Each agency must ensure that all of the following staff requirements are met:
(1) All staff providing clinical services are appropriately credentialed for the services they provide, which may include a co-occurring disorder specialist enhancement.
(2) All staff providing clinical services receive clinical supervision;
(3) All staff providing clinical mental health services have access to consultation with a psychiatrist, physician, physician assistant, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or psychologist who has at least one year's experience in the direct treatment of individuals who have a mental or emotional disorder.
(4) An agency providing group counseling or group therapy must have a staff ratio of at least one staff member to every sixteen individuals during group counseling or therapy sessions.
(5) A Mental health professional is:
(a) A psychiatrist, psychologist, physician assistant working with a supervising psychiatrist, psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP), psychiatric nurse, or social worker as defined in chapters
71.05 and
71.34 RCW;
(b) A person who is licensed by the department as a mental health counselor or mental health counselor associate, marriage and family therapist, or marriage and family therapist associate; or
(c) An agency staff member with a designation given by the department or an attestation by the licensed behavioral health agency that the person meets the following:
(i) Holds a master's degree or further advanced degree in counseling or one of the social sciences from an accredited college or university who has at least two years of experience in direct treatment of persons with mental illness or emotional disturbance, experience that was gained under the supervision of a mental health professional recognized by the department or attested to by the licensed behavioral health agency;
(ii) Who meets the waiver criteria of RCW
71.24.260, and the waiver was granted prior to 1986; or
(iii) Who had an approved waiver to perform the duties of a mental health professional (MHP), that was requested by the behavioral health organization (BHO) and granted by the mental health division prior to July 1, 2001.
(6) An agency providing problem gambling and gambling disorder treatment services must ensure staffing in accordance with WAC
246-341-0754.
[Statutory Authority: RCW
71.24.037,
71.05.560,
71.34.380,
18.205.160,
71.24.037 and chapters
71.05, 71.24, and
71.34 RCW. WSR 21-12-042, § 246-341-0515, filed 5/25/21, effective 7/1/21. Statutory Authority: 2018 c 201 and 2018 c 291. WSR 19-09-062, § 246-341-0515, filed 4/16/19, effective 5/17/19.]