Every year we shine a spotlight on talented professionals who support Tennessee Disability Pathfinder. From helping us increase engagement and expanding audiences to assisting us with providing disability resource information and support to individuals and families in Tennessee, these folks have gone above and beyond! We want to recognize and reward the efforts and continued support of those community collaborators who contribute to the growth of Pathfinder and our service to the disability community.
The Process
Nominees are determined by criteria for each award (see below). Once nominees are decided, all team members cast their ballots in any category. Nominees are then notified via email of their nominations and announced on social media. The winners are announced during a LIVE presentation on social media during December.
Winners of these prestigious awards receive:
- an official award letter,
- a printable Award Certificate,
- a Pathfinder Pack (filled with the newest Pathfinder swag & a small gift),
- a write-up in The Compass January newsletter,
- an announcement posted on our media page, and
- social media coverage announcing the winner with their organization’s logo and contact information.
For more information about The Compass Awards email us at TNPathfindermedia@vumc.org.
The Compass Contributors Award
The Contributors Award goes to the individual or organization that contributed most to Pathfinder’s communications through outstanding content via newsletter and social media engagement.
Criteria:
- Willingness to provide articles for The Compass Newsletter (without prompting or hesitation)
- Quantity and quality of article submissions and social media content
- Analytical data showing the engagement of our readers to contributions.
The I & R Awards (New)
The Information & Referral Award (I & R Award) & Information & Referral Multicultural Award goes to the individual or organization that assists Pathfinder through their outstanding collaboration in connecting people to Pathfinder and serving as a valuable provider for individuals needing services.
Criteria:
- Willingness to assist Pathfinder staff in meeting the resource needs of individuals we serve.
- The number of referrals to Pathfinder
- Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusive practices.
2024 Compass Award Winners
The winner of the 2024 Compass Contributors Award is Carolyn Naifeh, Our Place Nashville!
Our Place Nashville empowers adults with developmental disabilities by providing homes that are affordable, work that is meaningful, and inclusive communities in which to live. To find out more about this program click the link above.
Our Place Nashville provides these friends with opportunities to live interdependently in a community that houses both able and disabled residents. The resident friends live alongside graduate students and older adults (“companions”), also in need of affordable housing, who provide them with natural supports. They are the only private pay provider of affordable housing for adults with developmental disabilities in middle Tennessee.
Currently, they have four Friendship Houses, where able and disabled individuals create a supportive, integrated environment, one in which residents become more like family members than housemates over time. The word “house” is somewhat of a misnomer as their first two houses are individual, apartment-style living while houses 3 and 4 are shared living and are more like a traditional “house”.
Residents participate in group educational and recreational activities.
Carolyn Naifeh is the Executive Director for Our Place Nashville.
Additional Nominees:
The winner of the 2024 Compass Information & Referral Award is Center for Decision Making Support!
The Tennessee Center for Decision Making Support exists to provide easy-to-understand, accurate information about all decision-making support options for people with disabilities, in one place. The Center’s resources can benefit all ages and families.
Supported decision-making refers to the idea that a person has the right to make decisions to the full extent of their capacity, even as they get needed support. The center provides information, resources, and tools related to decision-making support options such as Conservatorship, Durable Power of Attorney, Power of Attorney, Health Care Directive, Healthcare Surrogate, ABLE Account, Special Needs Trust, and Will.
The center is a collaborative effort by The Arc Tennessee, Tennessee’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, and Disability Rights Tennessee.
Additional Nominees:
The winner of the 2024 Compass Multicultural Information & Referral Award is El Jefe Radio Station!
El Jefe Radio is the first Latin X radio station in Nashville, Tennessee serving all of Middle Tennessee and part of Georgia, Kentucky and Alabama. WMGC El Jefe can be listed to on 96.7FM, 105.3FM & 810AM.
Additional Nominees:
Click here to see the awards provided to our 2023 award winners. 2024 Awards coming soon…