AN ACT Relating to assessing the needs of girls and young women concurrently involved in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems; and creating new sections.

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

(2) The legislature intends that the services provided across the child welfare and juvenile justice systems for the target population consisting of dually involved females should be research-based and data-driven in order to identify effective prevention strategies, best practices for intervention, and system improvements. The services provided to the target population should address state and local needs for efficient use of limited financial resources and reduce reliance on costly and ineffective placement and incarceration.

(3) The legislature acknowledges that baseline information on the target population of dually involved females is not presently available. Data identifying the prevalence and characteristics of the target population of dually involved females and their families, access to trauma-informed interventions, and academic support will inform understanding of the root causes of the complex issues impacting their well-being and development. There is a need for gender-specific data collection across Washington's child welfare, juvenile justice, and education systems. There is also a need for data examination identifying potential best practices and system changes leading to improved outcomes for dually involved females.

(a) Understanding the prevalence and demographics of the dually involved female population and their families;

(b) Tracking outcomes for this population including, but not limited to, academic, social, and vocational achievement; and

(c) Evaluating the capabilities and limitations of current systems to serve this population effectively.

(2) The collected data should be disaggregated by race and ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, county of residence, and other relevant variables.

(3) The study should include cost-benefit analysis of programs that would show evidence of avoidance of costs associated with public welfare programs or would demonstrate higher educational attainment.

(4) The study should identify opportunities for working together across systems with respect to alternatives to formal case processing, and opportunities for coordinated service plans, case planning, and management.

(5) The study should develop an implementation plan for policies, programs, best practices, and system improvements. The study should include an evaluation rubric and accountability standards for measuring success in reduced recidivism, use of and length of stay in detention, improved learning support, increased stability in home or placement, and increased development of social competencies.

(6) By December 1, 2018, the gender and justice commission shall review the study completed under this section and report to the legislative fiscal and policy committees with responsibility for child welfare and juvenile justice issues on:

(a) Effective protocols and procedures to ensure consistent use of targeted evidence-based interventions; and

(b) Promising best practices for improving academic, social, and vocational achievement.

(7) For purposes of this section, "dually involved female" means any female person under eighteen years of age who has concurrent involvement, whether diversionary, formal, or a combination of the two, with both the child welfare and the juvenile justice systems in Washington state.

--- END ---