Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Human Services & Early Learning Committee

HB 2737

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.

Background:

Children's Mental Health Work Group.

The Children's Mental Health Work Group (CMHWG) was established in 2016 and reauthorized in 2018 to identify barriers to accessing mental health services for children and families and to advise the Legislature on statewide mental health services for this population. The Health Care Authority provides the primary staff support to the CMHWG. The CMHWG expires in December 2020.

Family, Youth, and System Partner Roundtables.

In 2009 the T.R. v. Strange and McDermott lawsuit was filed against the state on grounds relating to intensive mental health services for children enrolled in Medicaid. A settlement agreement was reached in 2013. The terms of the settlement include the establishment of an interagency governance structure to improve the coordination of and access to services for youth and their families. This governance structure requires Family, Youth, and System Partner Round Tables (FYSPPRTs) at the state and regional levels. The FYSPRTs are comprised of family and youth, government, and tribal partners and are tasked with identifying local needs and bringing forward recommendations on how to meet those needs.

Behavioral Health Coordination by Educational Service Districts.The 2019 Legislature required the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to establish a State School Safety Center (state center) and educational service districts (ESDs) to establish Regional School Safety Centers (regional centers) in order to form a network to coordinate school safety efforts. The state center must work with the regional centers to provide school districts with:

behavioral health coordination;
school-based threat assessments;
training and technical assistance; and
partnership development and collaboration.

Summary of Bill:

The CMHWG is renamed as the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group (CYBHWG), and the duties of the group are amended to require:

focusing on behavioral health access for children and youth from prenatal up to age 25 and their families;
monitoring mood, anxiety, and substance use disorder prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment for children and young mothers;
determining strategies and resources needed to:
- improve inpatient and outpatient access to behavioral health services;
- support the unique needs of youth ages 18-25 and young children prenatally through age 5; and
- develop system improvements to support the behavioral health needs of children and youth; and
consideration of issues and recommendations put forward by the statewide FYSPRT.

Membership of the CMHWG is changed to remove the Department of Social and Health Services representative, modify the parent representatives to require one of the two parents to have a child under age 6, and add:

one representative of an organization representing the interests of individuals with developmental disabilities;
two youth representatives who have received behavioral health services;
one representative of a private insurance organization; and
one representative from the statewide FYSPRT.

An advisory group focused on school-based behavioral health, and suicide prevention is established to advise the CYBHWG on creating and maintaining a system of support and care between the K-12 school system and behavioral health care systems. The CYBHWG co-chairs may invite non-work group members to participate as advisory group members. Staff support for the advisory group must be provided by the OSPI.

The December 2020 expiration date for the CMHWG is removed. The CYBHWG must provide biennial recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature beginning December 1, 2021.