Specifications include, but are not limited to: The mission of the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services is to act in the best interest of Tennessee’s children and youth. Having a well-supported, quality, formal assessment process is imperative in determining the strengths and needs of the families served by the Department thereby helping ensure that the needs of children and youth can be met. The Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS); Family Advocacy and Support Tool (FAST); and Toddler and Infant Strengths and Needs (TINS) are the formalized assessments used by Department that align with DCS policy, current Practice Model, and the Family First Five-Year Prevention Services Plan. The Department is seeking a provider to maintain a statewide infrastructure to assist the State in its effort to implement these assessment tools. Responsibilities include a wide range of activities including: • Deploying Assessment Consultants in each service region of the state, • Training and recertification of DCS staff on assessment tools, • Conducting third-party reviews of assessments, and • Collecting, managing, and analyzing assessment data.
