, independence, and self-determination for people with disabilities in Tennessee.
(615) 532-6615
Email: tnddc@tn.gov

TN STEP

The PACER Center has created a set of short videos in multiple languages that address parents’ common questions and concerns about advocating for their child with a disability at school and beyond. Tip sheets are also available in English and Spanish and can be found in the video’s description.
(423) 639-0125
Email: gethelp@tnstep.info

Tennessee Disability Pathfinder

Pathfinder is a great resource to search for:

• Local advocacy organizations
• Peer support groups
• Parent training centers
• Disability organizations

1-800-640-4636
Email: tnpathfinder@vumc.org

Advocacy Tips:

1. Prepare Before Meetings

• Write down questions
• Gather important documents
• Review goals, concerns, and strengths
• Practice what you want to say

2. Communicate Clearly

Use:

• Simple, direct language
• Examples of what works or doesn’t work
• “I” statements: “I am concerned that…”
• A focus on strengths

3. Stay Organized

Keep a binder with:

• Evaluations
• IEPs
• Medical reports
• Notes from meetings
• Names and contact information for providers

4.  Follow Up in Writing

After meetings, send a follow-up email summarizing:

• What was discussed
• Next steps
• Timelines
• Questions that were not answered

5.  Bring Support if Needed

You can bring:

• A friend or family member
• Advocate
• Counselor
• Case manager

6.  Self-Advocacy Tips

Teach individuals to:

• Express preferences
• Ask questions
• Request accommodations
• Say when they don’t understand something
• Practice ahead of time using role-play

When in doubt:

If you are looking for more advocacy-related services and programs, search topics of interest on the Tennessee Disability Pathfinder website.

Sometimes, it can be hard to know where to start in Pathfinder. If you are struggling to understand how to find resources related to self-advocacy, here are some step-by-step directions:

• Start at the main page (link) and click “advocacy.”
• Click next
• Select the stage of life – Transition/Young Adult
• Click next
• Select the diagnosis that you or the individual identifies with/has
• Click next
• Choose the appropriate payment option that fits your needs
• Click next
• Select the appropriate city or search by your city and/or address
• Take time and navigate the resulting resources to further find what fits your specific

Self-Reflection Guide  (button to pdf?)

To recommend other helpful resources, please send suggestions to ucedd@vumc.org.

(Data last reviewed: Jan 2026)

The ASSIST videos were supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH116058, PI: Taylor) and (R03 MH129757, PI: Burke).