Assessment:
A professional review of an individuals needs. The assessment will review physical and mental health, intelligence, functionality, performance and community behavior.

Caregiver:
A person who has specialized training to help people with mental health problems. Examples include therapists, social workers, psychologist, psychiatrist, nurses and other health professionals.

Continuum of care:
A term that implies a progression of service as an individual moves, usually one service at
a time. It means comprehensive services that are provided for the whole well being of an individual.

Crisis residential treatment services:
Short-term, round the clock help provided in a nonhospital setting for crisis.

Day treatment:
Day treatment program are in conjunction with mental health counseling, vocational training, skill building, crisis intervention and recreational therapy. It lasts at least 4 hours a day.

Depression:
Depression is a mood disorder characterized by intense feeling of sadness that persists beyond a few weeks.

DSM-IV:
An official manual of mental health problems developed by the American Psychiatric Association. Psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, social workers and other health and mental health care providers use this reference to understand and diagnose mental health problems. Insurance companies and health care providers also use the terms and explanations in billing and diagnosing mental health problems.

Early Intervention:
A process used to recognize warning signs for mental health providers to take early actions against factors that put individuals at risk.

Emergency and crisis services:
A group of services that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Family support services:
Help designed to keep the family together, while coping with mental health problems that affect them.

Geriatric services:
Geriatric services are designed to meet the mental health needs of people 55 and older.

Inpatient hospitalization:
Mental health treatment provided in a hospital setting 24 hours a day.

Intensive Outpatient Program:
Structured group and individual therapy and education per treatment day. This program handles individuals with psychiatric diagnosis as well as those who have a dual diagnosis condition.

Managed care:
A way to supervise the delivery of health care services. Managed care may specify which caregivers the insured family can see and may also limit the number of visits and kinds of services that are covered by insurance.

Medicaid:
Medicaid is a health insurance assistance program funded by Federal, state and local monies. It is run by State guidelines and assists low-income persons by paying for most medical expenses.

Medicare:
Medicare is a Federal insurance program serving the disabled and persons over the age of 65. Most costs are paid via trust funds that beneficiaries have paid into throughout the courses of their lives; small deductibles and some co-payments are required.

Mental health:
How a person thinks, feels, and acts when faced with life’s situation. Mental health is how people look at themselves, their lives, and the people in their lives; evaluate their challenges and problems and choices. This includes handling stress, relating to other people and making decisions.

Mental health problems:
Mental health problems are real. They affect one’s thoughts, physical well being and behavior. Mental health problems are not just a passing phase. They can be severe, seriously interfere with a person’s life and even cause a person to become disabled. Mental health problems include: depression, bipolar disorder, manic-depressive illness, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia and substance abuse.

Mental illness:
This term is usually used to refer to severe mental health problems in adults.

Partial Hospitalization Program:
An alternative to inpatient treatment for patients who have mental health disorders too severe for outpatient therapy alone. When an overnight stay is not necessary, the partial hospitalization program (PHP) fills the gap. It provides a structured atmosphere for recovery with acute psychiatric care and treatment. It provides transportation and lunch each treatment day. A psychiatrist directs the daytime program which is individually tailored to meet each patient’s treatment needs.

Psychiatric Evaluations:
Processes by which information is obtained through patient interview; use of collateral sources, use of structured interviews, questionnaires, and rating scales, use of diagnostic tests and physical examination. The process for determining initial treatment plan and formulation for diagnosis.

Psycho-spiritual guidance:
The process of defining and discovering personal spiritual guidance as a means of healing mental health issues and challenges.

Psychotherapy:
Individual, group and family counseling sessions aimed at getting to the truth of a person’s feelings, emotions and beliefs. Through this self discovery and disclosure process the experience of insight will begin to unfold and set in motion the necessary and important changes for greater function in life.

Screening:
Formulating appropriate methods and treatment plans based on a series of observations, evaluations, tests and interviews to determine best course of psychological treatment as defined by therapists, physicians, psychiatrists and psychologists.

Therapy:
Abbreviated term for psychotherapy.