AN ACT Relating to the distribution of grants to counties under the community mental health services act; amending RCW 71.24.035; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1. Section 4, chapter 204, Laws of 1982 as amended by section 3, chapter 274, Laws of 1986 and RCW 71.24.035 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The department is designated as the state mental health authority.

(2) The secretary may provide for public, client, and licensed service provider participation in developing the state mental health program.

(3) The secretary shall provide for participation in developing the state mental health program for children by including children's representatives on any committee established to provide oversight to the state mental health program.

(4) The secretary shall be designated as the county authority if a county fails to meet state minimum standards or refuses to exercise responsibilities under RCW 71.24.045.

(5) The secretary shall:

(a) Develop a biennial state mental health program that incorporates county biennial needs assessments and county mental health service plans and state services for mentally ill adults and children. The secretary may also develop a six-year state mental health plan;

(b) Assure that any county community mental health program provides access to treatment for the county's residents in the following order of priority: (i) The acutely mentally ill; (ii) the chronically mentally ill; and (iii) the seriously disturbed. Such programs shall provide:

(A) Outpatient services;

(B) Emergency care services for twenty-four hours per day;

(C) Day treatment for mentally ill persons which includes training in basic living and social skills, supported work, vocational rehabilitation, and day activities. Such services may include therapeutic treatment. In the case of a child, day treatment includes age-appropriate basic living and social skills, educational and prevocational services, day activities, and therapeutic treatment;

(D) Screening for patients being considered for admission to state mental health facilities to determine the appropriateness of admission;

(E) Consultation and education services; and

(F) Community support services for acutely and chronically mentally ill persons which include: (I) Discharge planning for clients leaving state mental hospitals, other acute care inpatient facilities, inpatient psychiatric facilities for persons under twenty-one years of age, and other children's mental health residential treatment facilities; (II) sufficient contacts with clients, families, schools, or significant others to provide for an effective program of community maintenance; and (III) medication monitoring.

(c) Develop and promulgate rules establishing state minimum standards for the management and delivery of mental health services including, but not limited to:

(i) Licensed service providers;

(ii) County administration;

(iii) Information required to assure accountability of services delivered to the mentally ill; and

(iv) Residential and inpatient services, if a county chooses to provide such optional services;

(d) Assure coordination of services consistent with state minimum standards for individuals who are released from a state hospital into the community to assure a continuum of care;

(e) Assure that the special needs of minorities, the elderly, disabled, and low-income persons are met within the priorities established in subsection (5)(b) of this section;

(f) Establish a standard contract or contracts, consistent with state minimum standards, which shall be used by the counties;

(g) Establish, to the extent possible, a standardized auditing procedure which minimizes paperwork requirements of county authorities and licensed service providers;

(h) Develop and maintain an information system to be used by the state and counties which shall include a tracking method which allows the department to identify mental health clients' participation in any mental health service or public program. The information system shall not include individual patient's case history files. Confidentiality of client information and records shall be maintained as provided in RCW 71.05.390, 71.05.400, 71.05.410, 71.05.420, 71.05.430, and 71.05.440;

(i) License service providers who meet state minimum standards;

(j) Establish criteria to evaluate the performance of counties in administering mental health programs as established under this chapter. Evaluation of community mental health services shall include all categories of illnesses treated, all types of treatment given, the number of people treated, and costs related thereto; and

(k) Prior to September 1, 1982, adopt such rules as are necessary to implement this chapter pursuant to chapter 34.04 RCW: PROVIDED, That such rules shall be submitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature for review and comment prior to adoption.

(6) The secretary shall use available resources appropriated specifically for community mental health programs only for programs under RCW 71.24.045.

(7) (a) The department shall ((~~propose in its biennial budget document the formulas used to distribute available resources to county authorities for the priorities listed in subsection (5)(b) of this section~~)) use a distribution formula that results in a final figure for each county that reflects, for eighty percent of the formula, the population-in-need based on age-adjusted prevalence and, for twenty percent of the formula, demographic indicators of disturbance. The formula shall be based on the needs assessment required by RCW 71.24.045(1).

(b) Within available funds, the department shall initially grant each county an amount equal to ninety percent of the grant the county received during fiscal year 1983. All additional funds shall be allocated pursuant to the distribution formula under (a) of this subsection.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect July 1, 1987.