AN
ACT Relating to authorizing blended funding projects for youth; amending RCW
74.14A.020; adding a new section to chapter 74.14A RCW; and providing an
effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec.
1. RCW
74.14A.020 and 1994 sp.s. c 7 s 102 are each amended to read as follows:
State
efforts shall address the needs of children and their families, including
emotionally disturbed and mentally ill children, potentially dependent
children, and families-in-conflict by:
(1)
Serving children and families as a unit in the least restrictive setting
available and in close proximity to the family home, consistent with the best
interests and special needs of the child;
(2)
Ensuring that appropriate social and health services are provided to the family
unit both prior to and during the removal of a child from the home and after
family reunification;
(3)
Ensuring that the safety and best interests of the child are the paramount
considerations when making placement and service delivery decisions;
(4)
Recognizing the interdependent and changing nature of families and communities,
building upon their inherent strengths, maintaining their dignity and respect,
and tailoring programs to their specific circumstances;
(5)
Developing and implementing comprehensive, preventive, and early intervention
social and health services which have demonstrated the ability to delay or
reduce the need for out-of-home placements and ameliorate problems before they
become chronic or severe;
(6)
Authorizing and facilitating blended funding for children who require
services and residential treatment from multiple services systems; including
child welfare services, mental health, alcohol and drug, and juvenile rehabilitation;
(7)
Being sensitive to the family and community culture, norms, values, and
expectations, ensuring that all services are provided in a culturally
appropriate and relevant manner, and ensuring participation of racial and
ethnic minorities at all levels of planning, delivery, and evaluation efforts;
(((7)))
(8)(a) Developing coordinated social and health services which:
(i)
Identify problems experienced by children and their families early and provide
services which are adequate in availability, appropriate to the situation, and
effective;
(ii)
Seek to bring about meaningful change before family situations become
irreversibly destructive and before disturbed psychological behavioral patterns
and health problems become severe or permanent;
(iii)
Serve children and families in their own homes thus preventing unnecessary
out-of-home placement or institutionalization;
(iv)
Focus resources on social and health problems as they begin to manifest
themselves rather than waiting for chronic and severe patterns of illness,
criminality, and dependency to develop which require long-term treatment,
maintenance, or custody;
(v)
Reduce duplication of and gaps in service delivery;
(vi)
Improve planning, budgeting, and communication among all units of the department
and among all agencies that serve children and families; and
(vii)
Utilize outcome standards for measuring the effectiveness of social and health
services for children and families.
(b)
In developing services under this subsection, local communities must be
involved in planning and developing community networks that are tailored to
their unique needs.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 2. A
new section is added to chapter 74.14A RCW to read as follows:
The
secretary of the department of social and health services shall charge
appropriated funds to support blended funding projects for youth subject to any
current or future waiver the department receives to the requirements of IV-E
funding. To be eligible for blended funding a child must be eligible for
services designed to address a behavioral, mental, emotional, or substance
abuse issue from the department of social and health services and require
services from more than one categorical service delivery system. Before any
blended funding project is established by the secretary, any entity or person
proposing the project shall seek input from the public health and safety
network or networks established in the catchment area of the project. The
network or networks shall submit recommendations on the blended funding project
to the family policy council. The family policy council shall advise the
secretary whether to approve the proposed blended funding project. The network
shall review the proposed blended funding project pursuant to its authority to
examine the decategorization of program funds under RCW 70.190.110, within the
current appropriation level. The department shall document the number of
children who participate in blended funding projects, the total blended funding
amounts per child, the amount charged to each appropriation by program, and
services provided to each child through each blended funding project and report
this information to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December
1st of each year, beginning in December 1, 2000.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 3. If
any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is
held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to
other persons or circumstances is not affected.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. This
act takes effect July 1, 2000.
