The legislature finds that resources to support people with developmental disabilities are limited and many are in dire need of support. Enrollment into and receipt of developmental disabilities administration home and community-based services and supports can prevent traumatic and expensive hospital stays and institutionalization as well as harm in communities leading to incarceration. The legislature recognizes that until the state can achieve a system capable of providing help as soon as help is needed for all individuals with developmental disabilities, it is imperative to strategically intervene at times of crisis so that populations for which intervention is most critical are served without delay. Therefore, the legislature intends to provide a clear prioritization of populations most in need for developmental disabilities services and supports.
(1) When enrolling eligible clients in open home and community-based services waiver slots and for the purposes of determining access to specific waiver services, to the extent consistent with federal law and federal funding requirements, the administration shall prioritize clients in the following populations:
(a) Persons who are age 45 and older;
(b) Persons who, within the previous six months, have remained in a hospital without a safe discharge plan;
(c) Persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities who are transitioning from high school and need a waiver with supported employment services;
(d) Persons who are discharging from institutional settings including residential habilitation centers and state hospitals;
(e) Persons the administration has determined to be in immediate risk of admission to an intermediate care facility due to unmet health and welfare needs;
(f) Persons who have been found incompetent to stand trial in a criminal matter due to a developmental disability;
(g) Persons eligible for services under RCW 71A.12.090; and
(h) Persons currently and formerly eligible for services through a community protection waiver in the interest of enhancing the safety of the community, caretakers, and others.
(2) Persons who meet the criteria outlined in RCW 71A.12.370 shall be enrolled in waiver services, to the extent consistent with federal law and federal funding requirements.
(3) The administration shall align its rules to provide for the prioritization for waiver slots and services for the populations identified in subsection (1) of this section.
(4) The administration shall routinely collect data on the following items related to home and community-based services waivers and make the data publicly available on the administration's website:
(a) The number of people enrolled in each waiver;
(b) The capacity and waitlist, if any, for each waiver, including the number of people from the prioritized populations identified in subsection (1) of this section as well as persons identified in subsection (2) of this section who are on a waitlist for waiver enrollment;
(c) The number of people from the prioritized populations identified in subsection (1) of this section as well as persons identified in subsection (2) of this section that have been enrolled on each waiver since the last report;
(d) Any requests for waiver services that have not been fulfilled and the reason the request has not been fulfilled; and
(e) Any unfulfilled requests for waiver services from the prioritized populations identified in subsection (1) of this section as well as persons identified in subsection (2) of this section, including the type of service and the reason the request has not been fulfilled.