§ 21-501 — Definitions.

District of Columbia § 21-501

• Jurisdiction: District of Columbia
• Title 21: Fiduciary Relations and Persons with Mental Illness. [Enacted title]
• Ch. 5: Hospitalization of Persons with Mental Illness.
• Subch. I: Definitions; Commission on Mental Health.

Text

As used in the chapter:

(1) “Administrator” means a person in charge of a public or private hospital or his delegate;

(1A) “Chief clinical officer” means the psychiatrist or qualified psychologist for the Department who is responsible for coordinating the treatment of persons receiving mental health supports or mental health services from the Department;

(2) “Chief of service” means the physician or qualified psychologist charged with overall responsibility for the professional program of care and treatment in the particular administrative unit of the hospital to which the patient has been admitted or such other member of the medical staff as the chief of service designates;

(3) “Commission” means the Commission on Mental Health;

(3A) “Core services agency” means a community-based provider of mental health services and mental health supports that is certified by the Department and that acts as a clinical home for consumers of mental health services by providing a single point of access and accountability for diagnostic assessment, medication-somatic treatment, counseling and psychotherapy, community support services, and access to other needed services;

(4) “Court” means the Superior Court of the District of Columbia;

(4A) “Department” means the Department of Behavioral Health;

(4A-i) “Domestic partner” shall have the same meaning as provided in § 32-701(3) .

(4B) “Mental health services” means the services funded or regulated by the Department for the purpose of addressing mental illness or mental health problems;

(4C) “Mental health supports” means the supports funded or regulated by the Department for the purpose of addressing mental illness or mental health problems;

(5) “Mental illness” means a psychosis or other disease which substantially impairs the mental health of a person;

(6) Repealed.

(7) “Physician” means a person licensed under the laws of the District of Columbia to practice medicine, or a person who practices medicine in the employment of the Government of the United States or of the District of Columbia;

(8) “Private hospital” means a nongovernmental hospital or institution, or part thereof, in the District of Columbia, equipped and qualified to provide inpatient care and treatment for a person with a physical or mental illness;

(8A) “Provider” means an individual or entity that:

(A) Is duly licensed or certified by the Department to provide mental health services or mental health supports; or

(B) Has entered into an agreement with the Department to provide mental health services or mental health supports;

(8B) “Psychiatrist” means a physician who is licensed to practice medicine in the District of Columbia, or is employed by the federal government, and has completed a residency in psychiatry;

(9) “Public hospital” means a hospital or institution, or part thereof, in the District of Columbia, owned and operated by the Government of the United States or of the District of Columbia, equipped and qualified to provide inpatient care and treatment for persons with from physical or mental illness;

(9A) "Qualified nurse practitioner" means a person who is licensed under the laws of the District of Columbia to practice as a certified nurse practitioner pursuant to § 3-1206.07a , has completed a master's or doctoral degree in psychiatric nursing, and is nationally board-certified as a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner.

(9B) “Qualified physician” means a person licensed under the laws of the District of Columbia to practice medicine who is board-certified in emergency medicine and certified by the Department to examine persons and prepare admission certificates pursuant to § 21-522 ; and

(10) “Qualified psychologist” means a person who is licensed pursuant to § 3-1205.01 , or working as a psychologist and authorized to practice pursuant to § 3-1205.02(a)(2) , and has (1) one year of formal training within a hospital setting; or (2) two years of supervised clinical experience in an organized health care setting, one of which must be post-doctoral.

Legislative History

Sept. 14, 1965, 79 Stat. 751, Pub. L. 89-183, § 1; July 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 567, Pub. L. 91-358, title I, § 150(c)(1); Feb. 24, 1984, D.C. Law 5-48,§ 11(a)(4), (b), 30 DCR 5778; Apr. 30, 1988, D.C. Law 7-104, § 6(c), 35 DCR 147; Apr. 9, 1997, D.C. Law 11-255, § 20(b), 44 DCR 1271; Apr. 4, 2003, D.C. Law 14-283, § 2(b), 50 DCR 917; Apr. 24, 2007, D.C. Law 16-305, § 35(a)(1), 53 DCR 6198; Sept. 12, 2008, D.C. Law 17-231, § 22(a), 55 DCR 6758; Sept. 26, 2012, D.C. Law 19-169, § 21(c)(2), 59 DCR 5567