5872-S.EAMHCFSH2872.2ESSB 5872H COMM AMDBy Committee on Children & Family ServicesNOT ADOPTED 04/07/2005 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert thefollowing:NEW SECTION.Sec. Under the direction of the joint task forcecreated in section 2 of this act, the Washington state institute forpublic policy shall conduct a study to determine the most appropriateand effective administrative structure for delivery of social andhealth services to the children and families of the state, includinghow best to ensure that an administrative structure has defined linesof responsibility for delivering services to children and families inneed and the best means for the public to hold government accountablefor delivery of those services. The institute shall compare theeffectiveness of: Including social and health services to children andfamilies within an umbrella agency, such as the current department ofsocial and health services; establishing a separate agency for socialand health services to children and families whose administratorreports directly to the governor; or creating a children and familyservices cabinet reporting directly to the governor. The instituteshall, as part of the comparison, examine the administrative structuresused in other states to deliver social and health services to childrenand families.NEW SECTION.Sec. (1) A joint task force is created todetermine the most appropriate and effective administrative structurefor delivery of social and health services to the children and familiesof the state. The joint task force shall direct the study conducted bythe Washington state institute for public policy pursuant to this act.Membership of the joint task force shall consist of the following: (a) The dean of the school of social work at the University ofWashington or an academic professor from a list recommended by the 1 dean, jointly appointed by the chairs of the house children and familyservices committee and the senate human services and correctionscommittee; (b) Two members of the house of representatives appointed by thespeaker of the house of representatives, one of whom shall be a memberof the majority caucus and one of whom shall be a member of theminority caucus, and two members of the senate appointed by thepresident of the senate, one of whom shall be a member of the majoritycaucus and one of whom shall be a member of the minority caucus; (c) The secretary of the department of social and health servicesor the secretary's designee; (d) An individual with previous experience as an administrator ofa public agency providing services to children and families, jointlyappointed by the chairs of the house children and family servicescommittee and the senate human services and corrections committee; (e) A juvenile court administrator, jointly appointed by the chairsof the house children and family services committee and the senatehuman services and corrections committee; (f) A family superior court judge, jointly appointed by the chairsof the house children and family services committee and the senatehuman services and corrections committee; (g) The director of the office of the family and children'sombudsman; (h) A social worker with experience in the public sector servingchildren and families, jointly appointed by the chairs of the housechildren and family services committee and the senate human servicesand corrections committee; and (i) Two representatives of community-based providers servingchildren and families, jointly appointed by the chairs of the housechildren and family services committee and the senate human servicesand corrections committee. (2) The dean of the school of social work at the University ofWashington or the academic professor, jointly appointed by the chairsof the house children and family services committee and the senatehuman services and corrections committee, shall be the chair of thejoint task force. 2 NEW SECTION.Sec. (1) The Washington state institute forpublic policy shall make recommendations concerning whichadministrative structure or structures would best realize efficienciesin administration and best achieve positive outcomes for children andfamilies, including, but not limited to, the following: (a) Reducing the number of children at risk for abuse or neglectand increasing the safety and wellbeing of children; (b) Increasing the ability of families to care for their ownchildren and reducing the number of children in foster care; (c) Increasing placement stability and permanency for children inoutofhome care and reducing unsafe and inappropriate placements; (d) Delivering appropriate and timely mental health services; (e) Providing adequate and appropriate staff training andeducation; (f) Promoting foster parent recruitment, training, and retention; (g) Reducing the frequency and duration of sibling separation; (h) Delivering adequate and timely services to adolescents; and (i) Increasing responsibility and accountability for achievinggoals. (2) The institute shall also make recommendations concerning thecosts, benefits, savings, or reductions in services associated with thevarious administrative structures considered in the study.NEW SECTION.Sec. The institute shall report itsrecommendations to the joint task force created in section 2 of thisact by December 1, 2005. Correct the title.Requires the Washington State Institute for Public Policy(WSIPP), under the direction of the joint task force created in thebill, to conduct a study to determine the most appropriate andeffective administrative structure for delivery of social and healthservices to the children and families of the state, including how bestto ensure that an administrative structure has defined lines ofresponsibility for delivering services to children and families in needand the best means for the public to hold government accountable fordelivery of those services. 3 Requires the WSIPP to compare the effectiveness of: Includingsocial and health services to children and families within an umbrellaagency, such as the current department of social and health services;establishing a separate agency for social and health services tochildren and families whose administrator reports directly to thegovernor; or creating a children and family services cabinet reportingdirectly to the governor. Requires the WSIPP, as part of thecomparison, to examine the administrative structures used in otherstates to deliver social and health services to children and families. Creates a joint task force to determine the most appropriate andeffective administrative structure for delivery of social and healthservices to the children and families of the state. Requires the jointtask force to direct the study conducted by the WSIPP pursuant to thebill. Membership of the task force is to consist of the following: The Dean of the School of Social Work at the University ofWashington or an academic professor from a list recommended by theDean, jointly appointed by the Chairs of the House Children and FamilyServices Committee and the Senate Human Services and CorrectionsCommittee; Two members of the House of Representatives appointed by theSpeaker of the House of Representatives, one of whom shall be a memberof the majority caucus and one of whom shall be a member of theminority caucus, and two members of the Senate appointed by thePresident of the Senate, one of whom shall be a member of the majoritycaucus and one of whom shall be a member of the minority caucus; The Secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services orthe Secretary's designee; An individual with previous experience as an administrator of apublic agency providing services to children and families, jointlyappointed by the Chairs of the House Children and Family ServicesCommittee and the Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee; A juvenile court administrator, jointly appointed by the Chairs ofthe House Children and Family Services Committee and the Senate HumanServices and Corrections Committee; A family superior court judge, jointly appointed by the Chairs ofthe House Children and Family Services Committee and the Senate HumanServices and Corrections Committee; The Director of the Office of the Family and Children's Ombudsman; A social worker with experience in the public sector servingchildren and families, jointly appointed by the Chairs of the HouseChildren and Family Services Committee and the Senate Human Servicesand Corrections Committee; and Two representatives of community-based providers serving childrenand families, jointly appointed by the Chairs of the House Children andFamily Services Committee and the Senate Human Services and CorrectionsCommittee. Provides that the Dean of the School of Social Work at theUniversity of Washington or the academic professor jointly appointed bythe Chairs of the House Children and Family Services Committee and theSenate Human Services and Corrections Committee is to be the chair ofthe joint task force. Requires the WSIPP to make recommendations concerning whichadministrative structure or structures would best realize efficienciesin administration and best achieve positive outcomes for children andfamilies, including, but not limited to, the following: Reducing the number of children at risk for abuse or neglect andincreasing the safety and wellbeing of children; 4 Increasing the ability of families to care for their own childrenand reducing the number of children in foster care; Increasing placement stability and permanency for children in outofhome care and reducing unsafe and inappropriate placements; Delivering appropriate and timely mental health services; Providing adequate and appropriate staff training and education; Promoting foster parent recruitment, training, and retention; Reducing the frequency and duration of sibling separation; Delivering adequate and timely services to adolescents; and Increasing responsibility and accountability for achieving goals. Requires the WSIPP to make recommendations concerning the costs,benefits, savings, or reductions in services associated with thevarious administrative structures considered in the study. Requires the WSIPP to report its recommendations to the joint taskforce created in the bill by December 1, 2005.--- END --- 5