S-4667.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6702

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections (originally sponsored by Senators Long, Hargrove, Stevens, Winsley and Oke)

Read first time 02/06/98.

Requiring a plan for treatment and housing for persons with both substance abuse problems and mental disorders.

    AN ACT Relating to treatment and housing for persons with both substance abuse problems and mental disorders; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  Not later than January 1, 1999, the secretary of social and health services shall submit a plan by which the department of social and health services proposes to increase treatment and housing services to persons who have substance abuse problems and simultaneously have a mental disorder.  The plan shall provide incentives to programs which serve persons who abuse chemicals or alcohol and also are diagnosed as having a mental disorder, with an emphasis on programs which provide treatment and housing services for persons with a major mental disorder.

    The incentives plan shall be based on a model which incorporates an integrated approach to treatment and housing.  As used in this section "integrated approach" means a program in which clinicians and appropriate staff are trained in mental health disorders and substance abuse problems and provide simultaneous treatment for the disorders and problems in a setting designed for simultaneous treatment.

    The plan shall require the secretary to make funding allocation and incentive decisions based on research which demonstrates successful outcomes for targeted persons.  Programs funded according to the incentive plan shall include appropriate outreach and monitoring of persons; safe living arrangements; flexibility of treatment and housing services; and a recognition of the potentially chronic nature of the disorders and problems.

    The plan shall also identify methods of providing ongoing training for persons who deliver child protective services and child welfare services to persons who have substance abuse problems and simultaneously have a mental disorder and make referrals of dually diagnosed persons to treatment and housing services.

    The plan shall include identification of state and federal statutory, fiscal, and regulatory barriers to improving the delivery of an integrated approach and recommendations for elimination of the barriers which are within the authority of the state.

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