AN ACT Relating to at-risk children; adding new sections to chapter 28A.03 RCW; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) Because modern society is more complex in its demands on children, their families, and the school, we have often asked the school to provide services or direct families to services that are more readily available from social service agencies. To assure more effective and efficient use of community resources we must combine the expertise of the social service worker with that of our teachers and schools. Thus, the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the department of social and health services shall join together to create, administer, and staff the school-related social service program.

(2) The purpose of the program is to aid at-risk youth, ages four to twenty-one, to improve their chances for a lifetime of good mental and physical health. Social service workers will be placed in selected school buildings to allow the worker to work with school personnel in accessing and providing services to troubled, disadvantaged, and at-risk students and their families.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The superintendent of public instruction may grant funds to school districts that wish to participate in the school-related social service program. Interested school districts shall file an application for funds that includes the following:

(1) A description of the district's population and the social service needs of the population of the building or buildings to be served;

(2) The process that will identify the children or families;

(3) The school's past and current efforts to solve the problem;

(4) Identification of the program emphasis for the target building or buildings including:

(a) Community resource development;

(b) Job training and employment services;

(d) Health services;

(e) Special issue counseling, such as AIDS, death, divorce, drugs, and alcohol;

(f) Day care services and instruction in parenting skills for adolescent parents;

(g) Referral to health and social service providers;

(h) Special outreach to dropouts; and

(i) Nutrition counseling;

(5) A demonstration of how the social service worker will be integrated into the school setting;

(6) A source of matching funds or in-kind contributions. The in-kind contribution shall not exceed twenty percent of the matching funds.

(7) Whether the district will use social service workers from the department of social and health services or contract privately for the services.

(8) Identification of the desired outcome of the program and how the impact of the program will be measured.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) Districts electing to use department of social and health service social service workers shall receive no more than two hundred fifty thousand dollars. The district must provide matching funds equal to the amount of the grant. No more than twenty percent of the matching funds may come from in-kind contributions.

(2) Districts which elect to contract privately for services shall receive no more than one hundred thousand dollars. The district must provide matching funds equal to the amount of the grant. No more than ten percent of the matching funds may come from in-kind services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The superintendent of public instruction and the secretary of the department of social and health services shall each select five persons to serve on the school-related social service program advisory committee who shall advise the superintendent of public instruction and the secretary of the department of social and health services on the selection of the districts to participate in this program. The deciding factors in selecting which projects shall be funded shall include the nature of the services requested, number of students to be served, current availability of the services, and compliance with the requirements set forth in section 2 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The superintendent of public instruction and the department of social and health services shall report to the legislature on the results of the program no later than January 15, 1992.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The sum of ________ dollars or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of this act. Not more than forty-nine thousand five hundred dollars may be used to fund a half-time staff person for the project within the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the department of social and health services to coordinate the operation of the programs and to assist participating school districts in negotiating contracts for services with the department of social and health services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Sections 2 through 5 of this act shall be added to chapter 28A.03 RCW.