"NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature recognizes that the use of evidence-based practices plays a very important role in the delivery of services to children and juveniles. Especially in times of diminished resources, it is critical to fund practices which are known to provide desired outcomes rather than continue to expend moneys on programs that may be familiar but less effective.
     (2) Evidence-based practices or programs are those that are cost-effective and include at least two randomized or statistically controlled evaluations demonstrating that the program or practice is effective in obtaining improved outcomes for its intended population.
     (3) The legislature intends that prevention and intervention services delivered to children and juveniles in the areas of mental health, child welfare, and juvenile justice must be primarily evidence-based, and it is anticipated that such services will be provided in a manner that is culturally competent.
     (4) The legislature also acknowledges that baseline information is not presently available regarding the extent to which evidence-based practices are presently available and in use in the areas of mental health, child welfare, and juvenile justice; the cost of those practices; their effectiveness relative to other standard treatment protocols upon which statistically controlled evaluations have not been completed; and the most effective strategies and appropriate time frames for expecting their broader use. Thus, it would be unwise to establish specific requirements and time frames for widespread implementation without further analysis and discussion.
     (5) It is the intent of the legislature that the department of social and health services will ensure that an expansion of the use of evidence-based practices be accomplished to the extent possible with existing resources by coordinating the purchase of evidence-based services, the development of a trained workforce and the implementation of a system of care that supports evidence-based practices by the juvenile rehabilitation administration, the division of behavioral health and recovery services, and the children's administration.
     (6) The legislature recognizes that in order to effectively provide evidence-based practices, contractors must have a workforce trained in these programs, and there must be an evaluation of the outcomes from their use. For purposes of this act, "contractors" does not include county probation staff that provide evidence-based programs.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The department of social and health services shall accomplish the following in consultation and collaboration with the Washington state institute for public policy, the evidence-based practice institute at the University of Washington, a university-based child welfare partnership and research entity, other national experts in the delivery of evidence-based services, and organizations representing Washington practitioners in each of the service areas:
     (1) By September 30, 2012, the department shall publish descriptive definitions of evidence-based and research-based practices in the areas of child welfare, juvenile rehabilitation, and children's mental health services.
     (2) By June 30, 2013, the department shall complete a baseline assessment of the extent to which evidence-based and research-based practices are in place in the state in the areas of child welfare, juvenile rehabilitation, and children's mental health services. The assessment shall include estimates of (a) the number of children receiving each service; (b) the total amount of state and federal funds expended on the service; (c) the relative availability of the service in the various regions of the state; and (d) the number of children served by state programs who would significantly benefit from but who do not presently have access to the service.
     (3) By December 1, 2013, the department shall report to the governor and to the appropriate fiscal and policy committees of the legislature on recommended strategies, timelines, and costs for increasing availability of evidence-based and research-based practices in each of the identified areas."