{"data":{"id":"us-wa/rcw-74.14a.025","jurisdiction":"us-wa","citation":"RCW 74.14A.025","heading":"Services for emotionally disturbed and mentally ill children, potentially dependent children, and families-in-conflict—Policy updated.","body":"To update, specify, and expand the policy stated in RCW 74.14A.020, the following is declared:\nIt is the policy of the state of Washington to promote:\n(1) Family-oriented services and supports that:\n(a) Respond to the changing nature of families; and\n(b) Respond to what individuals and families say they need, and meet those needs in a way that maintains their dignity and respects their choices;\n(2) Culturally relevant services and supports that:\n(a) Explicitly recognize the culture and beliefs of each family and use these as resources on behalf of the family;\n(b) Provide equal access to culturally unique communities in planning and programs, and day-to-day work, and actively address instances where clearly disproportionate needs exist; and\n(c) Enhance every culture's ability to achieve self-sufficiency and contribute in a productive way to the larger community;\n(3) Coordinated services that:\n(a) Develop strategies and skills for collaborative planning, problem solving, and service delivery;\n(b) Encourage coordination and innovation by providing both formal and informal ways for people to communicate and collaborate in planning and programs;\n(c) Allow clients, vendors, community people, and other agencies to creatively provide the most effective, responsive, and flexible services; and\n(d) Commit to an open exchange of skills and information; and expect people throughout the system to treat each other with respect, dignity, and understanding;\n(4) Locally planned services and supports that:\n(a) Operate on the belief that each community has special characteristics, needs, and strengths;\n(b) Include a cross section of local community partners from the public and private sectors, in the planning and delivery of services and supports; and\n(c) Support these partners in addressing the needs of their communities through both short-range and long-range planning and in establishing priorities within state and federal standards;\n(5) Community-based prevention that encourages and supports state residents to create positive conditions in their communities to promote the well-being of families and reduce crises and the need for future services;\n(6) Outcome-based services and supports that:\n(a) Include a fair and realistic system for measuring both short-range and long-range progress and determining whether efforts make a difference;\n(b) Use outcomes and indicators that reflect the goals that communities establish for themselves and their children;\n(c) Work towards these goals and outcomes at all staff levels and in every agency; and\n(d) Provide a mechanism for informing the development of program policies;\n(7) Customer service that:\n(a) Provides a climate that empowers staff to deliver quality programs and services;\n(b) Is provided by courteous, sensitive, and competent professionals; and\n(c) Upholds the dignity and respect of individuals and families by providing appropriate staff recognition, information, training, skills, and support;\n(8) Creativity that:\n(a) Increases the flexibility of funding and programs to promote innovation in planning, development, and provision of quality services; and\n(b) Simplifies and reduces or eliminates rules that are barriers to coordination and quality services.","path":["Title 74","Chapter 74.14A"],"source_url":"https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=74.14A.025","current_through":"July 15, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-06T01:03:58Z","sha256":"3f416c03158f353da2ec57ef6f01e45ef99f51edb745858839d2c843b48df101","source_id":"us-wa","stale":false,"prev":"us-wa/rcw-74.14a.020","next":"us-wa/rcw-74.14a.030"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}