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AA
Alcoholics Anonymous |
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ABI
Acquired Brain Injury |
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Abuse
The willful or grossly negligent infliction of physical pain, injury or mental anguish, unreasonable confinement, or the willful or grossly negligent deprivation by the administrator or staff of an adult care home of services which are necessary to maintain mental and physical health. |
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ACCEPT
Advocacy Center for Children's Education and Parent Training |
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Access
An array of available treatments, services and supports; consumers know how and where to obtain them; and there are no system barriers or obstacles to getting what they need, when they are needed.
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Accreditation
Certification by an external entity that an organization has met a set of standards. In NC, LMEs and providers are required to have national accreditation. |
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ACT
Assertive Community Treatment |
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Action Tremor
A tremor that occurs during the performance of voluntary movements such as postural, isometric, kinetic, and intention tremors. |
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Activities of Daily Living (ADL)
Functions that are typically performed as part of a person's daily routine, such as dressing, bathing, eating, toileting, leisure activities, socialization, and other functions of daily living. |
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Activity Therapy
Includes art, dance, music, recreational and occupational therapies, and psychodrama. |
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ACTT
Assertive Community Treatment Team (provides intensive response for high risk consumers). A research-based, multi-disciplinary team providing community-based treatment, rehabilitation and support services to consumers who are at risk of frequent decompensation and hospitalization, arrest or homelessness. ACT Teams maintain primary clinical responsibility and provide services 24 hours a day, seven days a week on a long-term basis. This allows for continuity of caregivers, and thus for increased stability in community living. |
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Acuity (or Acuity Level)
Used, most often in hospital settings, to describe the intensity of a person's needs for care. |
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Acute
Referring to symptoms of abrupt onset, often of marked severity or intensity. |
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Acute Abstinence Syndrome
A group of withdrawal signs and symptoms that occur shortly after a person who is physically dependent on a drug stops taking it. |
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Acute Care Committee
One of three standing committees of the North Carolina State Health Coordinating Council. This committee has lead responsibilities for General Acute Care Hospital Beds, Inpatient Rehabilitation Services, Ambulatory Surgical Facilities, and Technology. |
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ADA
American with Disabilities Act |
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ADATC
Alcohol/Drug Addiction Treatment Centers |
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ADD
US Administration on Developmental Disabilities -OR also used for Attention Deficit Disorder |
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ADHC
Adult Day Healthcare OR also used for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder |
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ADL
Activities of Daily Living |
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Administrative Costs
Costs not linked directly to the provision of medical care. Includes marketing, claims processing, billing, and medical record keeping, among others. |
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Administrative Services Organization (ASO)
An arrangement under which an insurance carrier or an independent organization will, for a fee, manage claims, benefits and other administrative functions for a public or private sector client. |
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Administrator
Administrator means a person approved by the Department of Health and Human Services who has the responsibility for the total operation of a licensed domiciliary home. |
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ADTP
Alcohol Dependence Treatment Program |
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Adult Care Home
Adult care home is an assisted living residence in which the housing management provides 24-hour scheduled and unscheduled personal care services to two or more residents, either directly or, for scheduled needs, through formal written agreement with licensed home care or hospice agencies. Some licensed adult care homes provide supervision to persons with cognitive impairments whose decisions, if made independently, may jeopardize the safety or well-being of themselves or others and therefore require supervision. Medication in an adult care home may be administered by designated, trained staff. Adult care homes that provide care to two to six unrelated residents are commonly called family care homes. Adult care homes and family care homes are subject to licensure by the Division of Facility Services. |
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Advance Directive
A legal document that allows consumers to plan their own mental health care in the event the individual loses the capacity to effectively make decisions. The individual can name a friend and/or an agent (friend or family) to act on his/her behalf to give guidance to the professionals involved in care, treatment according to his/her preferences. Completing an advance directive is an opportunity for the person with disabilities to learn more about the illness and have more control what happens. |
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Advocacy
Activities in support of, or on behalf of, people with mental illness, developmental disabilities or addiction disorders including protection of rights, legal and other service assistance, and system or policy changes. |
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ADVP
Adult Day (or Developmental) Vocational Program |
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Aftercare
Supervision or treatment given to individuals for a limited time after they are released from a treatment program. |
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Ageism
Stereotyped and often negative perceptions of older people. |
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Agonist
A muscle whose contraction executes an intended movement or a drug that effectively mimics the action of a natural chemical messenger within the body |
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Agoraphobia
The fear of public places or open spaces; agoraphobics try to avoid being in situations from which they think escape would be difficult or help and safety are not readily available; this is often diagnosed in conjunction with panic disorder |
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AHEC
Area Health Education Center |
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Akathisia
A neurological condition of motor restlessness, manifested by a sensation of muscular quivering, an urge to constantly move about, and an inability to sit still. |
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Akinesia
Absence of movement or loss of the ability to move such as temporary or prolonged paralysis or freezing in place. |
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Akinetic
Referring to absence or poverty of voluntary movement; loss of the ability to move all or part of the body. |
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Alcohol or Drug Treatment (AOD)
Substance abuse treatment. |
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ALE
Alcohol Law Enforcement |
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Allowable Costs
Charges for services rendered or supplies furnished by a mental health professional that qualify as covered expenses. |
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Alternative Therapy
An alternative approach to mental health care is one that emphasizes the interrelationship between mind, body, and spirit. Although some alternative approaches have a long history, many remain controversial. |
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Alzheimer's Disease
A progressive degenerative disease of the brain of unknown cause. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by widespread loss of nerve cells, particularly in the outer region of the brain (cerebral cortex), with distinctive neurodegenerative changes (including senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles) and reduced activity of acetylcholine and other neurotransmitters of the brain. The disease is the most common cause of dementia or progressive deterioration of thought processing and acquired intellectual abilities. Associated symptoms include initial forgetfulness with increasingly severe memory impairment; disorientation and confusion; loss of the ability to recognize familiar people or objects through sensory stimuli (agnosia); and speech disturbances. The disorder may also be characterized by restlessness and agitation; an increasingly impaired ability to conduct purposeful movements; personality disintegration; and symptoms of psychosis, such as the perception of sights, sounds, or other sensations in the absence of external stimuli (hallucinations) and false beliefs of persecution despite evidence to the contrary (paranoid delusions). |
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AMA
American Medical Association |
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Ambulant (Ambulatory)
Able to walk; may be used to describe patients who do not require a wheelchair or are not confined to bed. |
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Ambulatory Care
All types of health services that are provided on an outpatient basis, in contrast to services provided in the home or in hospitals. |
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Ambulatory Detoxification Service
An outpatient, medically supervised detoxification service. See DETOXIFICATION |
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Amenities
Amenities means services such as meals, housekeeping, transportation, and grocery shopping that do not involve hands-on personal care. |
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American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
An international organization of physicians dedicated to improving the treatment of people with substance use disorders. In 1991, ASAM published a set of patient placement criteria that have been widely used and analyzed in the alchohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) field. |
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AMHA
Area Mental Health Authority |
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AMI
Alliance for the Mentally Ill |
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AMIS
Automated Medical Information System |
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Amplitude
The size or height of a tremor; the extent or breadth of a tremor's range. |
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Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by unusual eating habits such as avoiding food and meals, picking out a few foods and eating them in small amounts, weighing food, and counting the calories of all foods. Individuals with anorexia nervosa may also exercise excessively. |
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Antagonist
(1) A drug that blocks a receptor, preventing stimulation. (2) A muscle whose contraction opposes an intended movement. |
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Anxiety
A sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physical symptoms (such as sweating, tension, and increased heart rate) |
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Anxiety Disorders
A group of serious yet treatable health problems affecting one in 10 Americans; anxiety disorders are caused by a combination of biological and environmental factors |
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Anxiolytics
The medications that reduce the symptoms of anxiety |
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AP
Area Program |
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APA
American Psychiatric Association |
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Appeals Panel
The state MH/DD/SA appeals panel established under NC. G.S. 371. |
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Appropriate Services
Designed to meet the specific needs of each individual child and family. For example, one family may need day treatment, while another may need home-based services. Appropriate services for one child and family may not be appropriate for another. Appropriate services usually are provided in the child's community. |
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Apraxia
Loss of the ability to sequence, coordinate, and execute certain purposeful movements and gestures in the absence of motor weakness, paralysis, or sensory impairments. Apraxia is thought to result from damage to the cerebral cortex, such as due to stroke, brain tumors, head injury, or infection. It may also occur as a result of impaired development of the cortex as in certain neurodevelopmental disorders, including Rett syndrome. Apraxia may affect almost any voluntary movements, including those required for proper eye gaze, walking, speaking, or writing. |
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Arc
Formerly ARC, Association for Retarded Citizens |
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Area Director
The executive who is responsible for mental health, developmental disability, and substance abuse services in a county/area program. This person has at least a master's degree in a behavioral health services discipline and is responsible for developing a system of care in his/her local area that brings all possible public and private services into a network. The network must meet the needs of service consumers in that region and conform to the requirements of the DMH/DD/SAS. |
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Area Program
A program that is certified by the DHHS Secretary to manage, oversee and sometimes directly provide mental health, developmental disabilities and substance abuse services in a specified geographic area. See also, COUNTY PROGRAM. |
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Array Of Services
Group of services available to a consumer. |
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ASAM
American Society of Addiction Medicine |
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ASANC
Association of Self-Advocates of NC |
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ASI
Addiction Severity Index |
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ASNC
Autism Society of North Carolina |
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Assessment
A comprehensive examination and evaluation of a person's needs for psychiatric, developmental disability or substance abuse treatment, services and/or supports according to applicable requirements. |
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Assisted Living Residence
Assisted living residence means any group housing and services program for two or more unrelated adults, by whatever name it is called, that makes available, at a minimum, one meal a day and housekeeping services and provides personal care services directly or through a formal written agreement with one or more licensed home care or hospice agencies. The Department may allow nursing service exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Settings in which services are delivered may include self-contained apartment units or single or shared room units with private or area baths. Assisted living residences are to be distinguished from nursing homes subject to provisions of G.S. 131E-102. Effective October 1, 1995, there are two types of assisted living residences: adult care homes and group homes for developmentally disabled adults. Effective July 1, 1996, there is a third type, multiunit assisted housing with services. |
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Asterixis
Involuntary, jerking or flapping movements, especially of the hands. Extending the patient's arm with the wrist bend in a backward position may induce this form of tremor, which may be associated with advanced liver disease. |
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AT
Assistive Technology |
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Ataxia
A condition characterized by an impaired ability to coordinate voluntary movements. Ataxia may result from damage to the cerebellum, cerebellar pathways, or the spinal cord due to various underlying disorders, conditions, or other factors. These may include infection, head injury, stroke, brain tumors, neurodegenerative disorders, alcohol or drug intoxication, or certain hereditary diseases (e.g., Friedreich's ataxia, ataxia-telangiectasia). Associated symptoms may vary, depending upon the site of damage within the central nervous system. However, the condition is often characterized by in coordination, postural imbalance, and a lurching, unsteady manner of walking (gait). Additional findings may include slurred speech (dysarthria); rapid, involuntary, rhythmic eye movements (nystagmus); and/or other abnormalities. |
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ATOD
Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs |
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Atrophy
Wasting away or loss of a cell, tissue, or organ due to disease, malnutrition, insufficient blood supply, or other causes, such as loss of skeletal muscle mass due to peripheral nerve damage. |
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Attention- Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, sometimes called ADHD, is a chronic condition and the most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder among children and adolescents. It affects between 3 and 5 percent of school-aged children in a 6 month period (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999). Children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder have difficulty controlling their behavior in school and social settings. They also tend to be accident-prone. Although some of these young people may not earn high grades in school, most have normal or above normal intelligence. |
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AU
Autism |
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Auditory
Pertaining to the sense of hearing or the organs involved in hearing. |
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Augmentation
A phenomenon that may occur as a result of the use of certain medications (particularly levodopa). Augmentation is characterized by the emergence of worsening symptoms earlier in the day (e.g., early evening, afternoon, or morning). Many people who take levodopa and some who take other dopamingeric agents develop augmentation, especially those who have severe symptoms or are taking high doses of the drug. |
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Autism
Autism, also called autistic disorder, is a complex developmental disability that appears in early childhood, usually before age 3. Autism prevents children and adolescents from interacting normally with other people and affects almost every aspect of their social and psychological development. |
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Autonomy
An ethical principle that requires policy-makers, advocates, planners, administrators, providers and family members of adult service consumers to respect the right of legally competent individuals to make decisions about the course of their lives. |
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Average Daily Census (ADC)
Measurement of the number of people residing in a residential program, usually hospitals. |
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