H-2691.1

HOUSE BILL 2407

ByRepresentatives Couture, Rule, Senn, Caldier, and Jacobsen

AN ACT Relating to increasing protections for child welfare workers; amending RCW 74.14B.010; reenacting and amending RCW 74.14B.005; and adding a new section to chapter 74.14B RCW.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 74.14B.005 and 2019 c 470 s 18 and 2019 c 64 s 26 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Child welfare worker" means an employee of the department whose job includes supporting or providing child welfare services as defined in RCW 74.13.020 or child protective services as defined in RCW 26.44.020.

(2) "Department" means the department of children, youth, and families.

(((2)))(3) "Secretary" means the secretary of the department of children, youth, and families.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 74.14B RCW to read as follows:

(1) A child welfare worker who is required to respond to a private home or other private location to provide services to, monitor, or investigate a family, may make a request to their supervisor to be accompanied by a second trained individual when the child welfare worker has concerns that violence could occur based on a family member's history of violence.

(2) When a request is made under subsection (1) of this section, the department shall arrange for a second trained individual to accompany the child welfare worker unless it is not possible to fulfill the request under the circumstances.

(3) The second trained individual that may accompany a child welfare worker under this section may be:

(a) A law enforcement officer;

(b) A mental health professional;

(c) A first responder, such as a firefighter or emergency medical personnel; or

(d) An employee of the department who is trained as a child welfare worker and acts in a supervisory capacity with respect to other child welfare workers.

(4) No retaliation may be taken against a child welfare worker for requesting that a second trained individual accompany them in providing services to, monitoring, or investigating a family.

Sec. 3. RCW 74.14B.010 and 2019 c 470 s 27 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Child welfare workers shall meet minimum standards established by the department. Comprehensive training for child welfare workers shall be completed before such child welfare workers are assigned to case-carrying responsibilities as the sole worker assigned to a particular case. Intermittent, part-time, and standby child welfare workers shall be subject to the same minimum standards and training. The minimum training standards under this section must include training related to de-escalation strategies.

(2) Ongoing specialized training shall be provided for child welfare workers responsible for investigating child sexual abuse. Training participants shall have the opportunity to practice interview skills and receive feedback from instructors.

(3) The department, the criminal justice training commission, the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs, and the Washington association of prosecuting attorneys shall design and implement statewide training that contains consistent elements for persons engaged in the interviewing of children, including law enforcement, prosecution, and child protective services.

(4) The training required by this section shall: (a) Be based on research-based practices and standards; (b) minimize the trauma of all persons who are interviewed during abuse investigations; (c) provide methods of reducing the number of investigative interviews necessary whenever possible; (d) assure, to the extent possible, that investigative interviews are thorough, objective, and complete; (e) recognize needs of special populations, such as persons with developmental disabilities; (f) recognize the nature and consequences of victimization; (g) require investigative interviews to be conducted in a manner most likely to permit the interviewed persons the maximum emotional comfort under the circumstances; (h) address record retention and retrieval; (i) address documentation of investigative interviews; and (j) include self-care for child welfare workers.

(5) The identification of domestic violence is critical in ensuring the safety of children in the child welfare system. It is also critical for child welfare workers to support victims of domestic violence while victims continue to care for their children, when possible, as domestic violence perpetrated against someone other than the child does not constitute negligent treatment or maltreatment in and of itself as provided in RCW 26.44.020. For these reasons, ongoing domestic violence training and consultation shall be provided to child welfare workers, including how to use the department's practice guide to domestic violence.

(6) By January 1, 2021, the department shall:

(a) Develop and implement an evidence-informed curriculum for supervisors providing support to child welfare workers to better prepare candidates for effective supervisory and leadership roles within the department;

(b) Develop specialized training for child welfare workers that includes simulation and coaching designed to improve clinical and analytical skills;

(c) ((Based on the report required under RCW 43.216.7501(3), develop))Develop and implement training for child welfare workers that incorporates trauma-informed care and reflective supervision principles.

(7) ((For purposes of this section, "child welfare worker" means an employee of the department whose job includes supporting or providing child welfare services as defined in RCW 74.13.020 or child protective services as defined in RCW 26.44.020.))The department shall offer optional in-service training on de-escalation strategies on at least an annual basis to all child welfare workers.

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