BILL REQ. #:  S-5386.2 

READ FIRST TIME 02/12/08.   

     AN ACT Relating to screening and treating children with attachment disorders; creating new sections; and providing expiration dates.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature recognizes many children in state care have suffered physical, mental, and emotional abuse and neglect, resulting in an inability to trust or develop healthy relationships with others, a condition referred to as reactive attachment disorder.
     It is the intent of this act to create a single county pilot project that will deliver a comprehensive and integrated approach to the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of reactive attachment disorder. The goal of the pilot project is to develop an intake tool and evidence-based intervention services to permit early recognition and treatment of children with reactive attachment disorder served by the children and family services division of the department of social and health services.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The department shall institute a pilot program providing the services required by this act. The pilot program shall be conducted within the confines of Clark county. The contracted service provider shall be a provider currently providing services to children served by the department within that county.
     For purposes of this act, "department" means the children and family services division of the department of social and health services.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) The department and the provider selected under the terms of subsection (2) of this section shall meet with experts in the field of reactive attachment disorder to develop an intake tool for assessment of reactive attachment disorder in children. The experts, at a minimum, shall include a representative from the University of Washington's attachment disorder clinic and the University of Washington evidence-based institute.
     (2) The department shall contract with a provider to implement the intake tool for screening and assessing reactive attachment disorder in children who are placed in out-of-home care or otherwise serviced by the department.
     (3) The intake tool shall be developed no later than September 1, 2008.
     (4) Once the intake tool is developed, the department shall screen all children expected to remain in foster care for thirty days or more and shall work with the contracted provider to implement the screening tool. During the pilot period, the department shall refer children under age nine with significant scores on the screening tool to the provider selected under this section for further assessment and treatment of reactive attachment disorder.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   (1) Additional children may be referred by the department for screening based upon available resources.
     (2) The department and the provider selected under this act shall meet with experts in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of reactive attachment disorder in developing treatment options that are evidence-based and have been demonstrated to be effective in treating reactive attachment disorder. The experts, at a minimum, shall include the University of Washington's attachment disorder clinic and the University of Washington evidence-based institute. In addition to the services in subsection (1) of this section, the provider shall provide training developed in subsection (2) of this section to enable the intake tool to be effectively and properly utilized by appropriate department personnel.
     (3) The department shall pay for the screening services provided to a child under this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   (1) The department shall contract with the provider selected in section 3 of this act for the provision of integrated and evidence-based intervention services for children diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder.
     (2) In addition to services in subsection (1) of this section, the provider shall provide training identified in section 4 of this act to enable the intervention services to be effectively and properly utilized by appropriate department personnel.
     (3) The department shall pay for the intervention services provided to a child under this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   The joint legislative audit and review committee shall conduct a study of the pilot program. The study shall evaluate the effectiveness of the intake tool and treatment service model provided in the pilot program. The committee shall provide a report and recommendations to the legislature no later than December 1, 2010.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   The department shall operate the pilot program required by sections 1 through 5 of this act within the funds specifically appropriated therefor. If the costs of the pilot exceeds the appropriation, the department shall adjust the age specified in section 3(4) of this act to conform with the appropriation and shall promptly notify the fiscal committees of the legislature.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8   (1) Sections 1 through 5 of this act expire June 30, 2010.
     (2) Section 6 of this act expires December 1, 2010.