H-1579.2

SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1424


State of Washington	64th Legislature	2015 Regular Session

By House Health Care & Wellness (originally sponsored by Representatives Orwall, Kagi, Jinkins, Gregerson, Goodman, Santos, Fey, and Sawyer)

READ FIRST TIME 02/20/15.

(1)(a) Each of the following professionals certified or licensed under Title 18 RCW shall, at least once every six years, complete training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management that is approved, in rule, by the relevant disciplining authority:

(b) The requirements in (a) of this subsection apply to a person holding a retired active license for one of the professions in (a) of this subsection.

(c) The training required by this subsection must be at least six hours in length, unless a disciplining authority has determined, under subsection (9)(b) of this section, that training that includes only screening and referral elements is appropriate for the profession in question, in which case the training must be at least three hours in length.

(d) Beginning July 1, 2017, the training required by this subsection must be on the model list developed under subsection (6) of this section. Nothing in this subsection (1)(d) affects the validity of training completed prior to July 1, 2017.

(2)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, a professional listed in subsection (1)(a) of this section must complete the first training required by this section ((during)) by the end of the first full continuing education reporting period after January 1, 2014, or during the first full continuing education reporting period after initial licensure or certification, whichever occurs later.

(b) A professional listed in subsection (1)(a) of this section applying for initial licensure may delay completion of the first training required by this section for six years after initial licensure if he or she can demonstrate successful completion of the training required in subsection (1) of this section no more than six years prior to the application for initial licensure.

(3) The hours spent completing training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management under this section count toward meeting any applicable continuing education or continuing competency requirements for each profession.

(4)(a) A disciplining authority may, by rule, specify minimum training and experience that is sufficient to exempt ((a)) an individual professional from the training requirements in subsections (1) and (5) of this section. Nothing in this subsection (4)(a) allows a disciplining authority to provide blanket exemptions to broad categories or specialties within a profession.

(b) A disciplining authority may exempt a professional from the training requirements of subsections (1) and (5) of this section if the professional has only brief or limited patient contact.

(5)(a) Beginning January 1, 2016, each of the following professionals credentialed under Title 18 RCW shall complete a one-time training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management that is approved by the relevant disciplining authority:

(iii) A licensed practical nurse, registered nurse, or advanced registered nurse practitioner, other than a certified registered nurse anesthetist, licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW;

(b) A professional listed in (a) of this subsection must complete the one-time training ((during)) by the end of the first full continuing education reporting period after ((June 12, 2014)) January 1, 2016, or during the first full continuing education reporting period after initial licensure, whichever is later. Training completed between June 12, 2014, and January 1, 2016, that meets the requirements of this section, other than the timing requirements of this subsection (5)(b), must be accepted by the disciplining authority as meeting the one-time training requirement of this subsection (5).

(d) Beginning July 1, 2017, the training required by this subsection must be on the model list developed under subsection (6) of this section. Nothing in this subsection (5)(d) affects the validity of training completed prior to July 1, 2017.

(6)(a) The secretary and the disciplining authorities shall work collaboratively to develop a model list of training programs in suicide assessment, treatment, and management.

(i) Consider suicide assessment, treatment, and management training programs of at least six hours in length listed on the best practices registry of the American foundation for suicide prevention and the suicide prevention resource center; and

(ii) Consult with public and private institutions of higher education, experts in suicide assessment, treatment, and management, and affected professional associations.

(c) The secretary and the disciplining authorities shall report the model list of training programs to the appropriate committees of the legislature no later than December 15, 2013.

(d))) The secretary and the disciplining authorities shall update the list at least once every two years. ((When updating the list, the secretary and the disciplining authorities shall, to the extent practicable, endeavor to include training on the model list that includes content specific to veterans. When identifying veteran-specific content under this subsection, the secretary and the disciplining authorities shall consult with the Washington department of veterans affairs.))

(c) By June 30, 2016, the department shall adopt rules establishing minimum standards for the training programs included on the model list. The minimum standards must require that six-hour trainings include content specific to veterans and the assessment of issues related to imminent harm via lethal means or self-injurious behaviors. When adopting the rules required under this subsection (6)(c), the department shall:

(i) Consult with the affected disciplining authorities, public and private institutions of higher education, educators, the professional educator standards board, experts in suicide assessment, treatment, and management, the Washington department of veterans affairs, and affected professional associations; and

(ii) Consider standards related to the best practices registry of the American foundation for suicide prevention and the suicide prevention resource center.

(i) The model list must include only trainings that meet the minimum standards established in the rules adopted under (c) of this subsection and any three-hour trainings that met the requirements of this section on or before the effective date of this section;

(ii) The model list must include six-hour trainings in suicide assessment, treatment, and management, three-hour trainings that include only screening and referral elements, and trainings that meet the requirements of RCW 28A.410.226; and

(iii) A person or entity providing the training required in this section may petition the department for inclusion on the model list. The department shall add the training to the list only if the department determines that the training meets the minimum standards established in the rules adopted under (c) of this subsection.

(7) Nothing in this section may be interpreted to expand or limit the scope of practice of any profession regulated under chapter 18.130 RCW.

(b) "Training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management" means empirically supported training approved by the appropriate disciplining authority that contains the following elements: Suicide assessment, including screening and referral, suicide treatment, and suicide management. However, the disciplining authority may approve training that includes only screening and referral elements if appropriate for the profession in question based on the profession's scope of practice. The board of occupational therapy may also approve training that includes only screening and referral elements if appropriate for occupational therapy practitioners based on practice setting.

(10) A state or local government employee is exempt from the requirements of this section if he or she receives a total of at least six hours of training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management from his or her employer every six years. For purposes of this subsection, the training may be provided in one six-hour block or may be spread among shorter training sessions at the employer's discretion.

(11) An employee of a community mental health agency licensed under chapter 71.24 RCW or a chemical dependency program certified under chapter 70.96A RCW is exempt from the requirements of this section if he or she receives a total of at least six hours of training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management from his or her employer every six years. For purposes of this subsection, the training may be provided in one six-hour block or may be spread among shorter training sessions at the employer's discretion.