Department of Social and Health Services Developmental Disabilities Services.
The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) assists individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families with obtaining services and supports based on individual preferences, capabilities, and needs.  Clients may live in the community or in an institutional setting such as a residential habilitation center (RHC).

Residential Habilitation Centers.
The DSHS operates four RHCs that provide residential support in an institutional setting for clients with developmental disabilities.  Examples of services provided at the RHCs include habilitative services, active treatment, training in daily living skills, medical and dental services, employment services, and behavioral supports.  The RHCs generally only serve clients age 21 and older, though clients age 16 and older may be served on a short-term basis for respite or crisis stabilization services when no appropriate service options are available in the community.  The RHCs are federally certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as either an intermediate care facility (ICF) that provides individualized habilitative services, a nursing facility that is capable of caring for clients with unique medical needs, or both.

The four RHCs are:

• Fircrest School in Shoreline, which includes a nursing facility and an ICF; 
• Lakeland Village Residential Habilitation Center in Medical Lake, which includes a nursing facility and an ICF;
• Rainier School in Buckley, which is an ICF; and
• Yakima Valley School in Selah, which is a nursing facility.

Statutory references to an additional RHC, Interlake School, remain in the Revised Code of Washington.  The Interlake School was closed by the state in 1994.

Fircrest School and Rainier School are officially renamed "residential habilitation centers," and references to "school" are removed.  Specifically:

• Fircrest School is renamed Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center; and
• Rainier School is renamed Rainier Residential Habilitation Center.

Additionally, references to the former Interlake School are modified to refer instead to Interlake Residential Habilitation Center.

Lakeland Village Residential Habilitation Center and Yakima Valley School retain their current names.

Any existing references to Fircrest School or Rainier School retain full force and effect as would a reference to the updated names.  The Department of Social and Health Services must update rules and make other changes necessary to reflect the new facility names.

(In support) This is a simple bill that does not change operations or funding.  It just changes the names of the RHCs to swap "school" for "residential habilitation center."  In bill conversations last session, the word "school" was found to be confusing and media reports referred to the Legislature closing schools, which distracted from the conversation.  This is outdated terminology.  "School" implies that RHCs provide educational services and that children live there.  Neither of these things is accurate.  Further, the names of these facilities should reflect the current services that are provided.  There was a time when infants or young children were dropped off at these facilities and spent their lives there, and they served as schools for the children residing in them.  This is no longer the case, and in the last century the state has established a better system where children attend schools in their communities.  Very few youth are currently in RHCs, and they are not places where people should spend their lives.  There should be a short-term placement that helps people reintegrate back to the community. 

(Opposed) None.

Representative Darya Farivar, prime sponsor; Cathy Murahashi, The Arc of Washington; Chloe Merino, Disability Rights Washington; and Shawn Latham, Self Advocates In Leadership.