BILL REQ. #:  S-4914.1 

Read first time 01/31/08.   Referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.

     AN ACT Relating to children's administration social workers; adding a new section to chapter 43.20A RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   In November 2007, the Washington state children's administration workload study was released. The study's authors recommended several areas for improved efficiency, including facilitation of data processing, covering "uncovered" caseloads, and compliance with mandatory obligations.
     In January 2008, the joint legislative audit and review committee issued its report entitled "children's administration social worker qualifications." The report noted that while the children's administration has four social worker classifications, the social worker 1 and 2 classifications are largely unfilled. While these classifications encompass those social workers not yet able or permitted to carry a caseload, the legislature finds that both of these classifications, while training to become case-carrying social workers, can assist other social workers with their cases in a variety of ways. The legislature finds that a more expansive use of social worker 1 and 2 classifications should have a positive effect on the ability of the children's administration to address the recommendations of the workload study.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.20A RCW to read as follows:
     (1) When hiring children's administration social workers, the department shall ensure that fifteen percent of those hired at any given time are either social worker 1s or 2s.
     (2) The department shall establish a training process for social worker 1s and 2s that includes a pathway for these social workers to become social worker 3s.
     (3) The training process shall include, but is not limited to, assigning tasks and duties that:
     (a) Are required preparation for the duties of social worker 3s;
     (b) Include data processing responsibilities necessary to use the information system used by case-carrying social workers; and
     (c) Require attendance at meetings on behalf of case-carrying social workers which provide instruction both on individual cases and social worker administrative responsibilities.
     (4) The training process shall also be designed to remediate the current workload of social worker 3s including but not limited to the tasks and duties provided in subsection (3) of this section. The department may assign social worker 1s and 2s to other tasks within their department of personnel classification that will relieve case-carrying social workers of their workload.