BP BHEAD INT H

AN ACT Relating to a mental health service delivery systems pilot project; and adding new sections to chapter 71.24 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that continuous and accelerating pressures for efficiency and effectiveness in health care service delivery, coupled with the need to redefine how government works, necessitates the development of new approaches to service delivery that are resource sensitive, accessible, and maintain an effective continuum of care. To that end, the mental health service delivery system is not exempted from the pressures and needs to demonstrate a flexible, effective, and efficient use of scarce resources that meets the needs of a changing health care environment. The legislature further finds that the current complex set of rules and regulations, audited and administered at multiple levels of the mental health system, focuses primarily on the process of providing mental health services and does little to address consumer and system outcomes.

The legislature further finds that the compliance with process standards and the duplicative administering and monitoring of the standards reduce the amount of mental health services that are accessible to consumers. The legislature intends under sections 2 through 4 of this act to allow for development of new streamlined approaches to community-based mental health service delivery infused with incentives that reward efficiency, improve productivity, enhance positive outcomes for the consumers and the service delivery system, and effect a high-quality continuum of care.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The department of social and health services shall establish a comprehensive and collaborative pilot project within two distinct regional support networks and with local mental health service providers aimed at creating innovative and streamlined community mental health service delivery systems, in order to carry out the purposes set forth in section 1 of this act and to capture the diversity of the community mental health service delivery system.

The pilot projects must accomplish the following:

(1) Identification, review, and cataloging of all rules, regulations, duplicative administrative and monitoring functions, and other requirements that currently lead to inefficiencies in the community mental health service delivery system and, if possible, eliminate the requirements;

(2) The systematic and incremental development of a single system of accountability for all state-appropriated funds used to provide mental health services. Assessment must be made regarding the feasibility of also including federal and local funds into the single system of accountability;

(3) The elimination of process regulations and related contract and reporting requirements. In place of the regulations and requirements, a set of specific mutually agreed upon, nationally recognized outcomes for mental health clients must be developed and used to measure the performance of mental health service providers;

(4) Evaluation of the feasibility of contractual agreements between the department of social and health services and regional support networks and mental health service providers that link financial incentives to the success or failure of mental health service providers and regional support networks to meet outcomes established for mental health service clients; and

(5) An independent evaluation component to measure the success of the projects.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The pilot projects established in section 2 of this act must be fully implemented by July 1, 1995, with annual progress reports submitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature beginning November 1, 1994. In addition, the department of social and health services, the participating regional support networks, and the local mental health service providers shall report to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the legislature on the need for any changes in state statute, rule, policy, or procedure, and any change in federal statute, regulation, policy, or procedure to ensure the purposes specified in section 1 of this act are carried out.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. To carry out the purposes specified in section 1 of this act, the department of social and health services is encouraged to utilize its authority to immediately eliminate any unnecessary rules, regulations, standards, or contracts, to immediately eliminate duplication of audits or any other unnecessarily duplicated functions, and to seek any waivers of federal or state rules or regulations necessary to achieve the purpose of streamlining the mental health system and infusing it with incentives that reward efficiency, positive outcomes for clients, and quality services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Sections 1 through 4 of this act are each added to chapter 71.24 RCW.