2018 Revised Code of Washington
Title 71 - MENTAL ILLNESS
71.24 Community mental health services act.
71.24.035 Director's powers and duties as state behavioral health authority.
RCW 71.24.035 Director's powers and duties as state behavioral health authority.
(1) The authority is designated as the state behavioral health authority which includes recognition as the single state authority for substance use disorders and state mental health authority.
(2) The director shall provide for public, client, tribal, and licensed or certified service provider participation in developing the state behavioral health program, developing contracts with behavioral health organizations, and any waiver request to the federal government under medicaid.
(3) The director shall provide for participation in developing the state behavioral health program for children and other underserved populations, by including representatives on any committee established to provide oversight to the state behavioral health program.
(4) The director shall be designated as the behavioral health organization if the behavioral health organization fails to meet state minimum standards or refuses to exercise responsibilities under its contract or RCW 71.24.045, until such time as a new behavioral health organization is designated.
(5) The director shall:
(a) Develop a biennial state behavioral health program that incorporates regional biennial needs assessments and regional mental health service plans and state services for adults and children with mental disorders or substance use disorders or both;
(b) Assure that any behavioral health organization or county community behavioral health program provides medically necessary services to medicaid recipients consistent with the state's medicaid state plan or federal waiver authorities, and nonmedicaid services consistent with priorities established by the authority;
(c) Develop and adopt rules establishing state minimum standards for the delivery of behavioral health services pursuant to RCW 71.24.037 including, but not limited to:
(i) Licensed or certified service providers. These rules shall permit a county-operated behavioral health program to be licensed as a service provider subject to compliance with applicable statutes and rules.
(ii) Inpatient services, an adequate network of evaluation and treatment services and facilities under chapter 71.05 RCW to ensure access to treatment, resource management services, and community support services;
(d) Assure that the special needs of persons who are minorities, elderly, disabled, children, low-income, and parents who are respondents in dependency cases are met within the priorities established in this section;
(e) Establish a standard contract or contracts, consistent with state minimum standards which shall be used in contracting with behavioral health organizations. The standard contract shall include a maximum fund balance, which shall be consistent with that required by federal regulations or waiver stipulations;
(f) Make contracts necessary or incidental to the performance of its duties and the execution of its powers, including managed care contracts for behavioral health services, contracts entered into under RCW 74.09.522, and contracts with public and private agencies, organizations, and individuals to pay them for behavioral health services;
(g) Establish, to the extent possible, a standardized auditing procedure which is designed to assure compliance with contractual agreements authorized by this chapter and minimizes paperwork requirements of behavioral health organizations and licensed or certified service providers. The audit procedure shall focus on the outcomes of service as provided in RCW 43.20A.895, 70.320.020, and 71.36.025;
(h) Develop and maintain an information system to be used by the state and behavioral health organizations that includes a tracking method which allows the authority and behavioral health organizations to identify behavioral health clients' participation in any behavioral health service or public program on an immediate basis. The information system shall not include individual patient's case history files. Confidentiality of client information and records shall be maintained as provided in this chapter and chapter 70.02 RCW;
(i) Periodically monitor the compliance of behavioral health organizations and their network of licensed or certified service providers for compliance with the contract between the authority, the behavioral health organization, and federal and state rules at reasonable times and in a reasonable manner;
(j) Monitor and audit behavioral health organizations as needed to assure compliance with contractual agreements authorized by this chapter;
(k) Adopt such rules as are necessary to implement the authority's responsibilities under this chapter; and
(l) Administer or supervise the administration of the provisions relating to persons with substance use disorders and intoxicated persons of any state plan submitted for federal funding pursuant to federal health, welfare, or treatment legislation.
(6) The director shall use available resources only for behavioral health organizations, except:
(a) To the extent authorized, and in accordance with any priorities or conditions specified, in the biennial appropriations act; or
(b) To incentivize improved performance with respect to the client outcomes established in RCW 43.20A.895, 70.320.020, and 71.36.025, integration of behavioral health and medical services at the clinical level, and improved care coordination for individuals with complex care needs.
(7) Each behavioral health organization and licensed or certified service provider shall file with the secretary of the department of health or the director, on request, such data, statistics, schedules, and information as the secretary of the department of health or the director reasonably requires. A behavioral health organization or licensed or certified service provider which, without good cause, fails to furnish any data, statistics, schedules, or information as requested, or files fraudulent reports thereof, may be subject to the behavioral health organization contractual remedies in RCW 74.09.871 or may have its service provider certification or license revoked or suspended.
(8) The superior court may restrain any behavioral health organization or service provider from operating without a contract, certification, or a license or any other violation of this section. The court may also review, pursuant to procedures contained in chapter 34.05 RCW, any denial, suspension, limitation, restriction, or revocation of certification or license, and grant other relief required to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
(9) Upon petition by the secretary of the department of health or the director, and after hearing held upon reasonable notice to the facility, the superior court may issue a warrant to an officer or employee of the secretary of the department of health or the director authorizing him or her to enter at reasonable times, and examine the records, books, and accounts of any behavioral health organization or service provider refusing to consent to inspection or examination by the authority.
(10) Notwithstanding the existence or pursuit of any other remedy, the secretary of the department of health or the director may file an action for an injunction or other process against any person or governmental unit to restrain or prevent the establishment, conduct, or operation of a behavioral health organization or service provider without a contract, certification, or a license under this chapter.
(11) The authority shall distribute appropriated state and federal funds in accordance with any priorities, terms, or conditions specified in the appropriations act.
(12) The director shall assume all duties assigned to the nonparticipating behavioral health organizations under chapters 71.05 and 71.34 RCW and this chapter. Such responsibilities shall include those which would have been assigned to the nonparticipating counties in regions where there are not participating behavioral health organizations.
The behavioral health organizations, or the director's assumption of all responsibilities under chapters 71.05 and 71.34 RCW and this chapter, shall be included in all state and federal plans affecting the state behavioral health program including at least those required by this chapter, the medicaid program, and P.L. 99-660. Nothing in these plans shall be inconsistent with the intent and requirements of this chapter.
(13) The director shall:
(a) Disburse funds for the behavioral health organizations within sixty days of approval of the biennial contract. The authority must either approve or reject the biennial contract within sixty days of receipt.
(b) Enter into biennial contracts with behavioral health organizations. The contracts shall be consistent with available resources. No contract shall be approved that does not include progress toward meeting the goals of this chapter by taking responsibility for: (i) Short-term commitments; (ii) residential care; and (iii) emergency response systems.
(c) Notify behavioral health organizations of their allocation of available resources at least sixty days prior to the start of a new biennial contract period.
(d) Deny all or part of the funding allocations to behavioral health organizations based solely upon formal findings of noncompliance with the terms of the behavioral health organization's contract with the authority. Behavioral health organizations disputing the decision of the director to withhold funding allocations are limited to the remedies provided in the authority's contracts with the behavioral health organizations.
(14) The authority, in cooperation with the state congressional delegation, shall actively seek waivers of federal requirements and such modifications of federal regulations as are necessary to allow federal medicaid reimbursement for services provided by freestanding evaluation and treatment facilities licensed under chapter 71.12 RCW or certified under chapter 71.05 RCW. The authority shall periodically report its efforts to the appropriate committees of the senate and the house of representatives.
(15) The authority may:
(a) Plan, establish, and maintain substance use disorder prevention and substance use disorder treatment programs as necessary or desirable;
(b) Coordinate its activities and cooperate with behavioral programs in this and other states, and make contracts and other joint or cooperative arrangements with state, local, or private agencies in this and other states for behavioral health services and for the common advancement of substance use disorder programs;
(c) Solicit and accept for use any gift of money or property made by will or otherwise, and any grant of money, services, or property from the federal government, the state, or any political subdivision thereof or any private source, and do all things necessary to cooperate with the federal government or any of its agencies in making an application for any grant;
(d) Keep records and engage in research and the gathering of relevant statistics; and
(e) Acquire, hold, or dispose of real property or any interest therein, and construct, lease, or otherwise provide substance use disorder treatment programs.
[ 2018 c 201 § 4004; 2016 sp.s. c 29 § 503; 2015 c 269 § 8; 2014 c 225 § 11; 2013 c 200 § 24; 2011 c 148 § 4. Prior: 2008 c 267 § 5; 2008 c 261 § 3; prior: 2007 c 414 § 2; 2007 c 410 § 8; 2007 c 375 § 12; 2006 c 333 § 201; prior: 2005 c 504 § 715; 2005 c 503 § 7; prior: 2001 c 334 § 7; 2001 c 323 § 10; 1999 c 10 § 4; 1998 c 245 § 137; prior: 1991 c 306 § 3; 1991 c 262 § 1; 1991 c 29 § 1; 1990 1st ex.s. c 8 § 1; 1989 c 205 § 3; 1987 c 105 § 1; 1986 c 274 § 3; 1982 c 204 § 4.]
NOTES:
Findings—Intent—Effective date—2018 c 201: See notes following RCW 41.05.018.
Effective dates—2016 sp.s. c 29: See note following RCW 71.05.760.
Short title—Right of action—2016 sp.s. c 29: See notes following RCW 71.05.010.
Effective date—2015 c 269 §§ 1-9 and 11-13: See note following RCW 71.05.010.
Effective date—2013 c 200: See note following RCW 70.02.010.
Certification of triage facilities—Effective date—2011 c 148: See notes following RCW 71.05.020.
Intent—Findings—2008 c 261: See note following RCW 71.24.320.
Short title—2007 c 410: See note following RCW 13.34.138.
Findings—Purpose—Construction—Severability—2007 c 375: See notes following RCW 10.31.110.
Finding—Purpose—Intent—Severability—Part headings not law—Effective dates—2006 c 333: See notes following RCW 71.24.016.
Findings—Intent—Severability—Application—Construction—Captions, part headings, subheadings not law—Adoption of rules—Effective dates—2005 c 504: See notes following RCW 71.05.027.
Alphabetization—Correction of references—2005 c 504: See note following RCW 71.05.020.
Correction of references—Savings—Severability—2005 c 503: See notes following RCW 71.24.015.
Effective date—2001 c 334: See note following RCW 71.24.805.
Purpose—Intent—1999 c 10: See note following RCW 71.24.025.
Conflict with federal requirements—1991 c 306: See note following RCW 71.24.015.
Effective date—1987 c 105: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect July 1, 1987." [ 1987 c 105 § 2.]
Effective date—1986 c 274 §§ 1, 2, 3, 5, and 9: See note following RCW 71.24.015.
