H-2727.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2264

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature 2001 First Special Session

By Representatives Cody, Alexander, Romero, Skinner, Schual‑Berke and Ballasiotes

Read first time .  Referred to Committee on .

Creating performance measures to evaluate the community mental health service delivery system.

    AN ACT Relating to mental health service performance measures; adding new sections to chapter 71.24 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 71.24 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The department, in collaboration with a work group appointed by the secretary and made up of consumers, advocates, service providers, and representatives of regional support networks, shall develop performance measures for use in evaluating and managing the community mental health service delivery system authorized under this chapter.  The performance measures shall be consistent with the provisions of RCW 71.24.405(3) which may include but are not limited to:

    (a) Access to services;

    (b) Quality and appropriateness of care;

    (c) Outcome measures; including, but not limited to:

    (i) Consumer change over time;

    (ii) Consumer perception of hope for the future;

    (iii) Percent of consumers who have safe and stable housing;

    (iv) Percent of adults employed for one or more days in the last thirty days;

    (v) Percent of consumers without a jail or detention stay;

    (vi) Percent of available school days attended in the past thirty days;

    (vii) Percent of consumers without a psychiatric hospitalization; and

    (d) Structure and plan management.

    (2) The department shall require that service providers and regional support networks collect uniform performance measure information and report it to the department regularly.  The department shall develop benchmarks that compare performance measure information from all regional support networks and providers to provide a clear indication of the most effective regional support networks and providers.  Benchmark information shall be published quarterly and provided to the legislature, the governor, regional support networks, and all providers of mental health services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 71.24 RCW to read as follows:

    Every regional support network and mental health services provider shall be evaluated using the criteria in section 1 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 71.24 RCW to read as follows:

    The department shall provide a report to the appropriate committees of the legislature on the development, implementation, and achievement of the performance measures by regional support networks and service providers on an annual basis, no later than June 30th of each year, beginning in 2002.  The report shall include how the department is using the outcome measure information obtained under section 1 of this act to manage the community mental health service delivery system.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2001, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.

                            --- END ---