Department of Social and Health Services Administrative Policies are intended only for internal departmental use. These policies are not intended, nor can they be relied upon, to create any substantive or procedural rights enforceable by any party involved in matters with DSHS.
Administrative Policies are indexed by policy number. Policies appearing on this site have been approved and are in effect until they are revised or rescinded. Chapter 3 and Chapter 17 are not in use at this time.
For questions about the Administrative Policy process or requirements, contact Katherine Vasquez.
Chapter 01 - Relationships With Legislature and Public Officials
DSHS-AP-01-01 Communication With the State Legislature
DSHS-AP-01-04 Communication With Congress, Federal Agencies, and Other State Governors
Chapter 02 - Relationships With Public
DSHS-AP-02-07 Office of Communications Policy
DSHS-AP-02-08 Communications and Media Relations Policy
DSHS-AP-02-11 Plain Talk: Clear Written Communications
DSHS-AP-02-12 Photography and Video Imaging by News Media or Commercial Entities at DSHS Facilities
Chapter 04 - Delegation of Authority
DSHS-AP-04-05 Delegation of Authority for Personnel Actions
DSHS-AP-04-08 Delegation of Authority to Issue Subpoenas
DSHS-AP-04-09 Delegation of Authority to Investigate Programs Administered by the Department
DSHS-AP-04-12 Delegation of Authority to Administer State IV-D Plan
DSHS-AP-04-13 Delegation of Authority, Office of Financial Recovery
Chapter 05 - DSHS Records and Privacy
DSHS-AP-05-01 Privacy Policy -- Safeguarding Confidential Information (formerly 15.16)
DSHS-AP-05-02 Public Records Requests
DSHS-AP-05-03 Client Rights Relating to Protected Health Information
DSHS-AP-05-04 Records Retention
DSHS-AP-05-05 Management of the Litigation Discovery Process
DSHS-AP-05-06 Use of Health Care Information Application of Chapter 70.02 RCW
DSHS-AP-05-07 Employee Response to Litigation Related Documents
DSHS-AP-05-08 DSHS Minimum Physical Security Standards for Confidential Information and Financial Instruments
DSHS-AP-05-09 Workplace Safety and Disclosure of Public Records Concerning Employee Workplace Sexual Harassment or Stalking Public Records Requests
Chapter 06 - Employees and Employment Conditions
DSHS-AP-06-11 Institution Meal Pricing Cost Reporting
DSHS-AP-06-17 State-Owned Employee Housing
DSHS-AP-06-25 Department of Social and Health Services Commute Trip Reduction Program
Chapter 07 - Affirmative Action/Minority Affairs
DSHS-AP-07-01 American Indian Policy
DSHS-AP-07-02 Equal Access to Services for Individuals with Disabilities
DSHS-AP-07-20 Communication Access for Persons Who Are Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, Late Deafened, Deaf Plus and/or Speech Disabled
DSHS-AP-07-21 Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
DSHS-AP-07-22 Cultural Competence
Chapter 08 - Clients
DSHS-AP-08-02 Client Abuse Reporting Under Washington State Law
DSHS-AP-08-11 Complaint Resolution and Response Standards
DSHS-AP-08-12 Voter Registration Assistance
DSHS-AP-08-13 Food Service for Patients and Residents
Chapter 09 - Emergencies, Risk Management & Safety
DSHS-AP-09-01 Major Incident Reporting
DSHS-AP-09-02 Benefits for Employees Assaulted by Residents/Clients
DSHS-AP-09-03 Administrative Review - Death of a Residential Client
DSHS-AP-09-06 Prevention and Control of Occupational Exposure to Blood-borne Pathogens or Other Potentially Infectious Materials
DSHS-AP-09-07 DSHS Safety and Occupational Health Program
DSHS-AP-09-08 Employee Personal Property Reimbursement
DSHS-AP-09-09 DSHS Employee Wellness Program
DSHS-AP-09-10 Transitional Return to Work Program
DSHS-AP-09-11 Emergency Management
DSHS-AP-09-12 DSHS Workplace Physical Security Program
DSHS-AP-09-13 Enterprise Risk Management
DSHS-AP-09-14 DSHS Industrial Insurance Program
DSHS-AP-09-15 Continuity of Operations
DSHS-AP-09-16 Emergency Closures, Delayed Openings, and Suspension of Operations
DSHS-AP-09-17 Emergency Operations
DSHS-AP-09-19 Administering Opioid Overdose Medication
DSHS-AP-09-20 Commercial Insurance
Chapter 10 - Vendors
DSHS-AP-10-02 Overpayments and Debts for Providers and Vendors
DSHS-AP-10-06 Vendor and Contractor Investigations
Chapter 11 - Forms, Policies and Rules
DSHS-AP-11-02 Forms Management
DSHS-AP-11-08 DSHS Administrative Policies
DSHS-AP-11-09 DSHS Rule Making
Chapter 12 - Planning, Budgeting and Research
DSHS-AP-12-01 Human Research Review Process
DSHS-AP-12-06 Research Misconduct
DSHS-AP-12-07 Financial Conflicts of Interest in U.S. Public Health Service-Funded Research
Chapter 13 - Contracts and Licenses
DSHS-AP-13-08 Operational (Purchased) Goods and Services
DSHS-AP-13-10 Central Contract and Legal Services (CCLS)
DSHS-AP-13-11 Monitoring Contractor Performance
DSHS-AP-13-12 Competitive Solicitations
DSHS-AP-13-13 Insurance Requirements for Contracts
DSHS-AP-13-15 Consumable Inventory
DSHS-AP-13-16 Performance-Based Contracting
DSHS-AP-13-18 Credit Cards – Obtaining and Safeguarding
DSHS-AP-13-19 Credit Cards – Purchases, Payments, and Disputes
DSHS-AP-13-20 Purchase Card Rebates
DSHS-AP-13-23 Identifying Business Associates and Business Associate Agreements
DSHS-AP-13-24 Contract Change Orders
DSHS-AP-13-25 Vendor Agreements and Non-Standard Contracts
DSHS-AP-13-27 Implementing Measures for the Improvement of Equity in Public Contracting
Chapter 14 - Facilities and Equipment
DSHS-AP-14-04 DSHS Leased Facilities Policy
DSHS-AP-14-07 Control of Capital Assets
DSHS-AP-14-10 Accessible Meetings
DSHS-AP-14-12 Accountability for State-Owned Vehicles
DSHS-AP-14-14 State Treasurer Lease-Purchase Program
DSHS-AP-14-15 Building Management of DSHS Leased Facilities
DSHS-AP-14-18 E-Mail and Voicemail Responses and Team Backgrounds
DSHS-AP-14-19 Sustainability in DSHS Workplaces
DSHS-AP-14-20 DSHS Toll Free Service Numbers
DSHS-AP-14-21 Building and Land Management of State Owned Facilities
DSHS-AP-14-22 Procurement and Management of State-Issued Wireless Devices
DSHS-AP-14-23 Department of Social & Health Services (DSHS) Drone Use Policy
DSHS-AP-14-24 Use of DSHS Facilities
DSHS-AP-14-25 Trades Apprenticeship Program Joint Policy
DSHS-AP-14-26 DSHS Electric Vehicle Management
Chapter 15 - Information Systems
DSHS-AP-15-10 Information Security
DSHS-AP-15-12 Protecting Against Computer Software Piracy
DSHS-AP-15-18-01 Standards for Internet Websites and Public-Facing Web Applications
DSHS-AP-15-18-02 Privacy Notices for Internet Websites and Web Applications
DSHS-AP-15-18-03 External Linking Policy for Internet Websites and Web Applications
DSHS-AP-15-20 Exceptions to Policy for Information Technology
DSHS-AP-15-21 Information Technology Standards Compliance
DSHS-AP-15-22 Information Technology Portfolio Management
DSHS-AP-15-23 Information Technology Project Management
DSHS-AP-15-24 Social Media Policy
DSHS-AP-15-25 DSHS Information Technology Governance
DSHS-AP-15-26 HRIS Data Warehouse Administration
DSHS-AP-15-28 Use of Artificial Intelligence
Chapter 16 - Audit and Internal Control
DSHS-AP-16-01 Internal Audit
DSHS-AP-16-05 Internal Control Processes
DSHS-AP-16-10 Reporting Known or Suspected Loss of Public Funds or Assets
DSHS-AP-16-11 External Audit and Questioned Costs
Chapter 18 - Human Resources
DSHS-AP-18-04 Personnel Administration of General Government Employees
DSHS-AP-18-05 Exceptions to Chapter 18 Administrative Policies
DSHS-AP-18-13 Classification
DSHS-AP-18-16 DSHS Hiring Processes
DSHS-AP-18-17 Relationships and the Reporting Structure
DSHS-AP-18-18 Outside Employment
DSHS-AP-18-19 Appointments and Re-employment
DSHS-AP-18-22 Human Resources and Payroll Files
DSHS-AP-18-25 Religious Accommodation
DSHS-AP-18-26 Disability Reasonable Accommodation
DSHS-AP-18-28 Compensation
DSHS-AP-18-31-00 Holidays and Leave
DSHS-AP-18-31-01 Family Medical Leave Act, Paid Family Medical Leave, and Parental Leave
DSHS-AP-18-31-02 Shared Leave and Leave Pools
DSHS-AP-18-34 Employee Learning and Development
DSHS-AP-18-37 Performance Management
DSHS-AP-18-40 Discipline
DSHS-AP-18-46 Layoff and Separation
DSHS-AP-18-55 Combined Fund Drive
DSHS-AP-18-58 Washington Management Services
DSHS-AP-18-60 Employee Relationships with Clients, Contracted Service Providers, and Outside Organizations
DSHS-AP-18-61 Employee Grievance
DSHS-AP-18-63 Employee Background Check Requirements
DSHS-AP-18-64 Standards of Ethical Conduct
DSHS-AP-18-65 Smoking In Department of Social and Health Services Places Open to the Public and Places of Employment
DSHS-AP-18-66 Discrimination, Harassment, and Other Inappropriate Behaviors
DSHS-AP-18-67 Workplace and Domestic Violence/Reasonable Safety Accommodation
DSHS-AP-18-68 Employee Participation in Political Activities
DSHS-AP-18-69 Delegation of Authority for Civil Rights Complaint Investigations
DSHS-AP-18-70 Responding To External Civil Rights Agency
DSHS-AP-18-71 Membership in Professional Organizations and Societies
DSHS-AP-18-75 Drug and Alcohol-Free Workplace
DSHS-AP-18-76 Weapons
DSHS-AP-18-77 Delegation of Authority for Hearing Secretary Level Grievances and Trial-Service/Transition Review Separations
DSHS-AP-18-81 Nondiscrimination in Direct Client Services
DSHS-AP-18-82 Bilingual/Multilingual Employees – Assignment Pay, Certification, and Responsibilities
DSHS-AP-18-83 Washington Management Service - Banding Procedure
DSHS-AP-18-84 Employee References
DSHS-AP-18-85 Breastfeeding in the Workplace
DSHS-AP-18-86 Healthy Eating and Nutrition
DSHS-AP-18-87 DSHS Modern and Mobile Workplace
DSHS-AP-18-88 Infants at Work Program
DSHS-AP-18-89 Investigations
DSHS-AP-18-90 Workplace Pregnancy Accommodation
DSHS-AP-18-91 Use of Resources
DSHS-AP-18-92 Washington Management Service Salary Administration
DSHS-AP-18-93 Respectful Work Environment in the Department of Social and Health Services
Chapter 19.05 - Accounting – Data and Systems Access
DSHS-AP-19-05-01 Protected Health Information & HIPAA Compliance in Financial Documents
Chapter 19.10 - Accounting - Travel Policies
DSHS-AP-19-10-01 Agency Travel Roles & Responsibilities
DSHS-AP-19-10-02 Travel Reimbursement Submission and Processing Deadlines
DSHS-AP-19-10-03 Reimbursement for Meals
DSHS-AP-19-10-04 Mileage Reimbursement
DSHS-AP-19-10-05 Travel by air, common carrier, rental or state-owned vehicle
DSHS-AP-19-10-06 Travel Advance Processing
DSHS-AP-19-10-07 Volunteer and Board Member Travel
DSHS-AP-19-10-11 Lodging
DSHS-AP-19-10-12 General Travel Provisions
DSHS-AP-19-10-13 Miscellaneous Travel Expenses
DSHS-AP-19-10-14 Take-Home Vehicle Requirements
Chapter 19.20 - Accounting - Internal Control and Auditing
DSHS-AP-19-20-01 AFRS Security and Related Controls
Chapter 19.25 - Accounting - Payroll
DSHS-AP-19-25-01 Overpayments to DSHS Employees for Salary, Wages, Benefits, and Miscellaneous Expenditures
DSHS-AP-19-25-03 AFRS Error File Payroll Corrections and Payroll Accounting Adjustments
DSHS-AP-19-25-04 W4’s - Number of Annual Submittals
DSHS-AP-19-25-05 Benefit Eligibility Appeal Process
DSHS-AP-19-25-06 Time Limitations on Employee Requested Leave Adjustments
DSHS-AP-19-25-07 Internal Controls - HRMS Input for Self, Relative, or Household Member.
DSHS-AP-19-25-08 Payroll Procedure on Assault Pay
DSHS-AP-19-25-09 Shared Leave
DSHS-AP-19-25-41 Foster Parent Shared Leave Pool
Chapter 19.40 - Accounting - E-Commerce: Electronic Acceptance and Disbursement of State Funds/Benefits
DSHS-AP-19-40-30 Gift Cards
Chapter 19.50 - Accounting - Federal Compliance and Grant Accounting
DSHS-AP-19-50-01A Time Certification for Positions Charged to a Single Federal Award
DSHS-AP-19-50-01B Compliance for Positions Charged to Multiple Federal Awards
DSHS-AP-19-50-02 Accounting for Local Match and Cost Sharing Agreements
DSHS-AP-19-50-03 Grant Application Process
DSHS-AP-19-50-30 Subrecipient Monitoring
DSHS-AP-19-50-30-A Attachment A Sample Fiscal Risk Assessment Worksheet
DSHS-AP-19-50-30-B Attachment B Subrecipient Federal Financial Assistance Summary Sheet
DSHS-AP-19-50-30-C Attachment C Sample DSHS Subrecipient Fiscal Monitoring Site Visit Tool
Chapter 19.60 - Accounting – Moving Expenses
DSHS-AP-19-60-01 Relocation Reimbursement
Chapter 19.65 - Accounting - Financial Services Agreements
DSHS-AP-19-65-21 DSHS State Grants
Chapter 19.70 - Accounting - Other Administrative Accounting Policies
DSHS-AP-19-70-10 Coffee and Light Refreshments
DSHS-AP-19-70-11 Meals with Meetings
DSHS-AP-19-70-13 Employee Recognition Awards
DSHS-AP-19-70-14 Employee Awards for Suggestion and Teamwork Incentive Programs (Productivity Awards)
DSHS-AP-19-70-60 Provider Registration for the Social Service Payment System (SSPS)
DSHS-AP-19-70-62 Exception Payment Use
DSHS-AP-19-70-63 Garnishments, Writs, Wage Assignments, Child Support, and Levies for Providers and Vendors
Chapter 19.85 - Accounting - Accounting Procedures
DSHS-AP-19-85-01 Interagency Payables
DSHS-AP-19-85-02 Use Tax
DSHS-AP-19-85-03 Interagency Receivables
DSHS-AP-19-85-04 Warrants Returned to the Department
DSHS-AP-19-85-06 Reissuing Warrants that are Reported as Lost, Stolen, Destroyed, or Warrants Subject to the Statute of Limitations (SOL)
DSHS-AP-19-85-10 Accounting for Emergencies and Disasters
DSHS-AP-19-85-20 Cash Receipting
DSHS-AP-19-85-22 Local Fund Banking Fees
DSHS-AP-19-85-25 Determination of Revenue and Recovery of Expenditures
DSHS-AP-19-85-32 Signature Authority for Financial Documents
DSHS-AP-19-85-40 Timely Submittal of Claims
DSHS-AP-19-85-41 Belated Claims
DSHS-AP-19-85-54 Overpayments identified by DSHS
Chapter 20 - Investigations Office of Justice and Civil Rights
DSHS-AP-20.01 Internal Employee Work-Related Civil Rights Investigations
DSHS-AP-20.02 Response to Complaints of Discrimination filed with an External Agency