State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2012 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 01/31/12.
AN ACT Relating to requiring certain health professionals to complete education in suicide assessment, treatment, and management; adding a new section to chapter 43.70 RCW; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 (1) The legislature finds that:
(a) According to the centers for disease control and prevention:
(i) In 2008, more than thirty-six thousand people died by suicide
in the United States, making it the tenth leading cause of death
nationally.
(ii) During 2007-2008, an estimated five hundred sixty-nine
thousand people visited hospital emergency departments with self-inflicted injuries in the United States, seventy percent of whom had
attempted suicide.
(iii) During 2008-2009, the average percentages of adults who
thought, planned, or attempted suicide in Washington were higher than
the national average.
(b) According to a national study, veterans face an elevated risk
of suicide as compared to the general population, more than twice the
risk among male veterans. Another study has indicated a positive
correlation between posttraumatic stress disorder and suicide.
(i) Washington state is home to more than sixty thousand men and
women who have deployed in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
(ii) Research continues on how the effects of wartime service and
injuries such as traumatic brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder,
or other service-related conditions, may increase the number of
veterans who attempt suicide.
(iii) As more men and women separate from the military and
transition back into civilian life, community mental health providers
will become a vital resource to help these veterans and their families
deal with issues that may arise.
(c) Suicide has an enormous impact on the family and friends of the
victim as well as the community as a whole.
(d) Approximately ninety percent of people who die by suicide had
a diagnosable psychiatric disorder at the time of death. Most suicide
victims exhibit warning signs or behaviors prior to an attempt.
(e) Improved training and education in suicide assessment,
treatment, and management has been recommended by a variety of
organizations, including the United States department of health and
human services and the institute of medicine.
(2) It is therefore the intent of the legislature to help lower the
suicide rate in Washington by requiring certain health professionals to
complete training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management as
part of their continuing education, continuing competency, or
recertification requirements.
(3) The legislature does not intend to expand or limit the existing
scope of practice of any health professional affected by this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 43.70 RCW
to read as follows:
(1)(a) Beginning January 1, 2014, each of the following
professionals certified or licensed under Title 18 RCW shall, at least
once every six years, complete a training program in suicide
assessment, treatment, and management that is approved, in rule, by the
relevant disciplining authority:
(i) An adviser or counselor certified under chapter 18.19 RCW;
(ii) A chemical dependency professional licensed under chapter
18.205 RCW;
(iii) A chiropractor licensed under chapter 18.25 RCW;
(iv) A marriage and family therapist licensed under chapter 18.225
RCW;
(v) A mental health counselor licensed under chapter 18.225 RCW;
(vi) A naturopath licensed under chapter 18.36A RCW;
(vii) A licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, or advanced
registered nurse practitioner licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW;
(viii) An occupational therapy practitioner licensed under chapter
18.59 RCW;
(ix) An osteopathic physician and surgeon licensed under chapter
18.57 RCW;
(x) An osteopathic physician assistant licensed under chapter
18.57A RCW;
(xi) A physical therapist or physical therapist assistant licensed
under chapter 18.74 RCW;
(xii) A physician assistant licensed under chapter 18.71A RCW;
(xiii) A psychologist licensed under chapter 18.83 RCW;
(xiv) A sex offender treatment provider or affiliate sex offender
treatment provider certified under chapter 18.155 RCW; and
(xv) An advanced social worker or independent clinical social
worker licensed under chapter 18.225 RCW.
(b) A physician licensed under chapter 18.71 RCW shall complete a
training program in suicide assessment, treatment, and management at
least once every eight years.
(c) In order to be certified or recertified, a physician's trained
emergency medical service intermediate life support technician and
paramedic certified under chapter 18.71 RCW shall show evidence that he
or she has completed a training program in suicide assessment,
treatment, and management during the six years prior to submitting his
or her application for recertification.
(d) The requirements in (a) through (c) of this subsection apply to
a person holding a retired active license for one of the professions in
(a) through (c) of this subsection.
(2)(a)(i) Except as provided in (a)(ii) and (iii) of this
subsection, a professional listed in subsection (1)(a) or (b) of this
section must complete the first training required by this section
during the first full continuing education reporting period after the
effective date of this section or the first full continuing education
reporting period after initial licensure or certification, whichever
occurs later.
(ii) A professional listed in subsection (1)(a) of this subsection
applying for initial licensure on or after the effective date of this
section may delay completion of the first training required by this
section for six years after initial licensure if he or she can
demonstrate successful completion of a six-hour training program in
suicide assessment, treatment, and management that:
(A) Was completed no more than six years prior to the application
for initial licensure; and
(B) Is listed on the best practices registry of the American
foundation for suicide prevention and the suicide prevention resource
center.
(iii) A professional listed in subsection (1)(b) of this section
applying for initial licensure on or after the effective date of this
section may delay the first training required by this section for eight
years after initial licensure if he or she can demonstrate successful
completion of a six-hour training program in suicide assessment,
treatment, and management that:
(A) Was completed no more than eight years prior to the application
for initial licensure; and
(B) Is listed on the best practices registry of the American
foundation for suicide prevention and the suicide prevention resource
center.
(b) Until January 1, 2020, a physician's trained emergency medical
service intermediate life support technician and paramedic may be
certified or recertified once without completing the training program
in suicide assessment, treatment, and management. The physician's
trained emergency medical service intermediate life support technician
and paramedic shall complete the training program in suicide
assessment, treatment, and management prior to his or her next
recertification.
(3) The hours spent completing a training program in suicide
assessment, treatment, and management under this section count toward
meeting any applicable continuing education or continuing competency
requirements for each profession.
(4)(a) A disciplining authority may, by rule, specify minimum
training and experience that is sufficient to exempt a professional
from the training requirements in subsection (1) of this section.
(b) The medical quality assurance commission, board of osteopathic
medicine, and nursing care quality assurance commission may exempt
physicians, osteopathic physicians, advanced registered nurse
practitioners, and registered nurses from the training requirements of
subsection (1) of this section by specialty, if the specialty in
question does not practice primary care and has only brief or limited
patient contact.
(5)(a) The secretary and the disciplining authorities shall work
collaboratively to develop a model list of training programs in suicide
assessment, treatment, and management.
(b) When developing the model list, the secretary and the
disciplining authorities shall:
(i) Consider suicide assessment, treatment, and management training
programs of at least six hours in length listed on the best practices
registry of the American foundation for suicide prevention and the
suicide prevention resource center; and
(ii) Consult with public and private institutions of higher
education, experts in suicide assessment, treatment, and management,
and affected professional associations.
(c) The secretary and the disciplining authorities shall report the
model list of training programs to the appropriate committees of the
legislature no later than December 15, 2013.
(6) Nothing in this section may be interpreted to expand or limit
the scope of practice of any profession regulated under chapter 18.130
RCW.
(7) The secretary and the disciplining authorities affected by this
section shall adopt any rules necessary to implement this section.
(8) For purposes of this section:
(a) "Disciplining authority" has the same meaning as in RCW
18.130.020.
(b) "Training program in suicide assessment, treatment, and
management" means an empirically supported training program approved by
the appropriate disciplining authority that contains the following
elements: Suicide assessment, including screening and referral,
suicide treatment, and suicide management. The disciplining authority
may approve a training program that excludes one of the elements if the
element is inappropriate for the profession in question based on the
profession's scope of practice. A training program that includes only
screening and referral elements shall be at least three hours in
length. All other training programs approved under this section shall
be at least six hours in length.
(9) A state or local government employee is exempt from the
requirements of this section if he or she receives a total of at least
six hours of training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management
from his or her employer every six years. For purposes of this
subsection, the training may be provided in one six-hour block or may
be spread among shorter training sessions at the employer's discretion.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 This act may be known and cited as the Matt
Adler suicide assessment, treatment, and management training act of
2012.