BILL REQ. #:  H-2091.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/28/03.   

     AN ACT Relating to improving coordination of services for children's mental health; amending RCW 71.36.020; adding a new section to chapter 71.36 RCW; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature affirms its support for: Improving field-level cross-program collaboration and efficiency; collecting reliable mental health cost, service, and outcome data specific to children; revising the early periodic screening diagnosis and treatment plan to reflect the current mental health system structure; and identifying and promulgating the approaches used in school districts where mental health and education systems coordinate services and resources to provide public mental health care for children.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The legislature supports recommendations made in the study of the public mental health system for children conducted by the joint legislative audit and review committee. The legislature expects the department of social and health services and the office of the superintendent of public instruction to work diligently within available funds to implement these recommendations, which include the following:
     (1) The department shall identify cross-agency business operation issues that limit the agency's ability to meet statutory intent to coordinate existing categorical children's mental health programs and funding;
     (2) The department shall collect reliable mental health cost, service, and outcome data specific to children. This information must be used to identify best practices and costs of services;
     (3) The department shall revise the early periodic screening diagnosis and treatment plan to reflect current mental health system structure;
     (4) The department and the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall jointly identify school districts where mental health and education systems coordinate services and resources to provide public mental health care for children. These agencies shall work together to share information about these approaches with other school districts, regional support networks, and state agencies.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   In addition to any follow-up requirements prescribed by the joint legislative audit and review committee, the department of social and health services shall submit reports to the legislature on the status of the implementation of the recommendations provided in section 2 (1) through (3) of this act, which are due to be implemented by January 2004. The implementation status reports must be submitted to appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the legislature by June 1, 2004, and each year thereafter through 2007.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 71.36 RCW to read as follows:
     The department of social and health services shall collect and analyze mental health cost, service, and outcome data specific to children. The information produced by the analysis of this data shall be used to promote a consistent, efficient, and effective statewide public mental health system for children.

Sec. 5   RCW 71.36.020 and 1991 c 326 s 13 are each amended to read as follows:
     (((1) The office of financial management shall provide the following information to the appropriate committees of the legislature on or before December 1, 1991, and update such information biennially thereafter:
     (a) An inventory of state and federally funded programs providing mental health services to children in Washington state. For purposes of the inventory, "children's mental health services" shall be broadly construed to include services related to children's mental health provided through education, children and family services, juvenile justice, mental health, health care, alcohol and substance abuse, and developmental disabilities programs, such as: The primary intervention program; treatment foster care; the fair start program; therapeutic child care and day treatment for children in the child protective services system, as provided in RCW 74.14B.040; family reconciliation services counseling, as provided in chapter 13.32A RCW; the community mental health services act, as provided in chapter 71.24 RCW; mental health services for minors, as provided in chapter 71.34 RCW; mental health services provided by the medical assistance program, limited casualty program for the medically needy and children's health program, as provided in chapter 74.09 RCW; counseling for delinquent children, as provided in RCW 72.05.170; mental health service provided by child welfare services, as provided in chapter 74.13 RCW; and services to emotionally disturbed and mentally ill children, as provided in chapter 74.14A RCW.
     (b) For each program or service inventoried pursuant to (a) of this subsection:
     (i) Statutory authority;
     (ii) Level and source of funding statewide and for each county and school district in the state during the biennium ending June 30, 1991, to the extent such information is available;
     (iii) Agency administering the service statewide and description of how administration and service delivery are organized and provided at the regional and local level;
     (iv) Programmatic or financial eligibility criteria;
     (v) Characteristics of, and number of children served statewide and in each county and school district during the biennium ending June 30, 1991, to the extent such information is available;
     (vi) Number of children of color served, by race and nationality, and number and type of minority mental health providers, by race and nationality, in each regional support network area, to the extent such information is available; and
     (vii) Statutory changes necessary to remove categorical restrictions in the program or service, including federal statutory or regulatory changes.
     (2))) The department of social and health services, in consultation with the office of financial management, ((in consultation with the department,)) shall develop a plan and criteria for the use of early periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment services related to mental health that includes at least the following components:
     (((a))) (1) Criteria for screening and assessment of mental illness and emotional disturbance;
     (((b))) (2) Criteria for determining the appropriate level of medically necessary services a child receives, including but not limited to development of a multidisciplinary plan of care when appropriate, and prior authorization for receipt of mental health services;
     (((c))) (3) Qualifications for children's mental health providers;
     (((d))) (4) Other cost control mechanisms, such as managed care arrangements and prospective or capitated payments for mental health services; and
     (((e))) (5) Mechanisms to ensure that federal medicaid matching funds are obtained for services ((inventoried pursuant to subsection (1) of this section)), to the greatest extent practicable.
     In developing the plan, the ((office of financial management)) department of social and health services shall provide an opportunity for comment by the major child-serving systems and regional support networks. The plan shall be submitted to appropriate committees of the legislature on or before December 1, ((1991)) 2003, and biennially thereafter.