Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research | BILL ANALYSIS |
Higher Education Committee |
SSB 6662
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
Brief Description: Regarding developing a curriculum for a career track for home care aides.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development (originally sponsored by Senators Kilmer, Roach, Kastama, Keiser, Zarelli and Shin).
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill |
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Hearing Date: 2/19/10
Staff: Andi Smith (786-7304).
Background:
Long-term Care Providers.
Individual providers and agency home-care workers provide long-term care services to elderly and disabled clients who are eligible for publicly-funded services through the Department of Social and Health Services' (DSHS) Aging and Adult Services and Developmental Disabilities programs. These workers provide the DSHS' clients with personal care assistance with various tasks such as toileting, bathing, dressing, ambulating, meal preparation, and household chores.
Individual providers and agency home care workers must meet certain training requirements set forth in statute and in rules adopted by the DSHS. Prior to 2007, these training requirements included the following:
an orientation which provides basic introductory information appropriate to the in-home setting and the population served;
basic training as to the core knowledge and skills needed to provide personal care services effectively and safely; and
continuing education designed to increase and keep current a person's knowledge and skills.
Recent Legislation.
In 2007, E2SHB 2284 (C 361 L 07) passed the Legislature and stipulated that all long-term care providers must be offered on-the-job training or peer mentorship for at least one hour per week in the first 90 days of work from a long-term care worker who has completed 12 hours of mentor training and is mentoring no more than 10 other workers.
For individual providers represented by an exclusive bargaining representative, the training and peer mentoring must be provided by a training partnership. "Training partnership" is defined as a partnership or trust established and maintained jointly by the Office of the Governor and the exclusive bargaining representative of the individual providers to provide training and certain other services to individual providers. The exclusive bargaining representative designates the training partnership.
Summary of Bill:
Subject to available funding, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, in collaboration with the training partnership jointly established by the Governor and exclusive bargaining representative of individual long-term care providers, is required to solicit proposals from community and technical colleges to develop and adapt curriculum for up to three existing degree and certificate programs in health care, social services, and special education. The proposals must be received by June 1, 2011 and are to be used to create career tracks for incumbent home care aides.
In developing curriculum, colleges must solicit input from health care, social service, and special education labor-management partnerships; boarding home associations; adult family home associations; licensed home care agency provider associations; and centers of excellence. The curriculum must include credit for prior learning and must integrate best practices for working adults. Once developed, the curriculum must be made available statewide and posted on the Center for Excellence, DSHS, and the Department of Health websites.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on February 18, 2010.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.