Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

College & Workforce Development Committee

HB 1593

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Description: Establishing a behavioral health innovation and integration campus within the University of Washington school of medicine.

Sponsors: Representatives Chopp, Sullivan, Ormsby, Cody, Harris, Lovick, Jinkins, Kilduff, Riccelli, Pettigrew, Davis, Stonier, Macri, Robinson, Ortiz-Self, Frame, Senn, Slatter, Schmick, Chandler, Caldier, Tarleton, Appleton, Dolan, Thai, Shewmake, Valdez, Bergquist, Reeves, Goodman, Lekanoff and Pollet; by request of Office of the Governor.

Brief Summary of Bill

  • Creates the Behavioral Health Innovation and Integration campus within the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM).

  • Requires the UWSOM to create a plan to develop and site a teaching hospital to provide: inpatient care for up to 150 individuals; interdisciplinary training of health care workers; and other training opportunities.

Hearing Date: 2/5/19

Staff: Trudes Tango (786-7384).

Background:

The University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences provides training to medical students; a residency program for students specializing in psychiatry; and mental health services, consultations and telepsychiatry, and other services to patients and the community. It also offers inpatient psychiatric care services at Harborview Medical Center and the University of Washington (UW) Medical Center, as well as other locations. Harborview Medical Center has approximately 60 inpatient beds for voluntary and involuntary treatment of patients. The UW Medical Center has 14 inpatient beds for voluntary treatments and is a training site for the Psychiatry Residency Training Program.

The Involuntary Treatment Act is the statutory scheme governing the civil commitment of persons who, due to a mental disorder, pose a likelihood of serious harm or are gravely disabled. Generally, inpatient commitments for 90 or 180 days of treatment take place the two state hospitals operated by the Department of Social and Health Services. Inpatient commitments for 14 days take place in community facilities.

Summary of Bill:

The Legislature intends to partner with the UW to develop plans to create a behavioral health teaching campus to strengthen the psychiatry residency program and train other health care providers, such as nurses, physician assistants, and social workers, to work in teams addressing the physical, psychological, and social needs of individuals and families.

The Behavioral Health Innovation and Integration campus is created within the UWSOM. The campus must include inpatient treatment capacity and focus on inpatient and outpatient care for individuals with behavioral health needs while training a behavioral health provider workforce. The training must encourage innovation of future best practices to provide behavioral health care across the entire spectrum of health care providers and support professionals to work in teams.

By December 1, 2019, the UWSOM must report to the Office of Financial Management and the appropriate committees of the Legislature a plan to develop and site the teaching hospital that will provide inpatient care for up to 150 individuals receiving care under the Involuntary Treatment Act. The plan may include:

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 24, 2019 .

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.