BILL REQ. #:  H-0539.2 

Read first time 01/24/13.   Referred to Committee on Health Care & Wellness.

     AN ACT Relating to clarifying the requirement that certain health professionals complete training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management; and amending RCW 43.70.442.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 43.70.442 and 2012 c 181 s 2 are each amended 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 marriage and family therapist licensed under chapter 18.225 RCW;
     (iv) A mental health counselor licensed under chapter 18.225 RCW;
     (v) An occupational therapy practitioner licensed under chapter 18.59 RCW;
     (vi) A psychologist licensed under chapter 18.83 RCW; and
     (vii) An advanced social worker or independent clinical social worker licensed under chapter 18.225 RCW.
     (b) The requirements in (a) of this subsection apply to a person holding a retired active license for one of the professions in (a) of this subsection.
     (c) The training required by this subsection must be at least six hours in length, unless a disciplinary authority has determined, under subsection (8)(b) of this section, that training that includes only screening and referral elements is appropriate for the profession in question, in which case the training must be at least three hours in length.
     (2)(a)(i) Except as provided in (a)(ii) of this subsection, a professional listed in subsection (1)(a) of this section must complete the first training required by this section during the first full continuing education reporting period after ((June 7, 2012)) January 1, 2014, 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 section applying for initial licensure on or after ((June 7, 2012)) January 1, 2014, 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)) the training ((program in suicide assessment, treatment, and management that:
     (A) Was completed)) required in subsection (1) of this section 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)).
     (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 board of occupational therapy practice may exempt occupational therapists from the training requirements of subsection (1) of this section by specialty, if the specialty in question 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. However, the disciplining authority may approve ((a)) training ((program)) that ((excludes one of the elements if the element is inappropriate)) includes only screening and referral elements if appropriate 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.)) The board of physical therapy may also approve training that includes only screening and referral elements if appropriate for physical therapy practitioners based on practice setting.
     (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.
     (10) An employee of a community mental health agency licensed under chapter 71.24 RCW or a chemical dependency program certified under chapter 70.96A RCW 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.