WA HB1502

Creates a new "behavioral health teaching clinic" designation for licensed or certified behavioral health agencies in Washington that train interns and trainees in behavioral health careers

Designated teaching clinics must meet requirements including providing minimum one hour per week of clinical supervision, compensating interns with stipends, maintaining contracts with accredited educational institutions, and using continuous quality improvement strategies

Teaching clinic designation lasts three years and qualifies agencies for enhanced Medicaid reimbursement rates to offset costs of training and supervision that reduce billable patient care hours

Requires the Health Care Authority to finalize rate methodology by June 30, 2026, seek federal Medicaid matching funds by June 30, 2027, and submit progress reports to the legislature by December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2026

Addresses workforce shortage by formally recognizing community behavioral health agencies' role in training clinicians, similar to how teaching hospitals and federally qualified health centers are compensated for workforce development