Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.

     Purpose: The new rules in chapter 388-877 WAC allow for a single set of agency administrative, personnel, and clinical policies and procedures that address specific treatment populations and levels of care. The rules will provide standardization to all behavioral health services programs, provide an agency with a streamlined certification and/or licensure process for mental health, chemical dependency, and/or problem and pathological gambling treatment programs, and eliminate the need for multiple audits when the agency provides more than one behavioral health service. The rules support the program-specific rules the department is adopting, at the same time, for a new chapter 388-877A WAC for mental health, chapter 388-877B WAC for chemical dependency, and chapter 388-877C WAC for problem and pathological gambling. The department requires all agencies and providers affected by this rule to fully comply with the applicable requirements in chapters 388-877, 388-877A, 388-877B, and 388-877C WAC no later than September 1, 2013.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: Chapters 70.02, 70.96A, 71.05, 71.24, 71.34, 74.50 RCW; RCW 74.08.090, 43.20A.890.

     Other Authority: 42 C.F.R. Part 8.

      Adopted under notice filed as WSR 13-02-027 on December 20, 2012.

     Changes Other than Editing from Proposed to Adopted Version: See Reviser's note below.

     A final cost-benefit analysis is available by contacting Kathy Sayre, 4500 10th Avenue S.E., Lacey, WA 98503, phone (360) 725-1342, fax (360) 725-2280, e-mail kathy.sayre@dshs.wa.gov.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 31, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 31, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: May 30, 2013.

Kevin Quigley

Secretary

     Reviser's note: The material contained in this filing exceeded the page-count limitations of WAC 1-21-040 for appearance in this issue of the Register. It will appear in the 13-14 issue of the Register.