BILL REQ. #: Z-0279.2
| State of Washington | 61st Legislature | 2009 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/15/09. Referred to Committee on Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness.
AN ACT Relating to crisis referral services for criminal justice and correctional personnel; and adding new sections to chapter 43.101 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 (1) The commission shall offer a training
session on personal crisis recognition and crisis intervention services
to criminal justice and correctional personnel. The training shall be
implemented by the commission in consultation with appropriate public
and private organizations that have expertise in crisis referral
services and in the underlying conditions leading to the need for
crisis referral.
(2) The training shall consist of a minimum of one hour of
classroom or internet instruction, and shall include instruction on the
following subjects:
(a) The description and underlying causes of problems that may have
an impact on the personal and professional lives of law enforcement
employees, including mental health issues, chemical dependency,
domestic violence, financial problems, and other personal crises;
(b) Techniques by which law enforcement employees may recognize the
conditions listed in (a) of this subsection and understand the need to
seek assistance and obtain a referral for consultation and possible
treatment;
(c) A listing of public and private crisis referral agencies
available to law enforcement employees; and
(d) A description of the kinds of consultation and treatment
services available for referral of law enforcement employees, including
the cost of such services and available resources to help pay for the
services.
(3) The training developed by the commission for criminal justice
and correctional personnel shall be made available by the commission to
all employees of state and local agencies that perform public safety
duties. The commission may charge a reasonable fee to defer the cost
of making the training available.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 (1) All communications to crisis referral
services by employees and volunteers of law enforcement, correctional,
firefighting, and emergency services agencies, and all records related
to the communications, shall be confidential and privileged. Crisis
referral services include all public or private organizations that
advise employees and volunteers of such agencies about sources of
consultation and treatment for personal problems including mental
health issues, chemical dependency, domestic violence, gambling,
financial problems, and other personal crises.
(2) A crisis referral service may reveal information related to
crisis referral services to prevent reasonably certain death,
substantial bodily harm, or commission of a crime.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 Sections 1 and 2 of this act are each added
to chapter