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Gov. Jay Inslee listens to Washington State Psychological Association director of professional affairs Dr. London Breedlove’s explanation of the psychologist licensing process in Washington state during Thursday’s public performance review.
The state Department of Health (DOH) credentials over 365,000 professionals across 81 professions. Four hundred new applications tumble in every day. These applications come from aspiring dentists, midwives, pharmacists, psychologists, and other professionals who have completed substantial education and training. They’re ready to begin practicing, and credentialing is the final, crucial step.
DOH’s team must be careful to ensure those they credential are qualified. But they must also be efficient, as delays prevent these professionals from practicing.
During Thursday’s public performance review, DOH officials and Gov. Jay Inslee reviewed the agency’s progress to expedite credentialing and address backlogs.
Where workforce shortages are straining services, such as in psychology, the DOH has made huge progress in the last year. Psychologist licensing is complex and does take time: 156 days on average over the last decade. But a new DOH program has reduced that average to just 90 days and cleared the entire backlog of incomplete applications.
“I wanted to send a quick message to say THANK YOU for all of your hard work, follow-up calls and emails, and kind responses to my anxious questions,” wrote one professional to the licensing team. “I can only imagine the amount of pressure you are under in your job with hundreds of people just like me eager for licensure.”
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Heavy plane and vehicle traffic over and around Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood create pollution, and local health suffers as a result. Washington’s climate action programs prioritize communities like this one.
Nearly 400,000 cars pass Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood every day on I-5, and about 600 aircraft roar overhead on approach to local airports. People who live in communities with concentrated air pollution like Beacon Hill live 2.4 fewer years on average.
In Washington, climate action is starting where environmental harm is greatest. That’s environmental justice, and it’s central to our nation-leading Climate Commitment Act and Healthy Environment for All Act.
Last month, Gov. Jay Inslee issued a directive requiring certain state agencies to develop a uniform approach for prioritizing and tracking the state’s environmental funding in overburdened communities. This week, the Office of the Governor and Office of Financial Management published the new approach. By creating these standards, agencies will work in harmony to prioritize their efforts and measure their impact.
Read the full story on Gov. Jay Inslee's Medium
A new state law expands property tax breaks for seniors, veterans
Washington state law already extended property tax breaks to certain groups, but a recent change codified by the passage of HB 1355 raises the income limit to qualify. Sponsored by Rep. Sharon Wylie, the new terms provide relief to seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. In King County, for example, the income limit rose 44% to $84,000 in annual household income.
State Women’s Commission kicks off gender pay equity tour
The average Washington woman made $18,400 less than her male counterpart in 2022: that’s the nation’s second-largest pay disparity. This week, the Washington State Women’s Commission announced its new ‘Activate 3.8’ campaign to empower Washington's 3.8 million women to achieve their full economic potential. The campaign involves a 10-city tour with events all over Washington, bringing together workers, thought leaders, and policymakers to affect change.
Wildfire season has begun
The Slide Ranch fire burning within the Yakama Reservation has claimed 16 homes and scorched over 3,000 acres. The Pioneer fire in Chelan County has burned over 4,000 acres. They are the first destructive wildfires of the season, but they’re unlikely to be the last. The state Department of Natural Resources maintains a map of all active wildfires within the state. The Washington Smoke Blog charts smoke conditions statewide and reports related air quality hazards.
Climate Commitment Act supports community energy projects
The City of Toledo is exploring municipal solar energy generation. A senior center in Spokane will install solar panels and a battery storage system. A food bank in Port Angeles will install solar panels, too. And the City of Walla Walla will solarize its water treatment facility. A new round of grants announced by the state Department of Commerce supported 71 community energy projects statewide with a total of $72 million from the Climate Commitment Act.
Washington far surpasses national average for crisis lifeline answer rate
The national suicide prevention and crisis lifeline is easy to remember: dial 9-8-8. The national hotline network was revamped in 2022. Washington has gone above and beyond to bolster and personalize the system. The state hotline received nearly 8,000 calls a month last year. Trained operators have been able to keep pace with 91% of inbound contacts, the seventh-best rate in the nation. Washington’s average “talk time” is over 13 minutes. The hotline is meeting its mission to offer people in crisis someone to talk to when they need it most.
Federal grants provide $90 million boost for local infrastructure projects
Washington infrastructure projects won $90 million in federal funding from the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, Sen. Patty Murray announced this week. King County’s Eastrail project will benefit, as will Vancouver’s pedestrian-friendly Grand Loop project and the Port of Bellingham’s rail connection efforts, among other projects.
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