2005 Washington Revised Code RCW 71.36.030: Children\'s mental health services delivery system — Local planning efforts.

(1) On or before January 1, 1992, each regional support network, or county authority in counties that have not established a regional support network, shall initiate a local planning effort to develop a children's mental health services delivery system.

     (2) Representatives of the following agencies or organizations and the following individuals shall participate in the local planning effort:

     (a) Representatives of the department of social and health services in the following program areas: Children and family services, medical care, mental health, juvenile rehabilitation, alcohol and substance abuse, and developmental disabilities;

     (b) The juvenile courts;

     (c) The public health department or health district;

     (d) The school districts;

     (e) The educational service district serving schools in the county;

     (f) Head start or early childhood education and assistance programs;

     (g) Community action agencies; and

     (h) Children's services providers, including minority mental health providers.

     (3) Parents of children in need of mental health services and parents of children of color shall be invited to participate in the local planning effort.

     (4) The following information shall be developed through the local planning effort and submitted to the secretary:

     (a) A supplement to the county's January 1, 1991, children's mental health services report prepared pursuant to RCW 71.24.049 to include the following data:

     (i) The number of children in need of mental health services in the county or counties covered by the local planning effort, including children in school and children receiving services through the department of social and health services division of children and family services, division of developmental disabilities, division of alcohol and substance abuse, and division of juvenile rehabilitation, grouped by severity of their mental illness;

     (ii) The number of such children that are underserved or unserved and the types of services needed by such children; and

     (iii) The supply of children's mental health specialists in the county or counties covered by the local planning effort.

     (b) A children's mental health services delivery plan that includes a description of the following:

     (i) Children that will be served, giving consideration to children who are at significant risk of experiencing mental illness, as well as those already experiencing mental illness;

     (ii) How appropriate services needed by children served through the plan will be identified and provided, including prevention and identification services;

     (iii) How a lead case manager for each child will be identified;

     (iv) How funding for existing services will be coordinated to create more flexibility in meeting children's needs. Such funding shall include the services and programs inventoried pursuant to *RCW 71.36.020(1);

     (v) How the children's mental health delivery system will incorporate the elements of the early periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment services plan developed pursuant to *RCW 71.36.020(2); and

     (vi) How the children's mental health delivery system will coordinate with the regional support network information system developed pursuant to RCW 71.24.035(5)(g).

     (5) In developing the children's mental health services delivery plan, every effort shall be made to reduce duplication in service delivery and promote complementary services among all entities that provide children's services related to mental health.

     (6) The children's mental health services delivery plan shall address the needs of children of color through at least the following mechanisms:

     (a) Outreach initiatives, services, and modes of service delivery that meet the unique needs of children of color; and

     (b) Services to children of color that are culturally relevant and acceptable, as well as linguistically accessible.

[1991 c 326 § 14.]

*Reviser's note: RCW 71.36.020 was amended by 2003 c 281 § 4, deleting subsection (1) and changing subsection (2)(a) through (e) to subsections (1) through (5).