The Behavioral Health Safety Net in TN is a state-funded program that provides free outpatient mental health care to uninsured Tennessee residents who have a qualifying mental health diagnosis and no other way to pay for treatment. It is run by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) and delivered through 15 contracted community mental health agencies with roughly 149 locations across all 95 counties.1Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Behavioral Health Safety Net It is not health insurance, and it is not part of TennCare.
Who Qualifies as an Adult
An adult applicant (18 or older) must be a Tennessee resident and a U.S. citizen or qualified alien, have a household income at or below 138% of the federal poverty level, carry a qualifying mental health diagnosis, lack private insurance that covers behavioral health (or have exhausted those benefits for the year), and have been determined ineligible for TennCare. People who are currently incarcerated or living in a long-term inpatient or residential facility do not qualify.2Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Safety Net Eligibility Requirements
Adults with Medicare Part B are a special case. They can still receive a limited package of five services: case management, peer support, psychosocial rehabilitation, medication training and support, and transportation.2Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Safety Net Eligibility Requirements
Who Qualifies as a Child
Children ages 3 through 17 face no income test. The child must be a Tennessee resident and a U.S. citizen or qualified alien, carry a qualifying mental health diagnosis, and have been determined ineligible for TennCare or have a completed TennCare application on file. Children in state legal custody or in long-term residential facilities are not eligible.
Insurance status is treated more flexibly for children than for adults. A child with private or commercial coverage, or with CoverKids, may still receive some BHSN services if the plan does not cover behavioral health or those benefits have already been used up for the year.3TN Voices. BHSN
What Services Are Covered
BHSN covers outpatient mental health care. The core services for adults are:
- Assessment and evaluation to establish a diagnosis and treatment plan
- Individual, family, and group therapy
- Psychiatric medication management
- Lab work tied to medication management
- Pharmacy assistance and coordination, including help accessing medications through manufacturer programs and enrollment in CoverRx, a TennCare-administered prescription program for uninsured adults ages 18 to 64. BHSN itself does not pay for prescriptions.2Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Safety Net Eligibility Requirements
Depending on the provider, additional services such as peer support, psychosocial rehabilitation, and transportation assistance may also be available. Children receive a comparable set of services with the addition of case management.4Volunteer Behavioral Health Care System. The Behavioral Health Safety Net
Some things to know about the limits. BHSN does not pay for inpatient hospitalization. Based on the program’s own eligibility and service descriptions, it also does not cover substance use disorder treatment as a standalone benefit; that care is handled through separate TDMHSAS programs.2Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Safety Net Eligibility Requirements Crisis and emergency psychiatric care are also outside BHSN; see the crisis section below.
How to Apply
There is no central online application. Enrollment happens through the provider you plan to see.
- Find a BHSN community mental health provider in your area. TDMHSAS publishes the full list of 15 contracted agencies and their phone numbers.5Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Safety Net Provider Contact List
- Call the provider and schedule an intake appointment.
- At the intake, tell staff you want to apply for the Behavioral Health Safety Net.6Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Apply BHSN Children
Provider staff can help you complete a TennCare application if that step hasn’t been done yet, and the provider will assess whether you meet the diagnostic requirement if you don’t already carry a qualifying diagnosis.
Bring documentation to the intake. Expect to show proof of U.S. citizenship or qualified alien status, proof of Tennessee residency, proof of income, and proof of your insurance situation, such as a TennCare denial letter or paperwork showing that your plan’s behavioral health benefits have been exhausted.7Covenant Health – Peninsula. Behavioral Health Safety Net
For general questions about the program, the TDMHSAS helpline is 800-560-5767, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where You Can Get Care
The 15 contracted providers are independent community mental health agencies, not state-run clinics, and they cover the state geographically. Centerstone of Tennessee serves a large portion of Middle and East Tennessee, including Nashville and Chattanooga. The McNabb Center and Peninsula (Parkwest Medical Center) cover much of the Knoxville region. Frontier Health serves the far northeast and the Tri-Cities. In West Tennessee, Alliance Healthcare Services and Professional Care Services cover the Memphis area, with Pathways and Quinco serving the rural counties between Memphis and Nashville. Volunteer Behavioral Health covers a wide stretch of Middle and Southeast Tennessee, Mental Health Cooperative operates in several metro counties, and TN Voices provides children’s services in the Nashville and Jackson areas.5Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Safety Net Provider Contact List
If your county has no nearby BHSN office, you can receive services by telehealth or at a location in a neighboring county. In FY25, the program served 34,544 adults and 2,038 children.1Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Behavioral Health Safety Net
If You Need Help Right Now
BHSN is an outpatient program and does not handle mental health emergencies. Tennessee operates a separate crisis system, also funded through TDMHSAS, that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week in every county. It includes the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, staffed by locally based Tennessee counselors, along with mobile crisis teams, walk-in crisis centers, and short-term crisis stabilization units.8Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Crisis Services If you or someone you know is in a mental health emergency, call or text 988.