6547-S.E AMC CONF H4554.1

ESSB 6547 - CONF REPT

By Conference Committee

                                                                                                                                              ADOPTED 3/9/94

          Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

          "NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that the current complex set of rules and regulations, audited and administered at multiple levels of the mental health system, focus primarily on the process of providing mental health services and do not sufficiently address consumer and system outcomes.  To this extent, the legislature finds that the intent of RCW 71.24.015 related to reduced administrative layering, duplication, and reduced administrative costs need much more aggressive action.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  The department of social and health services shall establish a single comprehensive and collaborative project within regional support networks and with local mental health service providers aimed at creating innovative and streamlined community mental health service delivery systems, in order to carry out the purposes set forth in section 1 of this act and to capture the diversity of the community mental health service delivery system.

          The project must accomplish the following:

          (1) Identification, review, and cataloging of all rules, regulations, duplicative administrative and monitoring functions, and other requirements that currently lead to inefficiencies in the community mental health service delivery system and, if possible, eliminate the requirements;

          (2) The systematic and incremental development of a single system of accountability for all appropriated funds used to provide mental health services.  Assessment must be made regarding the feasibility of also including federal and local funds into the single system of accountability;

          (3) The elimination of process regulations and related contract and reporting requirements.  In place of the regulations and requirements, a set of outcomes for mental health adult and children clients according to chapter 71.24 RCW must be used to measure the performance of mental health service providers and regional support networks.  Such outcomes shall focus on stabilizing out-of-home and hospital care, increasing stable community living, increasing age-appropriate activities, achieving family and consumer satisfaction with services, and system efficiencies;

          (4) Evaluation of the feasibility of contractual agreements between the department of social and health services and regional support networks and mental health service providers that link financial incentives to the success or failure of mental health service providers and regional support networks to meet outcomes established for mental health service clients;

          (5) The involvement of mental health consumers and their representatives in the pilot projects.  Mental health consumers and their representatives will be involved in the development of outcome standards for mental health clients and other related aspects of the pilot projects; and

          (6) An independent evaluation component to measure the success of the projects.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  The project established in section 2 of this act must be implemented by July 1, 1995, in at least two regional support networks, with annual progress reports submitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature beginning November 1, 1994, and in all regional support networks state-wide with full implementation of the most effective and efficient practices identified by the evaluation in section 2 of this act no later than July 1, 1997.  In addition, the department of social and health services, the participating regional support networks, and the local mental health service providers shall report to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the legislature on the need for any changes in state statute, rule, policy, or procedure, and any change in federal statute, regulation, policy, or procedure to ensure the purposes specified in section 1 of this act are carried out.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  To carry out the purposes specified in section 1 of this act, the department of social and health services is encouraged to utilize its authority to immediately eliminate any unnecessary rules, regulations, standards, or contracts, to immediately eliminate duplication of audits or any other unnecessarily duplicated functions, and to seek any waivers of federal or state rules or regulations necessary to achieve the purpose of streamlining the mental health system and infusing it with incentives that reward efficiency, positive outcomes for clients, and quality services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.  Sections 1 through 4 of this act are each added to chapter 71.24 RCW."

ESSB 6547 - CONF REPT

By Conference Committee

                                                                                                                                              ADOPTED 3/9/94

          On page 1, line 1 of the title, after "accountability;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "and adding new sections to chapter 71.24 RCW."

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