Glossary of Terms Commonly Used in Mental Health

 

L

Legal Advocacy

Legal services provided to ensure the protection and maintenance of a client's/patient's rights.

Length of Stay

The duration of an episode of care for a covered person. The number of days an individual stays in a hospital or inpatient facility.

Licensing

(Related information)

In some countries, including the United States, the practice of counselling, therapy, psychology and related disciplines is regulated through a system of licensure. In the United States, licensing requirements are set separately for each state and for each field of practice by independent licensing boards. It is important to note that licensing in and of itself has no bearing upon actual clinical effectiveness or outcome, as illustrated by several decades of scientific research into effectiveness and efficacy. (Also see the review at this site of Hubble, et al. 1999.)

Living Independently

A client who lives in a private residence and requires no assistance in activities of daily living.

Local Mental Health Authority

Local organizational entity (usually with some statutory authority) that centrally maintains administrative, clinical, and fiscal authority for a geographically specific and organized system of health care.

This glossary incorporates many of the entries provided in a mental health dictionary supplied by the US government's Department of Health and Human Services.