2005 Washington Revised Code RCW 71.24.016: Intent — Regional support networks programs.

(1) The legislature intends that eastern and western state hospitals shall operate as clinical centers for handling the most complicated long-term care needs of patients with a primary diagnosis of mental disorder. It is further the intent of the legislature that the community mental health service delivery system focus on maintaining mentally ill individuals in the community. The program shall be evaluated and managed through a limited number of performance measures designed to hold each regional support network accountable for program success.

     (2) The legislature intends to address the needs of people with mental disorders with a targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive set of evidence-based practices that are effective in serving individuals in their community and will reduce the need for placements in state mental hospitals. The legislature further intends to explicitly hold regional support networks accountable for serving people with mental disorders within their geographic boundaries and for not exceeding their allocation of state hospital beds. Within funds appropriated by the legislature for this purpose, regional support networks shall develop the means to serve the needs of people with mental disorders within their geographic boundaries. Elements of the program may include:

     (a) Crisis triage;

     (b) Evaluation and treatment and community hospital beds;

     (c) Residential beds;

     (d) Programs for community treatment teams; and

     (e) Outpatient services.

     (3) The regional support network shall have the flexibility, within the funds appropriated by the legislature for this purpose, to design the mix of services that will be most effective within their service area of meeting the needs of people with mental disorders and avoiding placement of such individuals at the state mental hospital. Regional support networks are encouraged to maximize the use of evidence-based practices and alternative resources with the goal of substantially reducing and potentially eliminating the use of institutions for mental diseases.

[2006 c 333 § 102; 2001 c 323 § 4.]

Finding -- Purpose -- Intent -- 2006 c 333: "(1) The legislature finds that ambiguities have been identified regarding the appropriation and allocation of federal and state funds, and the responsibilities of the department of social and health services and the regional support networks with regard to the provision of inpatient mental health services under the community mental health services act, chapter 71.24 RCW, and the involuntary treatment act, chapter 71.05 RCW. The purpose of this 2006 act is to make retroactive, remedial, curative, and technical amendments in order to resolve such ambiguities.      (2) In enacting the community mental health services act, the legislature intended the relationship between the state and the regional support networks to be governed solely by the terms of the regional support network contracts and did not intend these relationships to create statutory causes of action not expressly provided for in the contracts. Therefore, the legislature's intent is that, except to the extent expressly provided in contracts entered after March 29, 2006, the department of social and health services and regional support networks shall resolve existing and future disagreements regarding the subject matter identified in sections 103 and 301 of this act through nonjudicial means." [2006 c 333 § 101.] Severability -- 2006 c 333: "If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [2006 c 333 § 402.]      Part headings not law -- 2006 c 333: "Part headings used in this act are not part of the law." [2006 c 333 § 403.]      Effective dates -- 2006 c 333: "This act takes effect July 1, 2006, except that sections 101 through 103, 107, 202, and 301 of this act are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and take effect immediately [March 29, 2006]." [2006 c 333 § 404.]