Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee examines proposal to substitute DOC accreditation by NCCHC for Department of Health licensure
Summary
Senate Bill 5388 would allow the Department of Corrections to pursue accreditation through the National Commission on Correctional Health Care instead of licensure by the Department of Health for prison-based behavioral health and substance-use services, subject to appropriation, a committee staff briefing said Jan. 29.
The Senate Human Services Committee heard Jan. 29 on Senate Bill 5388, sponsored by Sen. Manka Dhingra, which would change certification requirements for behavioral health and substance use disorder (SUD) services in Washington prisons. Under the bill, SUD treatment provided as part of the prison-based drug offender sentencing alternative (DOSA) would need to be delivered by licensed individuals, and the Department of Corrections (DOC), subject to appropriation, would seek accreditation through the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) by July 1, 2028. The bill would also change agency language from “offender” to “individual.”
Kelsey Anne Fung, committee staff, summarized background: the Department of Health currently licenses and regulates inpatient and outpatient behavioral health agencies; 2020 legislation required SUD services provided as part of prison-based DOSA to be licensed by DOH; DOC’s Substance Abuse Recovery Unit is currently a certified…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
