(a) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 33-2-421

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Department: means the department of mental health and substance abuse services. See Tennessee Code 33-2-402
  • Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Personal support services: means nursing consultation, education services, and other personal assistance services as defined by rule, which are provided to individuals with substantial limitation in two (2) or more major life activities in either their regular or temporary residences, but does not mean direct nursing services provided in connection with an acute episode of illness or injury. See Tennessee Code 33-2-402
  • Representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Service: includes any activity to prevent, treat, or ameliorate mental illness, serious emotional disturbance or alcohol or drug use which includes diagnosis, evaluation, residential assistance, training, habilitation, rehabilitation, prevention, treatment, counseling, case coordination, or supervision of persons with mental illness, alcohol and drug abuse issues and serious emotional disturbances. See Tennessee Code 33-2-402
  • Service recipient: means a person who is receiving service, has applied for service, or for whom someone has applied for or proposed service because the person has mental illness or serious emotional disturbance. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
  • signed: includes a mark, the name being written near the mark and witnessed, or any other symbol or methodology executed or adopted by a party with intention to authenticate a writing or record, regardless of being witnessed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Support: means any activity or resource that enables a service recipient to participate in a service for mental illness or serious emotional disturbance or in community life. See Tennessee Code 33-1-101
(1) “Personal support services agency” means a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, or a limited partnership that provides personal support services as defined in this part. “Personal support services agency” includes an entity that employs or subcontracts with individuals who provide personal support services to service recipients; and
(2) “Personal support services worker” means a person licensed as a personal support services agency, or an employee or an individual subcontracted by a personal support services agency who is providing personal support services pursuant to an arrangement between a service recipient and a personal support services agency.
(b) In addition to the standards and requirements for personal support services as established by rules adopted by the department, personal support services agencies shall comply with the requirements in this section.
(c) A personal support services agency shall provide to each service recipient a consumer notice before beginning service, which shall include, at a minimum, the following:

(1) The duties, responsibilities, obligations and legal liabilities of the personal support services agency, the personal support services worker, and the personal support services recipient. The description shall clearly set forth the service recipient’s responsibility, if any, for:

(A) Day-to-day supervision of the personal support services workers;
(B) Assigning duties to the personal support services worker;
(C) Hiring, firing and discipline of the personal support services worker;
(D) Provision of equipment or materials for use by the personal support services worker;
(E) Performing a criminal background check on the personal support services worker;
(F) Checking the personal support services worker’s references; and
(G) Ensuring credentials and appropriate licensure/certification of a personal support services worker; and
(2) A statement identifying the personal support services agency as an employer, or contractor, as applicable, of the personal support services worker along with the responsibility the personal support services agency will assume for the payment of the personal support services worker’s wages, including overtime pay for hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours in a workweek, taxes, social security, workers’ compensation and unemployment compensation payments.
(d) A personal support services agency shall provide a notice to each personal support services worker who is placed with a service recipient before the worker provides any service to the service recipient. The worker notice shall contain the following information:

(1) The relationship between the personal support services agency and the personal support services workers; and
(2) A description of the duties, responsibilities, obligations and legal liabilities of the personal support services agency, the service recipient, and the personal support services worker. That description shall include the following information:

(A) A statement identifying the employing or contracting personal support services agency as responsible for the payment of the personal support services worker’s wages, including overtime pay for hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours in a workweek, taxes, social security, unemployment and workers’ compensation insurance as prescribed by state and federal law; and
(B) A statement identifying which party will be responsible for the personal support services worker’s hiring, firing, discipline, day-to-day supervision, assignment of duties and provision of equipment or materials for use by the personal support services worker.
(e) The notices required under subsection (c) shall be signed by the service recipient or authorized representative and retained by the personal support services agency at its office for not less than two (2) years following termination of service.
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