FINAL BILL REPORT

2SHB 1841

FULL VETO

Brief Description: Establishing funding criteria for prevention and early intervention services.

Sponsors: By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Kagi, Boldt, O'Brien, McIntire, Hunt, Schual-Berke, Shabro, Cooper, Linville, Pettigrew, Upthegrove, Moeller, Darneille, Miloscia, Dickerson, Clements, Armstrong, Orcutt, Fromhold, Delvin, Roach, Kenney, Haigh, Lovick, Chase, Santos and Hudgins).

House Committee on Children & Family Services

House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Children & Family Services & Corrections

Background:

The Children's Administration (CA) in the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) administers the following prevention and early intervention programs focused on children and youth in the state:

 •    Alternate Response System, which provides services to low-risk families referred to Child Protective Services;

 •    Family Reconciliation Services, which provides voluntary services devoted to maintaining the family as a unit and preventing adolescents from being placed outside the home;

 •    Family Preservation Services, which provides services to families whose children face substantial likelihood of being placed outside the home or have already been placed outside the home;

 •    Intensive Family Preservation Services, which provides in-home therapist time to families whose children are at imminent risk of being placed outside the home;

 •    Continuum of Care, which provides early intervention services to low-risk families designed to be appropriate, accessible, and sensitive to the population served;

 •    Parent Trust Programs, which provides child abuse and neglect prevention services to families throughout the state; and

 •    Public Health Nurse Early Intervention Program, which provides trained public health nurses for voluntary in-home nursing services that can prevent the need for more intrusive Division of Children and Family Services interventions in at-risk families with young children.

Summary:

The DSHS, in consultation with the Family Policy Council (Council), is required to identify, by March 1, 2004, criteria for funding prevention and early intervention services and programs in the CA that are either state-operated or contracted. The criteria must require that funded programs, at a minimum: define clear, measurable outcomes; identify research that may be applicable; identify anticipated cost benefits; describe broad community involvement, support, and partnerships; and provide data related to program outcomes and cost benefits. The DSHS is required to incorporate the funding criteria into contracts and operating procedures beginning January 1, 2005, within existing resources. The DSHS is also required to begin providing the program outcome data to the Council not later than June 1, 2005. The Council is required to begin analyzing the program outcome and cost benefit data July 1, 2005.

"Prevention and early intervention services and programs" consist of the following state-operated or contracted programs or their successors: Alternate Response System, Family Reconciliation Services, Family Preservation Services, Intensive Family Preservation Services, Continuum of Care, Parent Trust Programs, the Public Health Nurse Early Intervention Program, and other prevention and early intervention services and programs in the CA, as identified by the Secretary of the DSHS.

Nothing in this Act creates: an entitlement to services; judicial authority to order the provision of services to any person or family if the services are unavailable or unsuitable, or the child or family is not eligible for such services; or a private right of action or claim on the part of any individual, entity, or agency against any state agency or contractor.

The Council is required to:

•    beginning with its 2005 annual report and each subsequent report, list the prevention and early intervention services to which the established funding criteria are applied;

•    beginning with its 2006 annual report and in each subsequent annual report, include the collected outcome and cost benefit data and provide an analysis of the success and cost benefit program outcomes; and

•    beginning with its 2006 annual report and in each subsequent annual report, identify and recommend other services, programs, and state agencies to which the funding criteria may apply.

Votes on Final Passage:

House 98  0

Senate 45  0    (Senate amended)

House             (House refused to concur)

Senate 46  0    (Senate amended)

House 98  0    (House concurred)