2779 re-establishes the Children’s Mental Health Work Group through Dec, 2020.
Additionally, the bill:
- Re-establishes the Children’s Mental Health Work Group through the year 2020
- Allows provider reimbursement for supervision and partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient treatment programs
- Directs the Health Care Authority and the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to develop strategies for expanding home visiting.
- Requires the DCYF to provide infant nurse consultation for child care providers in two regions
- Establishes an additional residency in Child Psychiatry at the University of Washington
- Directs an advisory group to make recommendations regarding Parent-Initiated Treatment and Age of Consent
- Requires the delivery of mental health instruction in two high school pilot sites
*Companion to SB 6485
As amended by the Early Learning and Human Services Committee on 1/19, HB 2779 adds a pediatrician located east of the crest of the Cascade mountains as a member of the Children’s Mental Health Work Group.
It also adds a child psychiatrist as a member of the work group, increases the number of co-chairs from two to three, requires two co-chairs to be legislators representing the minority and majority caucuses in the House of Reps.
The amendments require that the work group monitor the implementation of programs and policies related to children’s mental health and also changes responsibility for developing common definitions, a statewide strategy, and maximizing resources for Home Visiting from the Health Care Authority to DCYF.
Amendments in Appropriations removed the provision requiring DCYF to contract with an infant nurse consultant and removed the provision establishing a child and adolescent psychiatry residency at the University of Washington.
As amended on the House floor on 2/12, re-established is the residency in child psychiatry at the University of Washington effective July 1, 2020.
Amendments in the Senate Human Service & Corrections Committee modify the construct of the leadership of the group to the previous status.
Language is modified to reflect two co-chairs: one must be a member of the legislature and one must be from the executive branch.
Language is removed that indicates that the work group shall choose three co-chairs with 2 representing the minority and majority caucuses in the House of Representatives
