Iowa Administrative Code
Agency 481 - Inspections and Appeals Department
Inspections Division
Chapter 62 - Residential Care Facilities for Persons With Mental Illness (RCFs/PMI)
Rule 481-62.2 - Definitions

In addition to the definitions in 481-Chapter 57 and Iowa Code chapter 135C, the following definitions apply.

"Commission" means the mental health and disability services commission.

"Department" means the Iowa department of inspections and appeals.

"Dependent adult abuse" is as defined in rule 481-52.1(235E).

"Evaluation services" means those activities designed to identify a person's current level of functioning and those factors which are barriers to maintaining the current level or achieving a higher level of functioning.

"Interdisciplinary team process" means an approach to assessment, service planning, and service implementation in which members of an interdisciplinary team utilize the skills, competencies, insights and perspectives provided by each member's training and experience to develop a single, integrated, individual program plan to meet a resident's needs for services.

"Level of functioning" means a person's current physiological and psychological status and current academic, community living, self-care, and vocational skills.

"Mental health counselor" means a person who is certified or eligible for certification as a mental health counselor by the National Academy of Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselors.

"Mental illness" means a substantial disorder of thought or mood which significantly impairs judgment, behavior, or the capacity to recognize reality or the ability to cope with the ordinary demands of life. Mental disorders include the organic and functional psychoses, neuroses, personality disorders, alcoholism and drug dependence, behavioral disorders and other disorders as defined by the current edition of American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

"Physical or physiological treatment" means those activities designed to prevent, halt, control, relieve, or reverse symptoms or conditions which interfere with the physical or physiological functioning of the human body.

"Psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioner " means an individual currently licensed as a registered nurse under Iowa Code chapter 152 or 152E who holds a national certification in psychiatric mental health care and who is licensed by the board of nursing as an advanced registered nurse practitioner.

"Psychiatric nurse" means a person who meets the requirements of a certified psychiatric nurse, is eligible for certification by the American Nursing Association, and is licensed by the state of Iowa to practice nursing as defined in Iowa Code chapter 152.

"Psychiatrist" means a doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine and surgery who is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology or who is eligible for certification.

"Psychologist" means a person who is licensed to practice psychology in the state of Iowa, or is certified by the Iowa department of education as a school psychologist, or is eligible for certification, or meets the requirements for eligibility for a license to practice psychology in the state of Iowa that were effective prior to July 1, 1985.

"Psychotherapeutic treatment" means those activities designed to assist a person in the identification or modification of beliefs, emotions, attitudes, or behaviors in order to maintain or improve the person's functioning in response to the physical, emotional and social environment.

"Qualified mental health professional" or"QMHP" means a person who:

1. Is a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, certified psychiatric nurse, psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioner, or mental health counselor; or

2. Is a doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine, a physician assistant, or an advanced registered nurse practitioner and has at least one year's documented supervised experience in providing mental health services; or

3. Has a master's degree with coursework focusing on diagnosis, evaluation, and psychotherapeutic treatment of mental health problems and mental illness; or

4. Is employed by a community mental health center or mental health service provider accredited by the commission and has less than a master's degree but at least a bachelor's degree and sufficient education and experience as determined by the chief administrative officer of the community mental health center, with the approval of the commission, with coursework and experience focusing on diagnosis and evaluation and treatment of persons with mental health problems and mental illness.

If the person is practicing in a field covered by an Iowa licensure law, the person shall hold a current Iowa license.

"Resident" means a person who has been admitted to the facility to receive care and services.

"Social worker" means a person who is licensed to practice social work in the state of Iowa or who is eligible for licensure.