Independent external oversight of the SCC shall include:

(1) A governing body;

(2) Professional standards to be used as a benchmark for evaluation;

(3) An inspection of care according to accepted professional standards;

(4) An ombudsman service; and

(5) External investigation of incidents.

The governing body for the special commitment center shall:

(1) Be appointed by the secretary of the department of social and health services (DSHS);

(2) Derive its membership in accordance with department policy established to this purpose;

(3) Operate under by-laws approved by the secretary, DSHS.

(1) The department shall develop and governing body approve for use professional practice standards applicable to treatment programs for civilly committed adult sex offenders.

(2) Such standards shall include provisions requiring:

(a) Staff competency, training, and supervision;

(b) Adequacy of treatment components and measures of progress;

(c) A treatment-supportive environment;

(d) Provision of medical services appropriate to a residential treatment setting; and

(e) Program oversight.

(1) An independent, annual, on-site inspection of care, performed according to professional standards approved under this chapter, shall be conducted of the SCC at least annually.

(2) The purpose of the IOC shall be to provide objective measures of service delivery, for internal program use and quality management, to the governing body.

(3) Members of the inspection of care team shall be contracted by the department annually for a specified period during which they shall:

(a) Conduct an on-site and documentary inspection;

(b) Prepare interim and final, and, as requested by the SCC superintendent or governing body, supplementary reports;

(c) Receive and consider SCC program responses to all reports.

(4) The IOC team shall be of no fewer than four and no more than six persons.

(a) At least one member of the IOC team must not be a DSHS employee; and

(b) At least one member must be a sex offender treatment provider.

(1) The SCC shall retain an ombudsman service for the purpose of conducting independent, neutral reviews of program conformance with internal SCC policies in the care, control and treatment of residents at the SCC.

(2) The ombudsman function shall be outside the supervision of the superintendent of the SCC and of the assistant secretary for health and rehabilitation services.

(3) In performance of the ombudsman function, the individual(s) so employed shall be afforded access to all records and documents normally available to public inspection according to rules and policies of the department and of the state of Washington.

(1) The Washington state patrol shall investigate incidents which involve SCC residents in accordance with department policy.

(2) The scope and authority for such investigations shall be determined through an interagency agreement between the department and the Washington state patrol.

(3) Criteria to determine which incidents justify external investigation shall be approved by the secretary, DSHS.