Section 388-60-0315. What are the minimum qualifications for all direct treatment staff?

(1) All staff with direct treatment contact with participants must be:

(a) Registered as counselors or certified as mental health professionals as required under chapter 18.19 RCW; and

(b) Free of criminal convictions involving moral turpitude.

(2) Each staff person providing direct treatment services to a participant must have a bachelor's degree.

(a) The department will review requests for an exception to this requirement on a case-by-case basis.

(b) In order to qualify for an exception, the employee must possess year-for-year professional level experience equivalent to a bachelor's degree. The department determines this equivalency at the discretion of the DSHS program manager responsible for monitoring domestic violence perpetrator treatment programs.

(3) Prior to providing any direct treatment services to program participants, each direct treatment staff person must have completed:

(a) A minimum of thirty hours of training about domestic violence from an established domestic violence victim program; and

(b) A minimum of thirty hours of training from an established domestic violence perpetrator treatment services program.

(i) If located within Washington state, the domestic violence perpetrator treatment program must be certified and meet the standards as outlined in this chapter.

(ii) If located out-of-state, the domestic violence perpetrator treatment program must meet the standards outlined in this chapter as well as chapter 26.50 RCW.

(4) All employees must complete all sixty hours of required training before the employee may begin to provide any direct services to group participants. Any work experience accrued prior to completion of the sixty hours of training will not count toward any requirement for work experience.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 26.50.150. WSR 01-08-046, § 388-60-0315, filed 3/30/01, effective 4/30/01.]

RCW 26.50.150. WSR 01-08-046, § 388-60-0315, filed 3/30/01, effective 4/30/01.