FINAL BILL REPORT

HB 2926

C 294 L 20

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Expanding access to critical incident stress management programs.

Sponsors: Representatives Maycumber, Blake, Kretz, MacEwen, Van Werven, Mosbrucker, Graham, Hoff, Griffey, Stokesbary, Chambers, Ybarra, Dent, Barkis, Goehner, Chandler, Kraft, Goodman, Lovick, Ortiz-Self, Senn, Gildon, Sells, Boehnke, Davis, Smith, Dye, Orwall, Eslick, Shewmake, Pollet, Riccelli and Harris.

House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care

Senate Committee on Behavioral Health Subcommittee to Health & Long Term Care

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:

The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) establishes standards for and provides training to criminal justice professionals, including peace officers and local corrections officers. Among its many duties, the CJTC manages the Basic Law Enforcement Academy and provides advanced training to practitioners. The CJTC also certifies and, when necessary, decertifies peace officers.

A critical incident generally involves an event that lies outside the range of usual human experience. It has the potential to exhaust an individual's usual coping mechanisms, resulting in psychological distress and disruption of normal adaptive functioning. Critical incident stress management (CISM) programs help to address issues of secondary traumatization and may include peer support counseling, crisis intervention, traumatic incident reduction, and stress management.

Generally, a peer support group counselor is a first responder or jail staff person, or a civilian employee or a nonemployee counselor designated by such entity or local jail. Such counselors are responsible for providing emotional and moral support and counseling to first responders or jail staff needing those services as a result of an incident in which they were involved in while acting in their official capacity.

Summary:

Subject to appropriation, the CJTC must conduct outreach and coordinate with local law enforcement agencies to expand CISM programs to law enforcement personnel throughout Washington. The CJTC:

• must conduct an inventory of the current CISM programs in Washington, including an assessment of underserved agencies and regions;

• must coordinate with law enforcement agencies, fire departments, law enforcement organizations, and other first responder organizations to provide greater access to CISM programs, including peer support group counselors; and

• may assist such entities with establishing interagency and regional service agreements to facilitate expansion of CISM programs.

The CJTC must prepare a preliminary report on its findings by July 1, 2021. A final report with a summary of the inventory and efforts to expand CISM programs must be submitted to the Governor and the appropriate committees of the Legislature by July 1, 2022.

Votes on Final Passage: