BILL REQ. #:  H-3797.1 

Read first time 01/16/2006.   Referred to Committee on Health Care.

     AN ACT Relating to establishing a pilot project in alternative case management; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that:
     (1) An alternative case management model, program for assertive community treatment, has been used in many other states in the last thirty years;
     (2) Program for assertive community treatment uses multidisciplinary teams of mental health professionals who provide comprehensive care and services to people in the community with serious and persistent mental health issues;
     (3) Rather than have a single case manager who has to provide the client links to a range of services, the team of professionals works with the client on a twenty-four/seven basis and provides all the necessary services through team members;
     (4) Studies have shown that such an alternative case management approach has reduced hospitalization, homelessness, and criminal incarceration, thus improving the lives of clients and also reducing overall government and social costs;
     (5) In recent years there has been a small program for assertive community treatment project in Clark county;
     (6) Initial studies indicate that the project is successful in getting clients help they need, and also in reducing overall governmental costs; and
     (7) More extensive examination of this model is necessary to determine if it has wider applicability in Washington state.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) By September 1, 2006, the department of social and health services shall establish a pilot project in alternative case management, using program for assertive community treatment teams, in one urban regional support network and one rural regional support network in the state.
     (2) The department shall adopt program standards for the pilot project based on national program standards for assertive community treatment teams. The standards shall include:
     (a) Admission and discharge criteria;
     (b) Staff requirements;
     (c) Service intensity and capacity;
     (d) Required services;
     (e) Performance improvement and program evaluation; and
     (f) Other program requirements as deemed appropriate by the department.
     (3) The department shall submit to the appropriate committees of the legislature an evaluation of the pilot project by January 1, 2008.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   The sum of . . . . . . dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 2007, from the general fund to the department of social and health services for the purposes of this act.