BILL REQ. #:  H-4123.1 



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HOUSE BILL 2912
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State of Washington59th Legislature2006 Regular Session

By Representatives Green, Appleton, Woods, Cody, Moeller, Haigh, Conway, Lantz, Hudgins, Roberts, McCoy, Kenney, Morrell, P. Sullivan, Hasegawa, Kilmer, Simpson and Ormsby

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



     AN ACT Relating to home visits by mental health professionals; adding new sections to chapter 71.05 RCW; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that designated mental health professionals go out into the community to evaluate people for potential detention under the state's involuntary treatment act. Also, other mental health professionals do crisis outreach work in communities throughout Washington state. The presence of a second mental health professional on outreach to a person's private home or other private location will enhance safety, will provide for a second mental health expert to help evaluate the person's needs, and will advance the legislature's interest in quality mental health care services.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 71.05 RCW to read as follows:
     If a designated mental health professional or other mental health crisis outreach worker visits a client in the client's private home or in any other nonpublic setting, he or she shall be accompanied by another designated mental health professional or other mental health crisis outreach worker.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 71.05 RCW to read as follows:
     Any mental health professional who engages in home visits to clients shall be provided by their employer with a wireless telephone or comparable device for the purpose of emergency communication.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 71.05 RCW to read as follows:
     Any mental health professional that is dispatched on a crisis outreach visit shall have prompt access to existing case files, if any exist, on the client they are being sent to evaluate.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   A new section is added to chapter 71.05 RCW to read as follows:
     Annually, all community mental health employees who work directly with clients shall be provided with training on safety and violence prevention. The curriculum for the training shall be developed collaboratively among the department of social and health services, contracted mental health providers, and employee organizations that represent community mental health workers.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   This act shall be known as the Marty Smith Law.

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