Tennessee Serious Mental Illness Resources & Helpful Info
The term serious mental illness (SMI) with psychosis refers to severe mental disorders that involve psychotic features and result in significant functional impairment. These disorders put an individual at high risk for criminalization and preventable tragedies such as victimization and suicide. Every state has different laws and policies around accessing treatment for SMI and some states have more resources and treatment options than others. Here you will find state-specific resources for navigating the SMI treatment system, an evaluation of local laws, as well as state SMI data and research.
Jump to section:
- Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (tn.gov) Resources and contacts
- Hospital Services (tn.gov) General resources and information about Regional Mental Health Institutes
- NAMI Tennessee (namitn.org) Support groups, training, information
- Disability Rights Tennessee (disabilityrightstn.org) Protection and advocacy for individuals with disabilities
- Homeless Information: Tennessee | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (hud.gov/states/tennessee) Shelter locator and links to local resources
- Tennessee Department of Correction Felony Offender Information (tn.gov) Search for a person in prison
- Tennessee Bar Association (tba.org) Legal assistance
How many people in Tennessee had SMI in 2025?
of adults had SMI in Tennessee.
of people with SMI received no treatment nationally.
of adults had SMI nationally.
State psychiatric hospital beds in Tennessee
2023 total beds: 550
- Civil beds: 467
- Forensic beds: 83
2023 beds per 100,000 people: 7.8
Click here for more information about state psychiatric hospital beds in Tennessee.
A minimum of 50 beds per 100,000 people is considered necessary to provide minimally adequate treatment for individuals with serious mental illness. Tennessee fails to meet this minimum standard.
For Additional Information
Data is a powerful tool to advocate for change. Curious about a specific data point in your state? Reach out to us at press@tac.org.
Fast Facts on SMI in Tennessee
Deinstitutionalization, outdated treatment laws, discriminatory Medicaid funding practices, and the prolonged failure by states to fund their mental health systems drive those in need of care into the criminal justice and corrections systems.
20%
8,820
550
16 to 1
2025 Tennessee State Mental Health Agency (SMHA) expenditures
Every state receives block grant funding from the federal government to provide mental health services to their community. Below is some information about how these dollars are spent and compares to other state spending.
$1,088,610,529
19%
$151.04
0%
Tennessee's Treatment Laws
TENN. CODE ANN. § 33-6-402. If an officer authorized to make arrests in the state, a licensed physician, a psychologist [designated as a health service provider], or a professional designated by the commissioner [to take actions and perform duties imposed by law upon physicians] has reason to believe that a person [meets the criteria for emergency evaluation], then the officer, physician, psychologist, or designated professional may take the person into custody without a civil order or warrant for immediate examination ... for certification of need for care and treatment. TENN. CODE ANN. § 33-6-401. IF AND ONLY IF (1) a person has a mental illness or serious emotional disturbance, AND (2) the person poses an immediate substantial likelihood of serious harm under § 33-6-501 because of the mental illness or serious emotional disturbance, THEN (3) the person may be detained … to obtain examination for certification of need for care and treatment. TENN. CODE ANN. § 33-6-403. IF AND ONLY IF (1) a person has a mental illness or serious emotional disturbance, AND (2) the person poses an immediate substantial likelihood of serious harm, under § 33-6-501, because of the mental illness or serious emotional disturbance, AND (3) the person needs care, training, or treatment because of the mental illness or serious emotional disturbance, AND (4) all available less drastic alternatives to placement in a hospital or treatment resource are unsuitable to meet the needs of the person, THEN (5) the person may be admitted and detained by a hospital or treatment resource for emergency diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment under this part.
TENN. CODE ANN. § 33-6-504. The parent, legal guardian, legal custodian, conservator, spouse, or a responsible relative of the person alleged to be in need of care and treatment, a licensed physician, a licensed psychologist [designated as a health service provider], a health or public welfare officer, an officer authorized to make arrests in the state, or the chief officer of a facility that the person is in, may file a complaint to require involuntary care and treatment of a person with mental illness or serious emotional disturbance under this part. TENN. CODE ANN. § 33-6-502. IF AND ONLY IF (1) a person has a mental illness or serious emotional disturbance, AND (2) the person poses a substantial likelihood of serious harm because of the mental illness or serious emotional disturbance, AND (3) the person needs care, training, or treatment because of the mental illness or serious emotional disturbance, AND (4) all available less drastic alternatives to placement in a hospital or treatment resource are unsuitable to meet the needs of the person, THEN (5) the person may be judicially committed to involuntary care and treatment in a hospital or treatment resource[.] TENN. CODE ANN. § 33-6-501. IF AND ONLY IF (1) (A) a person has threatened or attempted suicide or to inflict serious bodily harm on the person, OR (B) the person has threatened or attempted homicide or other violent behavior, OR (C) the person has placed others in reasonable fear of violent behavior and serious physical harm to them, OR (D) the person is unable to avoid severe impairment or injury from specific risks, AND (2) there is a substantial likelihood that such harm will occur unless the person is placed under involuntary treatment, THEN (3) the person poses a "substantial likelihood of serious harm" for purposes of this title.
TENN. CODE ANN. § 33-6-602. IF (1) on the basis of a review of the person's history before and during hospitalization, the hospital staff concludes that: (A) the person has a mental illness or serious emotional disturbance or has a mental illness or serious emotional disturbance in remission, (B) the person's condition resulting from mental illness or serious emotional disturbance is likely to deteriorate rapidly to the point that the person will pose a likelihood of serious harm under § 33-6-501 unless treatment is continued, (C) the person is likely to participate in outpatient treatment with a legal obligation to do so, (D) the person is not likely to participate in outpatient treatment unless legally obligated to do so, and (E) mandatory outpatient treatment is a suitable less drastic alternative to commitment, THEN (2) the person shall be eligible for discharge subject to the obligation to participate in any medically appropriate outpatient treatment, including, but not limited to, psychotherapy, medication, or day treatment, under a plan approved by the releasing facility and the outpatient qualified mental health professional.
Recommended updates to treatment laws
Amend Tenn. Code Ann. § 33-6-402 to authorize citizen right of petition for at least enumerated citizens, preferably any responsible adult, for emergency evaluation.
Amend Tenn. Code Ann. § 33-6-421 to remove the requirement for certification by more than one professional in the emergency evaluation process.
Amend Tenn. Code Ann. § 33-6-504 to authorize citizen right of petition for any responsible adult for inpatient commitment.
Amend Tenn. Code Ann. § 33-6-501(1)(d) to provide additional detail for interpretation of the grave disability standard and to remove the language requiring severe impairment, an unreasonably high risk of harm, to meet grave disability criteria.
Amend Tenn. Code Ann. § 33-6-501 to add psychiatric deterioration criteria or amend grave disability criteria to include it.
Amend Tenn. Code Ann. § 33-6-504 to specify in which court the petition for inpatient commitment shall be filed.
Amend Tenn. Code Ann. § 33-6-602 to (1) authorize referral directly from the community and (2) to authorize citizen right of petition for at least enumerated citizens, preferably any responsible adult, for outpatient commitment.
Amend Tenn. Code Ann. § 33-6-604 to require periodic reporting to court for outpatient commitment orders.
Amend Tenn. Code Ann. § 33-6-603 to require that a written treatment plan be submitted to the court for outpatient commitment orders.
Amend Tenn. Code Ann. § 33-6-621 to extend the duration of the first continued order for outpatient commitment beyond 180 days.
Adopt express procedures for the court to monitor uncontested AOT orders entered into voluntarily to give the benefit of court monitoring to all enrollees.