State Institutions

The Department of Health's State Institutions program conducts annual health and safety inspections of various state-owned or contracted institutions and facilities. Examples of state institutions include:

  • Community-based settings (work releases)
  • Community and technical colleges
  • Department of Corrections (prisons)
  • Department of Social and Health Services, Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration (youth camps, educational, vocational and treatment facilities)
  • Department of Transportation (ferries)
  • Department of Veterans Affairs (veterans homes – Orting and Retsil)
  • State schools (blind and deaf)
  • Food establishments located in all the institutions, ferries, community colleges and the Washington State Patrol.

Depending on the setting, inspections can focus on food safety only or expand to also look at the entire care environment. The State Institutions program also conducts complaint investigations within these settings. There are 71 state institution properties for which the department conducts surveys.

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