HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1609

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                       Human Services

                       Appropriations

Title:  An act relating to mental health services for children.

Brief Description:  Developing additional mental health services for children.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Leonard, Winsley, Riley, Brekke, R. King, Anderson, Phillips, Dellwo, Spanel, Haugen, Hine, Jones, Pruitt, Basich, R. Johnson, Van Luven, Wang, Valle, Inslee, Belcher, Sheldon and O'Brien.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Human Services, February 14, 1991, DPS;

Appropriations, March 10, 1991, DPS(HS)-A.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

HUMAN SERVICES

Majority Report: That Substitute House Bill No. 1609 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Leonard, Chair; Riley, Vice Chair; Winsley, Ranking Minority Member; Tate, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Anderson; Beck; Brekke; Hargrove; Hochstatter; R. King; and H. Myers.

Staff:  David Knutson (786-7146).

Background:  Children with emotional and mental disorders may come in contact with several child-serving systems such as schools, child welfare programs, mental health programs and juvenile justice programs.  The current system of mental health care tends to look at the problem experienced by the child in isolation from other aspects of the child's life. This categorical approach to mental health results in a fragmented, uncoordinated array of services provided to children, by whichever service system they come in contact with.  States which elect to offer the Federal Early, Periodic, Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) Program, can provide mental health services to eligible children through the medicaid program.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The Office of Financial Management will perform an inventory of publicly funded programs providing mental health services in the state and report to appropriate legislative committees by December 1, 1991.  The inventory will also include a plan and criteria to use early, periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment services for children with mental health needs.  Each mental health regional support network will begin a local planning process for the delivery of children's mental health services which includes all appropriate agencies and organizations at the local level.  The Office of Financial Management will propose legislation requiring 5 percent of constitutionally available state funds be placed in a locally administered pooled account to serve children who are not served through categorical programs.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The Office of Financial Management will develop a plan for using the Early, Periodic, Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) Program for delivering mental health services to children and report to the Legislature by December 1991.  The local lead agency for children's mental health services will be the Regional Support Network (RSN) or county authority in counties without an RSN.  The implementation of local children's mental health services are delayed until fiscal year 1993.  The Office of Financial Management will allot 5 percent of the state funds, appropriated to programs and services participating in the children's mental health program, to a pooled account.

Fiscal Note:  Requested February 1, 1991.

Appropriation:  Yes.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  Children with mental and emotional problems are served through several different social, health and educational systems.  A comprehensive, coordinated planning and service delivery process for children's mental health services is needed.  This will maximize existing resources and provide better service to children needing assistance.

Testimony Against:  The Department of Social and Health Services supports the concept of HB 1609, but has reservations because it is not funded in the governor's budget.

Witnesses:  Beverly Kincaid, UFCW Local 381; Peter Berliner, Children's Alliance; Steve Norsen Washington Community Mental Health Council; Don Leebrick, Peaks, Valleys and Choices Foundation; Doug Stevenson, King County Council; and Dick Thompson, Department of Social and Health Services.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report: That substitute bill by Committee on Human Services be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill as amended by Committee on Appropriations do pass.  Signed by 26 members:  Representatives Locke, Chair; Inslee, Vice Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; Silver, Ranking Minority Member; Morton, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Belcher; Bowman; Braddock; Brekke; Dorn; Ferguson; Fuhrman; Hine; Lisk; May; McLean; Mielke; Nealey; Peery; Pruitt; Rust; Sprenkle; Valle; Vance; Wang; and Wineberry.

Staff:  John Woolley (786-7154).

Summary of Recommendation of Committee on Appropriations Compared to Recommendation of Committee on Human Services:  Language relating to implementation of the plans developed by Regional Support Networks (RSNs) is removed, both in terms of the implementation by RSNs and the powers and duties of the secretary related to implementation.  Office of Financial Management is now to prepare proposed legislation that would require 5 percent pooling of constitutionally available funds to meet the needs of children that cannot be met through existing categorical programs.  The appropriation is removed and a null and void clause is added.

Fiscal Note:  Available on substitute bill.

Appropriation:  Removed.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill as Amended:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  The State needs a coordinated service delivery system for Children's Mental Health Services.  Currently, it is overly fragmented.  Since the federal government has made the Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) Program available to Medicaid eligible clients, the State should take advantage.  DSHS has worked to develop the bill with general agreement among parties as to its intent.

Testimony Against:  The bill is not contained in the governor's budget and cannot be supported.  There are concerns with the pooling of funds contained in the bill.

Witnesses:  Sharon Steward Johnson, Department of Social and Health Services; Laurie Lippold, Children's Home Society; David Briggs, Mental Health Coalition; and Doug Stevenson, Mental Health Coalition.