Tennessee Nonprofit Network launched three Community Action Councils (CACs) in 2024 to serve as ambassadors for our organization and be our “ears to the ground” in their local communities to unearth community needs and challenges. You can learn more about the full roster of CAC members here.
As the Chief Innovation Officer at the Association of Infant Mental Health in Tennessee, Sarah Long acts as a nonprofit and social work leader across the state. Starting in infancy, focusing on families, and approaching the work through the lens of relational health is critical and impactful work. Her hope is that every time a child attends a service – whether it’s a pediatric visit, a day at his or her childcare center, a home visit, or a child welfare visit- that child’s social and relational health is impacted in positive ways.
Sarah graduated from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island in 2006 with a BA in Human Development. She then went on to achieve her Masters of Science in Social Work from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She practiced as a clinical therapist for a number of years, and this experience helped her to understand the needs that so many Tennessee families face when it comes to their health and well-being. She gained valuable knowledge and experience in infant mental health care, becoming endorsed as a Clinical Mentor in both Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health by the Association of Infant Mental Health in Tennessee (AIMHiTN). She also served on the Board of Directors for CASA of East Tennessee and the Advisory Council for AIMHiTN.
What excites you about the work that Tennessee Nonprofit Network is doing?
I love that nonprofit work impacts the lives of people in Tennessee.
What do you think the biggest challenges are for nonprofits right now?
Workforce instability – we still have gaps (vacancies), wage discrepancies, etc. We also need to attend to nonprofit leaders. During the “great resignation,” companies promoted people sooner than in the past due to a loss of experience in the workforce, and those new leaders need us.
What do you love about the nonprofits in your area?
I love that local nonprofits know their communities. They are embedded and part of their communities.
Describe your role at your organization and what a typical day looks like.
As the Chief Innovation Officer, I manage our fiscal processes. I write new grants and manage funding proposals. I support new projects getting off the ground. I manage our HR functions, marketing, and quality systems. I sit on a number of state-wide collaborations that support infant and early childhood mental health systems.
What do you like to do for fun?
I love reading, spending time with my kids, hanging with my two puppies.
Name a nonprofit leader that inspires you.
April Scott inspires me. She works for Centerstone. She is innovative and always open to new possibilities. She has good principles (strengths and resiliency focused for instance) and holds those principles in what she does.
If someone were to visit you, where would you take them to eat?
Seasons Innovating Bar and Grill in Turkey Creek (Knoxville)
What’s your favorite movie?
Pride and Prejudice (Kiera Knightly version). I love the beauty of it. I love the nuances.
Any book recommendations?
I read a lot of fantasy! Right now I’m reading my first Brandon Sanderson books (Mistborn Trilogy). I recommend the Throne of Glass series as well.
What change do you most want to see in the nonprofit sector?
I want to see a steadier workforce that feels well-paid, supported, well-trained, and ready for the work.