SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5553

BYSenators Talmadge, Wojahn, Kiskaddon, Stratton, Kreidler, Craswell, McCaslin, Nelson, Moore and von Reichbauer

Establishing the children and family services pilot project.

Senate Committee on Judiciary

Senate Hearing Date(s):January 16, 1987; January 19, 1987; February 12, 1987

Majority Report:  Do pass and refer to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.

      Signed by Senators Talmadge, Chairman; Halsan, Vice Chairman; McCaslin, Moore, Nelson.

Senate Staff:Carolyn J. Mayer (786-7465)

                  February 17, 1987

Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections

Senate Hearing Date(s):February 18, 1987; March 2, 1987

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5553 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

      Signed by Senators Wojahn, Chairman; Stratton, Vice Chairman; Anderson, Deccio, Kiskaddon, Kreidler.

Senate Staff:Jean Soliz (786-7755)

                  March 4, 1987

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Senate Hearing Date(s):March 6, 1987

Majority Report:  That Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5553 be substituted therefor, and the second substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators McDermott, Chairman; Gaspard, Vice Chairman; Bauer, Bluechel, Cantu, Fleming, Kreidler, Owen, Rasmussen, Rinehart, Saling, Talmadge, Williams, Zimmerman.

Senate Staff:Suzanne Petersen (786-7715)

                  March 6, 1987

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS, MARCH 6, 1987

BACKGROUND:

It has been suggested that Washington needs to establish a comprehensive system of children and family services state-wide.  Such a system would guarantee that a full continuum of services for families would be available in both urban and rural areas.

SUMMARY:

A children and family services pilot project is created to guide the state in establishing a comprehensive system of children and family services state-wide by 1990.  The pilot project shall be conducted in the service areas of the Kent, Spokane, and Chehalis Children's Services offices.

A continuum of services provided to clients includes early intervention, service needs assessment, and permanency planning.  Broad based community participation through involvement of local agencies and professionals in initial and continued planning and by funding contracts and other agreements for services from private and community agencies shall be assured.

Clients enter this system at the least intrusive and most cost-effective level of service appropriate to client needs which shall be frequently assessed to ensure that services continue at this level.  Guidelines for assessment shall be written and consistently applied throughout the project to assure that service levels may only be skipped under these specific guidelines.

The Department implements a management information system for monitoring project data at the earliest possible date.  DSHS collects baseline data regarding the actual functioning of the current system and shall set goals and objectives regarding the pilot project as a whole and its individual components.  It monitors individual service providers and the entire system regarding its progress in meeting these goals and objectives.  The Department reports to the Joint Select Committee on Children and Family Services regarding the management information system prior to implementation.

The pilot project commences on January 1, 1988, and shall terminate December 31, 1989.  The Department shall provide a detailed implementation plan to the Legislature by October 15, 1987, for review and approval by the Joint Select Committee on Children and Families.

The implementation plan includes:  alternative management models, including plans for administration by the local administrator for the courts, the Department of Social and Health Services, a community based organization, or any combination of those entities; a proposal for a mechanism establishing a decision making process when services needed by children and families extend beyond those available from the Department of Children and Family Services.  The Department of Social and Health Services is authorized to combine the funding categories in order to provide for efficient case management to meet actual client needs.

Money is appropriated for costs associated with the implementation plan and the operation of the pilot project.

The act takes effect immediately.

Fiscal Note:      available

Effective Date:The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

The implementation plan shall include a community participation component which shall be submitted to a local children's advisory group for review and comment.  Each pilot locale shall contract with visiting nurses and other home-based services for preventive services.  The Department is required to establish intake and assessment criteria to identify risk in order to deliver appropriate services.  The Legislative Budget Committee, in consultation with the joint select committee, is to contract with an independent evaluator to analyze the data collected throughout the term of the projects.

$150,000 is appropriated to the Legislative Budget Committee for the independent evaluation; $300,000 is appropriated for the purpose of contracting with local service providers.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE:

The Senate and House Ways & Means Committees will also receive the DSHS report on the cost of the management information system prior to implementation.

The pilot project evaluation will include a comparison to children and family services performance in areas of the state not served by the pilot.

DSHS and the joint select committee on children and family services shall select an independent agency to evaluate the pilot project.

The appropriation section is stricken.

Senate Committee - Testified: JUDICIARY:  Don Bantz, Snohomish County Human Services; Tom Wing, United Fathers of America; Gail Toraason, Behavioral Sciences Institute; Jerry Wasson, Department of Children and Family Services; Marjorie Kranz, citizen; Kathryn Lyon, Department of Assigned Counsel

Senate Committee - Testified: HUMAN SERVICES & CORRECTIONS:  Maggie Kennedy, Childhaven; Ken Steely, Bill of Rights Legal Foundation; Bailey De Iongh, King County Public Defender; Steve Johnston, Pierce County Juvenile Court; Dr. Eric Trupin, Governor's Task Force on Child Protective Services

Senate Committee - Testified: No one