Our History
A Historical Timeline of Emory Valley Center1955: A group of Oak Ridge and Clinton parents, wanting a better world for their children with disabilities, chartered the Oak Ridge Council for Retarded Children (ORCRC) and started a school for intellectually disabled children in a metal barracks building donated by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC)
1958-1959: ORCRC raised money for a new building and the AEC gave them 3 acres of land in 1958 for a school that was completed in 1959
1961: The AEC donated seven more acres and the Daniel Arthur Rehabilitation Center (DARC) was started. This building was adjacent to the original Emory Valley School for Retarded Children and some of their functions were merged
1966: As many of the students at DARC and the Emory Valley School became adults, additional services were added to emphasize vocational training
1971: A new sheltered workshop was built on land donated by the City of Oak Ridge across the street from DARC. The center for adults was known as the Community Services for Exceptional Citizens (CSEC)
1973: Emory Valley Center began providing Residential Services
1991: In January, the name of the agency changed from CSEC to Emory Valley Center (EVC) and began providing Early Intervention Services
1995: Emory Valley Center opened a satellite Day Program in Morgan County called the Advantage Center
2010: Early Learning Center received five-year accreditation by the National Association for the Education for Young Children (NAEYC)
2012: Contracted with Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) to provide CHOICES Services
2014: Received accreditation by the Council on Quality and Leadership (CQL)
2015: Celebrated 60 years of Support and Services
2016: Employment and Community First Services Waiver Services began
2017: The Caldwell-Thompson Building Opens for Services
2019: Behavioral Health Services began
2020: Katie Beckett Services began
2021: Received three-year Technology First accreditation by SHIFT for Enabling Technology
2023: Medicaid Alternative Pathways to Independence Services (MAPs) began
Emory Valley Center is licensed by: Tennessee Department of Health, Tennessee Department of Human Services, Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Emory Valley Center is funded through: Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Human Services (Division of Rehabilitative Services), Managed Care Organizations, Corporate and Individual Donations, Grants, Fundraising Events, United Way of Anderson County