Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research | BILL ANALYSIS |
Early Learning & Human Services Committee |
HB 2790
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
Brief Description: Concerning employment and community access services for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Sponsors: Representatives Walsh, Kilduff, Nealey, Kagi, Senn, Zeiger, Sawyer, Schmick, Dye, McBride, Pollet, Haler, Walkinshaw and Tarleton.
Brief Summary of Bill |
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Hearing Date: 1/29/16
Staff: Luke Wickham (786-7146).
Background:
Community Access Services.
Community access services provide Developmental Disability Administration (DDA) clients with opportunities to engage in community-based activities that support socialization, education, recreation, and personal development. The number of community access services that a DDA client receives each month is based on that individual's community access service level. The DDA determines an individual's community access service level based on an individual's Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) support needs index percentile ranking. This ranking is established by adding up level of support needs in several categories including:
home living activities;
community living activities;
lifelong learning activities;
employment activities;
health and safety activities; and
social activities.
By adding these scores together, an individual's SIS percentile ranking is established. The table below shows the number of hours a client would receive based on their percentile ranking:
0 - 9th percentile | Up to 3 hours |
10th - 19th percentile | Up to 6 hours |
20th - 29th percentile | Up to 9 hours |
30th - 44th percentile | Up to 12 hours |
45th - 59th percentile | Up to 15 hours |
60th - 74th percentile | Up to 18 hours |
75th - 100th percentile | Up to 20 hours |
Employment Services.
Employment services provided by the DDA include individual supported employment and group supported employment services. Individual supported employment services include activities needed to sustain employment that provides at least a minimum wage, and includes intake, discovery, job preparation, marketing, job coaching, and job retention supports. Group supported employment services include paid training in an integrated business setting, supervision by a qualified employment provider, groupings of no more than eight workers with disabilities, and individualized supports to obtain gainful employment.
The DDA determines an individual's employment service hours per month based on a scoring system that combines individual scores for:
activities of daily living;
behavioral support;
interpersonal support;
environmental support;
level of monitoring;
employment support;
completing tasks with acceptable speed;
completing tasks with acceptable quality;
medical support; and
seizure support.
These scores are added together to establish an overall employment support level in numerical form. Those scores are then used to determine an individual's employment service hours per month depending on whether the individual is working or in training as follows:
For individuals with low employment support levels:
if working, 4 hours;
if training, 7 hours;
For individuals with medium employment support levels:
if working, 7 hours;
if training, 9 hours;
For individuals with high employment support levels:
if working, 11 hours;
if training, 12 hours.
Nine Months of Employment Services.
In 2012, the Legislature enacted legislation allowing working age adults to transition to a community access service program only after nine months of an employment service and only allowing clients to receive one service at a time. Individuals ages 21 through 61 must participate in a DDA employment program for nine months before receiving community access services. Individuals may receive an exception to this rule if he or she:
has a medical condition that requires hospitalization or ongoing care by a medical professional that affects his or her ability to participate in daily activities to the degree that employment would result in significant decline in his or her ability to function, or seriously endanger his or her health; or
has been available for employment planning activities and an employment provider has not provided services within 90 days of his or her request for those services.
Summary of Bill:
The DDA must use the same algorithm to determine the number of hours clients receive for employment and community access services.
The exception to the rule requiring that DDA clients participate in nine months of employment services before receiving community access services must take into consideration an individual's medical condition, an individual's history of care needs, the availability of employment providers, and allow for other good cause reasons for an exception.
The DDA must ensure that clients, parents of clients, and guardians of clients are aware of the exception to the nine month employment rule.
Beginning December 1, 2016, the DDA must annually report to the Legislature the specific rules that allow individuals to receive an exception to the nine month employment requirement and the number of individuals provided an exception in each county.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.