Please note that to be eligible you cannot currently be in treatment, and you must be willing to be randomly assigned to one treatment method—psychotherapy or medication.

If interested, call the University of Washington Center for Clinical Research at 685-8500 (confidential phone line)
Center for Clinical Research

Anti-Kickback, Conflict of Interest and Whistleblower Regulations
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR 52.203-7) require the university to implement procedures designed to prevent and detect violations of the Anti-Kickback Act of 1986 (41 USC 51-58). This is published as a reminder of the policies and procedures in place at the University of Washington.

1. Kickback Defined. “Kickback” as defined by FAR means any money, fee, commission, credit, gift, gratuity, thing of value or compensation of any kind that is provided directly or indirectly to any prime contractor, prime contractor employee, subcontractor or subcontractor employee for the purpose of improperly obtaining or rewarding favorable treatment in connection with a prime contract or in connection with a subcontract relating to a prime contract. University employees are prohibited under federal and state laws from accepting or offering kickbacks.

2. Ethics in Public Service Act. The Ethics in Public Service Act codified in Chapter 42.52 of the Revised Code of Washington prohibits State of Washington employees from accepting a gift, gratuity or additional compensation for personal services rendered as part of official duties.

Regulations published by the State Ethics Board of Regents prohibit the use of university facilities and equipment for personal business use. E-mail and local telephones may be used for personal nonbusiness uses so long as the use is minimal and does not interfere with the carrying out of official duties. Internet Web usage is permitted only for official business purposes. Each faculty and staff member is individually responsible for compliance with these rules.

3. Procurement Integrity Provisions. The Procurement Integrity Provisions of Public Law 100-679 (1988) prohibit university employees from offering promises of future employment, business opportunities, money, gratuities or other things of value to federal procurement agents. University employees are precluded from soliciting information about proprietary or source selection information from any federal officer or employee prior to the award of a contract. University employees responsible for a federal contract over $100,000 may be required to certify before the award that they have no information concerning a violation of the procurement integrity provisions.

4. Outside Consulting Work. Faculty and professional staff are required to receive prior approval from their supervisors prior to engaging in outside professional work for compensation. See University Handbook IV-47 and Operations Manual D-42. University facilities and resources, including computers and e-mail, may not be used in outside work.

5. Internal and Governmental Audits. Internal audits conducted by the university’s Internal Audit Department, and external audits conducted by the office of the State Auditor and the Office of Naval Research, among others, provide checks and balances to university procedures.

6. Purchasing Procedures. The Purchasing Department solicits competitive bids for most purchases on behalf of the university. Purchases may not be made by university personnel unless authorized in advance by a department employee with signature authority and by a Purchasing Department Buyer. Purchasing procedures are described in Section D.52 of the University Operations Manual. No gift
or benefit of any kind may be offered to or accepted by a state employee involved in the purchasing process as an inducement to buy a particular product or restrict competition. (Revised code of Washington Sections 43.19.1937 and 42.18.190). Check writing and accounting functions are conducted by Payables Administration.

7. “Whistleblower” Provisions and Protection. University employees may report improper governmental actions to the Office of the State Auditor. To encourage the reporting of improper governmental actions, employees are protected from reprisal or retaliatory action by the provisions of state law. The Whistleblower law is codified in Chapter 42.40 of the Revised Code of Washington. Procedures for reporting improper governmental actions are in the University Operations Manual Section D47.1.

Summary of the Provisions and Protections of RCW 42.40. “Whistleblower Act” Chapter 42.40 RCW was enacted to encourage employees of the State of Washington to report improper governmental actions to the State Auditor’s Office. “Improper governmental action” means any action by an employee undertaken in the performance of the employee’s official duties that is:

“Improper governmental action” does not include personnel actions for which other remedies exist, such as employee grievances and related complaints.

In order to be investigated, an assertion of improper governmental action must be provided to the State Auditor’s Office within one year after the occurrence of the asserted improper governmental action.

Assertions of improper governmental action must be filed in writing with the State Auditor’s Office. Telephone calls are not accepted. Assertions can be reported using the Whistleblower Reporting Form or in a separate letter. In either case, the report should include:

Assertions of improper governmental action may be filed anonymously. However, by providing a name and phone number, the whistleblower enables the State Auditor to gather additional information necessary for a thorough investigation. The identity of the whistleblower is kept confidential.

The Whistleblower Reporting Form is available by contacting the State Auditor’s Office at 543-4196 or through the State Auditor’s Office homepage at http://www.sao.wa.gov .

The Whistleblower Reporting Form or letter should be mailed to:
State Auditor’s Office
Attention: ED
P.O. Box 40021
Olympia, WA 98504-0021

The State Auditor’s Office has sole discretion to determine how, or if, whistleblower assertions will be investigated. The law listed factors to be considered when making this determination. The State Auditor will mail an acknowledgment to the whistleblower within five working days of receipt of the report. When the investigation has been completed, the State Auditor’s Office will send the whistleblower a letter containing a summary of the information received and the results of the investigation. If the State Auditor’s Office determines an employee has engaged in improper governmental action, it will report the nature and details of the activity to the subject(s) of the investigation, the head of the employee’s agency and, if necessary, the Attorney General or other appropriate authorities.

The law protects whistleblowers from reprisal or retaliatory action. If a whistleblower believes he or she has been the subject of such action, the whistleblower may file a claim with the Washington Human Rights Commission. The commission shall investigate the claim and take appropriate action.

A more detailed summary of the Whistleblower Law is contained in the University Operations Manual Section D 47.1. You may call Internal Audit at 543-4028 if you have questions relating to any of the above.
Internal Audit

Degree Exams

General Examinations

Final Examinations