HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 2912
As Reported by House Committee On:
Health Care
Appropriations
Title: An act relating to home visits by mental health professionals.
Brief Description: Requiring that mental health professionals do private home visits in pairs and providing for other safety and violence prevention measures.
Sponsors: Representatives Green, Appleton, Woods, Cody, Moeller, Haigh, Conway, Lantz, Hudgins, Roberts, McCoy, Kenney, Morrell, P. Sullivan, Hasegawa, Kilmer, Simpson and Ormsby.
Brief History:
Health Care: 1/26/06, 1/31/06 [DPS];
Appropriations: 2/4/06 [DP2S(w/o sub HC)].
Brief Summary of Second Substitute Bill |
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH CARE
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 9 members: Representatives Cody, Chair; Campbell, Vice Chair; Morrell, Vice Chair; Appleton, Clibborn, Green, Lantz, Moeller and Schual-Berke.
Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 5 members: Representatives Hinkle, Ranking Minority Member; Curtis, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Alexander, Bailey and Condotta.
Staff: Dave Knutson (786-7146).
Background:
Designated mental health professionals and other mental health workers occasionally
evaluate people for involuntary detention or do crisis outreach services in the person's home.
Summary of Substitute Bill:
Designated mental health professionals or other mental health crisis outreach workers who
visit clients in their homes will be accompanied by another worker. Mental health workers
who engage in home visits will be provided a cellular phone or similar device by their
employer. Mental health workers dispatched on a crisis outreach visit will have access to
existing case files on the client they are visiting. All community mental health workers who
work directly with clients will be provided with training on safety and violence reduction.
Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:
The requirement that the mental health worker be accompanied by a designated mental health
worker or crisis outreach worker is modified. The second worker must have received
specialized training but does not need to be a designated mental health professional or a crisis
outreach worker.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date of Substitute Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: This will improve safety of community mental health workers and result in
fewer fatalities and injuries.
(With concerns) This will bring state coercion to the community and result in increased use
of medication.
Testimony Against: None.
Persons Testifying: (In support) Representative Green, prime sponsor; Representative
Woods; Jonathan Rosenblum, Vincent Wilson, Marie Manlangit and Hannah Antokol,
Service Employees International Union 1199 Northwest; Yolanda Smith; Jean Wessman,
Association of Counties; and Carole Willey, Holistic Health and Advocacy.
(With concerns) Richard Warner, Citizens Commission on Human Rights.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Majority Report: The second substitute bill be substituted therefor and the second substitute bill do pass and do not pass the substitute bill by Committee on Health Care. Signed by 22 members: Representatives Sommers, Chair; Fromhold, Vice Chair; Anderson, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; McDonald, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Cody, Conway, Darneille, Dunshee, Grant, Haigh, Hunter, Kagi, Kenney, Kessler, Linville, McDermott, Miloscia, Pearson, Priest, Schual-Berke, P. Sullivan and Walsh.
Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 8 members: Representatives Alexander, Ranking Minority Member; Armstrong, Bailey, Buri, Chandler, Clements, Hinkle, and Talcott.
Staff: Amy Skei (786-7140).
Summary of Recommendation of Committee On Appropriations Compared to
Recommendation of Committee On Health Care:
A null and void clause was added, making the bill null and void unless funded in the budget.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date of Second Substitute Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed. However, the bill is null and void unless funded in the budget.
Testimony For: We appreciate the passing of the Marty Smith resolution yesterday and this recognition of the state's mental health workers. Workers in our union are watching this bill closely. The substitute bill accommodates a wide variety of mental health stakeholders. It should reduce the fiscal note since, on average, clinicians and caseworkers make 10-40 percent less than designated mental health professionals (DMHPs). We estimate that 20 percent of DMHP responses are to private homes, so the estimate in the fiscal note seems a bit high. The fiscal note should reflect that some regional support networks already double up their DMHPs on visits to private homes. Also, it should reflect that not all DMHPs will need cell phones since some already have them and some workers would probably share them.
Testimony Against: None.
Persons Testifying: Jonathan Rosenblum, Service Employees International Union #1199 North West.