H-4915.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2662

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1996 Regular Session

By House Committee on Children & Family Services (originally sponsored by Representatives Patterson, Cooke, Tokuda, Dickerson, Stevens, Boldt, Lambert, Carrell, Brown, Chopp and Costa)

Read first time 02/02/96.

Providing for education in the recognition of symptoms of drug and alcohol dependency in patients.

    AN ACT Relating to education in the recognition of symptoms of drug and alcohol dependency in patients; amending RCW 74.14B.010; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  It is the intent of the legislature that children's services caseworkers receive training to permit them to recognize the symptoms of drug and alcohol dependency in parents and adult caretakers of abused, neglected, and dependent children.  The legislature intends through this training that caseworkers will be better prepared to protect children.

    Sec. 2.  RCW 74.14B.010 and 1987 c 503 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

    Caseworkers employed in children services shall meet minimum standards established by the department of social and health services.  Comprehensive training for caseworkers shall be completed before such caseworkers are assigned to case-carrying responsibilities without direct supervision.  The comprehensive training must include the recognition of symptoms of drug and alcohol dependency in department clients and parents and adult caretakers of dependent children.  Intermittent, part-time, and standby workers shall be subject to the same minimum standards and training.

                            --- END ---