S-1025.2 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5650
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1991 Regular Session
By Senators West, Wojahn, L. Smith, Niemi, Johnson, L. Kreidler, Amondson, Barr, Sutherland and Bauer.
Read first time February 13, 1991. Referred to Committee on Health & Long‑Term Care.
AN ACT Relating to community outreach for health; adding new sections to chapter 43.70 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that current health and social service outreach programs focus primarily on multimedia campaigns, telephone hotlines, and professional case finding and referrals. These programs may fail to address the access barriers experienced by high-risk groups, including low-income persons, ethnic minorities, teenagers, substance abusers, and individuals without family or informal supports. The legislature finds that active outreach programs using indigenous, nonprofessional community members and resources offer unique credibility and supports that cannot be duplicated by professional efforts or multimedia campaigns. The legislature further finds that indigenous community outreach programs achieve health improvements comparable or superior to professional or educational outreach programs.
The purpose of sections 1 and 2 of this act is to empower individuals, businesses, voluntary community organizations, and others to promote health and prevent illness and injury among high-risk groups in their local community through active outreach programs using indigenous, nonprofessional community members and resources.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The secretary shall assist local health departments in establishing pilot local community outreach for health programs using indigenous, nonprofessional community volunteers. Local health departments shall collaborate with local government and existing community-based organizations, including churches, voluntary philanthropic or service organizations, businesses, schools, community and migrant health clinics, other health care providers, existing local outreach programs, and other interested parties to: (1) Establish key local health objectives that address state health report priority health goals and the United States public health service year 2000 objectives; (2) identify geographic areas and population groups with substantial health hazards according to the key local health objectives established according to this section; and (3) develop and coordinate community outreach for health programs targeted toward key health objectives among at-risk geographic areas or groups.
Community outreach programs shall focus on direct contact and may provide support, education, referral, or other activities that facilitate access to public and private community resources according to individual or family need.
Available funding for community outreach for health programs shall be allocated in grants from the department of health based on broad community participation, potential for health improvements and community empowerment. Applications for grants must provide a fifty percent match of funds or in-kind resources from local government, community organizations, or other private sources. Volunteer hours may be counted against this match at the rate of five dollars per hour.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. If specific funding for this act, citing this act by bill number is not provided in the 1991 omnibus appropriations act, this act shall be null and void.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. Sections 1 and 2 of this act are each added to chapter 43.70 RCW.