Title 71 — Title 71 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
13 chapters · 468 sections in this title.
RCW 71.24.630 Integrated, comprehensive screening and assessment process for substance use and mental disorders.
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(1) The authority shall maintain an integrated and comprehensive screening and assessment process for substance use and mental disorders and co-occurring substance use and mental disorders.(a) The process adopted shall include, at a minimum:(i) An initial screening tool that can …
RCW 71.24.635 Cannabis consumption—Health care provider guidance—Promotion of reduction and cessation programs for populations at risk of serious complications—Request for proposal—Report.
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(1) Subject to amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the health care authority must issue a request for proposal and contract with an entity to develop, implement, test, and evaluate guidance and health interventions for health care providers and patients at risk for de…
RCW 71.24.640 Standards for certification or licensure of evaluation and treatment facilities.
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The secretary shall license or certify evaluation and treatment facilities that meet state minimum standards. The standards for certification or licensure of evaluation and treatment facilities by the department must include standards relating to maintenance of good physical and …
RCW 71.24.645 Standards for certification or licensure of crisis stabilization units.
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The secretary shall license or certify crisis stabilization units that meet state minimum standards. The standards for certification or licensure of crisis stabilization units by the department must include standards that:(1) Permit location of the units at a jail facility if the…
RCW 71.24.648 Standards for certification or licensure of intensive behavioral health treatment facilities.
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The secretary shall license or certify intensive behavioral health treatment facilities that meet state minimum standards. The secretary must establish rules working with the authority and the department of social and health services to create standards for licensure or certifica…
RCW 71.24.649 Standards for certification or licensure of mental health peer-run respite centers.
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The secretary shall license or certify mental health peer-run respite centers that meet state minimum standards. In consultation with the authority and the department of social and health services, the secretary must:(1) Establish requirements for licensed and certified community…
RCW 71.24.650 Standards for certification or licensure of a clubhouse.
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The secretary shall license or certify clubhouses that meet state minimum standards. The standards for certification or licensure of a clubhouse by the department must at a minimum include:(1) The facilities may be peer-operated and must be recovery-focused;(2) Members and employ…
RCW 71.24.657 Recovery residences—Funding—Voucher program—Outreach—Training.
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Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this specific purpose, the authority shall:(1) Make sufficient funding available to support establishment of an adequate and equitable stock of recovery residences in each region of the state;(2) Establish a voucher program to…
RCW 71.24.660 Recovery residences—Referrals by licensed or certified service providers.
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Beginning January 1, 2023, a licensed or certified service provider may not refer a client who is appropriate for housing in a recovery residence, to support the client's recovery from a substance use disorder, to a recovery residence that is not included in the registry of appro…
RCW 71.24.665 Psychiatric treatment, evaluation, and bed utilization for American Indians and Alaska Natives—Report by authority.
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(1) The authority shall provide an annual report on psychiatric treatment and evaluation and bed utilization for American Indians and Alaska Natives starting on October 1, 2020. The report shall be available for review by the tribes, urban Indian health programs, and the American…
RCW 71.24.670 Substance use disorder treatment facilities and entities—Record sharing.
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Any substance use disorder treatment facilities and entities that provide behavioral health services where the department of children, youth, and families is investigating child abuse or neglect, as provided for under RCW 26.44.210, shall share records and any other information t…
RCW 71.24.700 Long-term inpatient care and mental health placements—Contracting with community hospitals and evaluation and treatment facilities.
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(1) The authority and the entities identified in *RCW 71.24.310 and 71.24.380 shall: (a) Work with willing community hospitals licensed under chapters 70.41 and 71.12 RCW and evaluation and treatment facilities licensed or certified under chapter 71.05 RCW to assess their capacit…
RCW 71.24.710 Reentry services—Work group.
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(1) The authority shall convene a reentry services work group to consider ways to improve reentry services for persons with an identified behavioral health services need. The work group shall:(a) Advise the authority on its waiver application under RCW 71.24.715;(b) Develop a pla…
RCW 71.24.715 Reentry services—Waiver application.
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(1) The health care authority shall apply for a waiver allowing the state to provide medicaid services to persons who are confined in a correctional facility as defined in RCW 72.09.015 and 70.48.020, institution or facility operated by the department of children, youth, and fami…
RCW 71.24.720 Less restrictive alternative treatment—Transition teams.
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The authority shall coordinate with the department of social and health services to offer contracts to community behavioral health agencies to support the nonmedicaid costs entailed in fulfilling the agencies' role as transition team members for a person recommended for condition…
RCW 71.24.845 Transfer of clients between behavioral health administrative services organizations—Uniform transfer agreement.
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The authority, in consultation with the established behavioral health administrative services organizations, shall develop a uniform transfer agreement to govern the transfer of clients between behavioral health administrative services organizations, taking into account the needs…
RCW 71.24.847 Transfer of clients—Policy and statistic reporting.
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(1)(a) By October 1, 2024, each licensed or certified behavioral health agency providing voluntary inpatient or residential substance use disorder treatment services or withdrawal management services shall submit to the department any policies that the agency maintains regarding …
RCW 71.24.850 Regional service areas—Report—Managed care integration.
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(1) By December 1, 2018, the department of social and health services and the authority shall report to the governor and the legislature regarding the preparedness of each regional service area to provide mental health services, chemical dependency services, and medical care serv…
RCW 71.24.852 Intensive behavioral health treatment facilities—Resident rights and access to ombuds services—Recommendations to governor and legislature.
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By December 1, 2019, the secretary of health, in consultation with the department of social and health services, the department of commerce, the long-term care ombuds, and relevant stakeholders must provide recommendations to the governor and the appropriate committees of the leg…
RCW 71.24.855 Finding—Intent—State hospitals.
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The legislature finds that the growing demand for state hospital beds has strained the state's capacity to meet the demand while providing for a sufficient workforce to operate the state hospitals safely. It is the intent of the legislature that the executive and legislative bran…
RCW 71.24.861 Behavioral health system coordination committee.
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(1) The legislature finds that ongoing coordination between state agencies, the counties, and the behavioral health administrative services organizations is necessary to coordinate the behavioral health system. To this end, the authority shall establish a committee to meet quarte…
RCW 71.24.870 Behavioral health services—Adoption of rules—Audit.
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(1) Rules adopted by the department relating to the provision of behavioral health services must:(a) Identify areas in which duplicative or inefficient documentation requirements can be eliminated or streamlined for providers;(b) Limit prescriptive requirements for individual ini…
RCW 71.24.872 Regulatory parity between primary care and behavioral health care settings—Initial documentation requirements for patients—Administrative burdensomeness.
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(1) The legislature finds that behavioral health integration requires parity in the approach to regulation between primary care providers and behavioral health agencies.(2) Neither the authority nor the department may provide initial documentation requirements for patients receiv…
RCW 71.24.880 Interlocal leadership structure—Transition to fully integrated managed care within a regional service area.
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(1) The authority shall, upon the request of a county authority or authorities within a regional service area, collaborate with counties to create an interlocal leadership structure that includes participation from counties and the managed health care systems serving that regiona…
RCW 71.24.885 Medicaid rate increases—Review authority—Reporting.
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(1) It is the intent of the legislature that behavioral health medicaid rate increases be grounded with the rate-setting process for the provider type or practice setting.(2) In implementing a rate increase funded by the legislature, including rate increases provided through mana…
RCW 71.24.887 Training support grants for community mental health providers—Behavioral health workforce pilot program.
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Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the authority shall establish a behavioral health workforce pilot program and training support grants for community mental health providers including, but not limited to, clinical social workers, licen…
RCW 71.24.890 National 988 system—Designated 988 contact hubs—Technology and platform development—Agency collaboration.
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(1) Establishing the state designated 988 contact hubs and enhancing the crisis response system will require collaborative work between the department, the authority, and regional system partners within their respective roles. The department shall have primary responsibility for …
RCW 71.24.892 National 988 system—Crisis response improvement strategy committee—Membership—Steering committee—Reports.
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(1) The crisis response improvement strategy committee is established for the purpose of providing advice in developing an integrated behavioral health crisis response and suicide prevention system containing the elements described in this section. The work of the committee shall…
RCW 71.24.894 National 988 system—Department reporting—Audit.
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(1) The department and authority shall provide an annual report regarding the usage of the 988 crisis hotline, call outcomes, and the provision of crisis services inclusive of mobile rapid response crisis teams and crisis stabilization services. The report shall be submitted to t…
RCW 71.24.896 National 988 system—Duties owed to public—Independent contractors.
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(1) When acting in their statutory capacities pursuant to chapter 302, Laws of 2021, the state, department, authority, state 911 coordination office, emergency management division, military department, any other state agency, and their officers, employees, and agents are deemed t…
RCW 71.24.898 National 988 system—Technical and operational plan.
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For the purpose of development and implementation of technology and platforms by the department and the authority under RCW 71.24.890, the department and the authority shall create a sophisticated technical and operational plan. The plan shall not conflict with, nor delay, the de…
RCW 71.24.899 National 988 system—Informational materials—Social media campaign.
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The department shall develop informational materials and a social media campaign related to the 988 crisis hotline, including call, text, and chat options, and other crisis hotline lines for veterans, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and other populations. The informational m…
RCW 71.24.903 Mobile rapid response crisis team endorsement.
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(1) By April 1, 2024, the authority shall establish standards for issuing an endorsement to any mobile rapid response crisis team or community-based crisis team that meets the criteria under either subsection (2) or (3) of this section, as applicable. The endorsement is a volunta…
RCW 71.24.905 Co-response services.
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(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the University of Washington shall, in consultation and collaboration with the co-responder outreach alliance and other stakeholders as appropriate in the field of co-response:(a) Establish regular…
RCW 71.24.906 National 988 system—Needs assessment—Recommendations—Report.
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(1) The authority and behavioral health administrative services organizations, in collaboration with the University of Washington, the Harborview behavioral health institute, the Washington council for behavioral health, and the statewide 988 coordinator, shall plan for regional …
RCW 71.24.907 National 988 system—Limitation of liability.
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(1) No act or omission related to the dispatching decisions of any crisis call center staff or designated 988 contact hub staff with endorsed mobile rapid response crisis team and community-based crisis team dispatching responsibilities done or omitted in good faith within the sc…
RCW 71.24.908 Data integration platform to support diversion efforts—Development and implementation—Exempt from public disclosure.
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(1) The authority must develop and implement a data integration platform by June 30, 2025, to support recovery navigator programs, law enforcement assisted diversion programs, arrest and jail alternative programs, and similar diversion efforts. The data integration platform shall…
RCW 71.24.909 Washington state institute for public policy study on recovery navigator programs and law enforcement assisted diversion programs.
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(1) The authority shall contract with the Washington state institute for public policy to conduct a study of the long-term effectiveness of the recovery navigator programs under RCW 71.24.115 and law enforcement assisted diversion programs under RCW 71.24.589 implemented in Washi…
RCW 71.24.910 Balance billing violations—Discipline.
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If the insurance commissioner reports to the department that he or she has cause to believe that a provider licensed under this chapter has engaged in a pattern of violations of RCW 48.49.020 or 48.49.030 or has violated RCW 48.43.732, and the report is substantiated after invest…
RCW 71.24.911 Statewide behavioral health treatment and recovery support services mapping tool.
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Subject to funding provided for this specific purpose, the authority must collaborate with the department and the department of social and health services to expand the Washington recovery helpline and the recovery readiness asset tool to provide a dynamically updated statewide b…
RCW 71.24.912 Work group—Systems, policies, and processes related to intake, screening, and assessment for substance use disorders.
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(1) The authority shall convene a work group to recommend changes to systems, policies, and processes related to intake, screening, and assessment for substance use disorder services, with the goal to broaden the workforce capable of administering substance use disorder assessmen…
RCW 71.24.913 Substance use disorders—Comprehensive assessments, reports.
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(1) The authority is responsible for providing regular assessments of the prevalence of substance use disorders and interactions of persons with substance use disorder with service providers, nonprofit service providers, first responders, health care facilities, and law enforceme…
RCW 71.24.915 Crisis continuum of care forum.
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Behavioral health administrative services organizations in their role as regional behavioral health system leaders, in partnership with the authority, shall convene an annual crisis continuum of care forum, led by the behavioral health administrative services organizations, with …
RCW 71.24.916 23-hour crisis relief centers—Licensing and certification—Rules—Standards.
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(1) The secretary shall license or certify 23-hour crisis relief centers that meet state minimum standards. The department shall create rules in consultation with the authority by January 1, 2024, to develop standards for licensure or certification of 23-hour crisis relief center…
RCW 71.24.920 Certified peer support specialists—Courses of instruction—Duties.
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(1)(a) By January 1, 2025, the authority must develop a course of instruction to become a certified peer support specialist under chapter 18.420 RCW. The course must be approximately 80 hours in duration and based upon the curriculum offered by the authority in its peer counselor…
RCW 71.24.922 Certified peer support specialists—Supervision caseload reduction.
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Behavioral health agencies must reduce the caseload for approved supervisors who are providing supervision to certified peer support specialist trainees seeking certification under chapter 18.420 RCW.[ 2025 c 360 s 21; 2023 c 469 s 14.]Notes:
RCW 71.24.924 Certified peer support specialists—Billing.
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(1) Beginning January 1, 2027, a person who engages in the practice of peer support services and who bills a health carrier or medical assistance or whose employer bills a health carrier or medical assistance for those services must hold an active credential as a certified peer s…
RCW 71.28.010 Contracts by boundary counties or cities therein.
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Any county, or city within a county which is situated on the state boundaries is authorized to contract for mental health services with a county situated in either the states of Oregon or Idaho, located on the boundaries of such states with the state of Washington.[ 1988 c 176 s …
RCW 71.32.010 Legislative declaration—Findings.
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(1) The legislature declares that an individual with capacity has the ability to control decisions relating to his or her own behavioral health care. The legislature finds that:(a) Some behavioral health disorders cause individuals to fluctuate between capacity and incapacity;(b)…
RCW 71.32.020 Definitions.
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The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Adult" means any individual who has attained the age of majority or is an emancipated minor.(2) "Agent" has the same meaning as an attorney-in-fact or agent as provide…