ACCH

Association for the Care of Children's Health. A multidisciplinary association of professionals and parents that promotes quality psychosocial health care for children and their families.

ACT (1)

Assertive Community Treatment (an evidence-based practice for adults w/severe mental illness)

ACT (2)

Application for Continued Treatment

Act 15

Restored the Department of Mental Health (July 1, 2007)

Act 114

Vermont’s statute governing involuntary non-emergency psychiatric medication, passed in 1998.

 

Act 264

Vermont legislation (1988) mandating a coordinated interagency system of care for children and adolescents experiencing a serious emotional disturbance and their families

AD (1)

Administrative Discharge (from the Vermont State Hospital)

AD (2)

Advance Directive: Health and mental-health care directive for treatment

ADAP

(Division of) Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs, part of the Vermont Department of Health

 

ADD

Attention deficit disorder. A condition characterized by a failure to remain attentive in various situations, especially in the school and home.

ADHD

Attention hyperactivity disorder. As above, but with the added characteristic of overactivity.

ADG

Askesis Development Group: IT development group for software (PsychConsult) at the Vermont State Hospital having to do with medical records

AFL

Authorized funding limit

AHS

Agency of Human Services

AIT

Application for Involuntary Treatment

AMI

Asset Management Inventory (Vermont Department of Health)

ANCOR

American Network of Community Options & Resources

AOP

Adult Outpatient Services (mental health)

APA (1)

American Psychiatric Association

APA (2)

American Psychological Association

APSE

Association for Persons in Supported Employment

ARC

Attachment, Self-Regulation, and Competency model for treatment of children and families with complex and/or intense trauma histories

ARIS

Area Resources for Individualized Services

AS

Autism Spectrum: a range of disorders. Autism is defined in DMS-IV-TR (code 299.00) as the presence of markedly abnormal or impaired development in social interaction and communica­tion and a markedly restricted repertoire of activity and interests.

AT

Assistive technology

ATTC

Addiction Technology Transfer Center

BD

Behavior disordered

BHN

Behavioral Health Network

BISHCA

Vermont’s Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Authority

BPD

Borderline personality disorder

BRFSS

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System: a telephone survey of adults in Vermont, conducted by the Vermont Department of Health. The survey covers issues such as health status, exercise, diabetes, immunization, asthma, cardiovascular disease, tobacco and alcohol use, seatbelts, suicide, and depression.

CAFU

Child, Adolescent & Family Unit (of the Department of Mental Health)

CAN

Child abuse and neglect.

CAP

Center Accreditation Project. A national certification project for quality child care programs.

CAS

Community Alternatives Specialist

CASSP

Child and Adolescent Services System Program. Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health in 28 states and three local communities to plan, develop and implement services for children and adolescents with serious emotional impairments.

CBT

Cognitive Behavior Therapy. A type of mental-health therapy used as evidence-based treatment for specific diagnoses.

CCISC

Comprehensive, continuous, integrated system of care (for individuals with co-occurring psychiatric and substance-abuse diagnoses)

CDA

Child Development Associate. Training and certification program for Head Start and child care staff.

CDC

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CEC

Council on Exceptional Children. Professional organization for persons serving exceptional school-age children.

CH

Child (or Children’s)

CHPPR

[University of New England] Center for Health Policy, Planning and Research

CIP

Core Indicators Project

CIR

Critical Incident Report

CMC

Clara Martin Center, a designated agency for Orange County. See also CMHC and DA.

CMHC

Community Mental Health Center. A facility providing local mental health services run by a private, nonprofit organization. See also Designated Agency.

CMHS

Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), a federal agency, part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA)

CMS

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

COD

Co-occurring disorder(s): mental illness and substance abuse

CODTP

Co-Occurring Disorders Treatment Program

COSIG

Co-occurring State Infrastructure Grant (a grant awarded the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to support systems change to accommodate integration of treatment for mental illness and substance abuse)

CP (1)

Cerebral palsy.

CP (2)

Certified Provider

CPAP

Clinical Practices Advisory Panel

CPS/CPT

Child Protective Services/Child Protection Team. State or county agency responsible for addressing issues of child abuse and neglect. Regional teams are empanelled by the Commis­sioner of the Department for Children and Families to review situations and recommend strategies and services.

CQI

Continuous Quality Improvement

CR

Conditional Release (from the Vermont State Hospital)

CRC

Case Review Committee, a subcommittee of the State Interagency Team (SIT, see below) that reviews proposed placements of children and adolescents in residential treatment programs

 

CRT

Community Rehabilitation & Treatment: community-based programs for adults with severe and persistent mental illness

CSAC

Counseling Service of Addison County, a designated agency. See also CMHC and DA.

 

CSAP

Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (federal), part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

 

CSAT

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (federal), part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

C-SIR

Caseload Segregation/Integration Ratio. Basically C-SIR measures the degree to which local systems of care share responsibility for children and adolescents. Vermont is now measuring the overlap of caseloads among DMH, the Youth Justice Unit of the Department for Children and Families, and Department of Education programs for youth with an emotional or behavioral dis­ability. 

CSP (1)

Community Support Program. Federally funded programs (through the National Institute of Mental Health) to develop community support systems for persons with long-term psychiatric disabilities

CSP (2)

Coordinated Service Plan. Interagency plan to help meet the needs of children and adolescents experiencing a severe emotional disturbance. Children meeting eligibility criteria are entitled to such a plan under Vermont’s Act 264; there is not necessarily an entitlement to services, however.

CST

Child Study Team. A team consisting of the parents of a child with a handicap and professionals serving the child, convened to develop long- and short-range goals for the child's progress.

CUPS

Children’s Upstream Services Grant (of several years ago) to serve children, ages 0-6, with mental-health issues and their families and caretakers. Teams are now under the auspices of the Child Development Division of the Department for Children and Families (DCF, see below).

CVMC

Central Vermont Medical Center, a designated hospital in Berlin/Montpelier

DA

Designated Agency: Same as CMHC. See also the Administrative Rules for Agency Designation.

DAIL

Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living

DBT

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (treatment for persons with BPD)

DCF

Department for Children and Families (formerly the Department for Social and Rehabilitation Services, or SRS).

DD (1)

Developmental disability/delay

DD (2)

Dysthymic disorder: defined in DSM-IV-TR (code 300.4) as a chronically depressed mood that occurs for most of the day for more days than not for at least two years. For children and adolescents, there may instead be a chronically irritable mood that occurs for most of the day for more days than not for at least one year.

DEC

Division of Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children. The professional organization for persons serving preschool children with handicaps.

DH

Designated hospital (local general hospital with psychiatric unit, designated by the Commissioner of Mental Health to take involuntary patients)

DHHS

United States Department of Health and Human Services.

DIG

Data Infrastructure Grant: successor to the Performance Indicator Project. Nationwide data project sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to make data collection and reporting consistent and reliable in all states and territories.

DLP

Disability Law Project

DMH

Department of Mental Health

DOC

Department of Corrections (Vermont)

DOE

Department of Education (United States or state)

DOJ

Department of Justice (federal)

DSM IV

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th Edition Revised.) A classification system for mental illnesses developed by the American Psychiatric Association.

D.S.W.

Doctoral degree in Social Work

DVR

Division of Vocational Services – see also VR

EBD

Emotional and behavioral disorder (more commonly used now than ED; see below)

E-Bed

Emergency Bed

EBP

Evidence-based practices: Those practices for which consistent scientific evidence shows that they improve client outcomes. The scientific evidence is comprised of several randomized clinical trials (or quasi-experimental studies with comparison groups) in a variety of typical community mental health settings.

ECSC

Early Childhood Steering Committee

ECT

Electroconvulsive Therapy

ED

Emotionally disturbed

EDS

Electronic Data Systems

EE

Emergency Exam for psychiatric disorder

EEE

Essential Early Education

EEG

Electroencephalogram. A test which measures electrical impulses in the brain.

EH

EMR

Electronic Medical Records

EPSDT

Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment: enacted by Congress to reduce infant mortality and improve access to child health services. It mandates that a comprehensive set of services be available to children enrolled in Medicaid.

FAA

Families as Allies Project, Research & Training Center, Portland State University, Portland, OR

FAHC

Flecher Allen Health Care, a designated hospital in Burlington

FAPE

A free and appropriate public education.

FEMA

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FERPA

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. (Student School Records Act.) Federal regulation governing confidentiality of student records and parental rights of access and consent to release.

FF(1)

Families First

FF(2)

Federal Fiscal [Year]

FFF

Flexible Family Funding

FFP

Federal financial participation

FFS

Fee for Service

FFY

Federal fiscal year

FPE

Family Psychoeducation (an evidence-based practice for adults with severe mental illness)

Federal Poverty Level

FTE

Full-time equivalent. A full-time employee for a DA works 37.5 hours per week.

FY

Fiscal year. For business purposes, the State of Vermont has established July 1-June 30 as its fiscal year; the federal government has established October 1-September 30 as its fiscal year.

GAF

Global Assessment of Functioning

GAS

Goal Attainment Scoring

GC

Global Commitment to Health: a five-year waiver negotiated between Vermont and the federal government to increase flexibility of spending options and accountability for outcomes in exchange for a cap on Medicaid expenditures (in effect October 1, 2005-September 30, 2010).

GCF

Global Commitment funds

GCW

Governor’s Commission on Women

GF

General Fund

GH

Group Home

GOVnet

The State of Vermont’s statewide communication infrastructure

HC

Howard Center, a designated agency in Chittenden County. See also CMHC and DA.

HCBS

Home and community-based services

HCBW

Home and Community-based Waiver

HCRSSV

Health Care and Rehabilitation Services of Southeastern Vermont, a designated agency in Windsor and Windham counties. See also CMHC and DA.

HHS

Department of Health and Human Services (federal)

Health Insurance Exchange

HI

Home Intervention (hospital-diversion program at WCMH)

HIPAA

Health Intake Questionnaire

Health Information System (DVHA)

HRD

Human Resources Development

I & R

Information and Referral

ICCD

International Center for Clubhouse Development

IDDT

Integrated Dual-Diagnosis Treatment (an evidence-based practice for people with dual diagnoses of mental illness and substance abuse)

IDEA

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

IdptF

Interdepartmental transfer funds

IEP

Individualized Education Plan. A written plan of services for a child in need of specialized education services because of a handicap; developed jointly by parents and school personnel as required under Public Law 94-142.

IFSP

Individual Family Services Plan. Written objectives for each child 0-2, addressing both the child's and family's needs in the early intervention program.

IMR

Illness Management & Recovery (an evidence-based practice for adults w/severe mental illness)

IPC

Individual Plan of Care (treatment plan)

IPP

Individual Program Plan

IPS(1)

Individual Placement and Support (now more commonly referred to as evidence-based Supported Employment)

ISB

Individualized Services Budget – Children’s Mental Health

ISO

Intermediary Service Organization

ISP

Individualized Service Plan

IT

Information Technology

JL

Vermont Consent Decree governing involuntary nonemergency psychiatric medication based on the concept of substituted judgment—obsolete. See Act 114.

JOBS

Jump on Board for Success: employment and case management programs for youth between the ages of sixteen and twenty-one with EBD. The programs involve a partnership among VR, DMH, DCF, and DOC to expand services and employment outcomes for adolescents transition­ing to adult life.

JR

Judicial Review

LCMHS

Lamoille County Mental Health Services, a designated agency. See also CMHC and DA.

LEA

Local Educational Agency

LIS

Limited-income subsidy (or low-income subsidy): “extra help” offered under Medicare Part D for beneficiaries dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid coverage

LIT

Local Interagency Team (Children’s Services)

LOS

Length of stay

LRE

Least Restrictive Environment.

MBD

Minimal brain dysfunction.

MCIS

Managed Care Information System

MED

Mental or emotional disturbance (or disorder.)

MH

Mental Health

MHA

Mental Health Association. A nonprofit citizens’ organization dedicated to legislative advocacy on behalf of adults with mental illness and children with serious emotional disturbances. Other services include public education and prevention of abuse and family problems and sponsorship of parent support groups.

MHSIP

Mental Health Statistics Improvement Project—obsolete. See DIG.

(services for ) Mental health/substance use disorders

MI (1)

Mentally impaired/ill.

MI (2)

Motivational interviewing

MIS

Management Information System

MMPI

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. A personality assessment tool widely used in making psychological evaluations. Ordinarily given to persons 16 years of age and older.

MMSE

Mini Mental State Examination

MPB

Migrant Program Branch. A federal Head Start program serving Native American children who reside on reservations and migrant children.

MSR

Monthly service report: data on clients served and services provided by DAs/SSAs, sent to VDH/DMH as part of business functions for DMH, ADAP, and DAIL.

MSW

Master's degree in Social Work

NASMHPD

National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors

NAEYC

National Association for the Education of Young Children, a professional organization for persons in early childhood education.

NAMI

National Alliance for Mental Illness. A national self-help organization of mentally ill persons, their families and friends.

NAMI—VT

The Vermont chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Illness

NAPPI

Non-Abusive Physical and Psychological Intervention

NCSS

Northwestern Counseling and Support Services, a designated agency for Franklin and Grand Isle counties. See also CMHC and DA.

NERCEP

New England Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program (organization that provides training for employment providers

NFI

Northeastern Family Institute, a specialized service agency (SSA, see below) in children’s mental health

NKHS

Northeast Kingdom Human Services, a designated agency for Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties. See also CMHC and DA.

NICHCY

National Information Center for Handicapped Children and Youth. A free information service that assists parents, educators, caregivers and others in ensuring that all children and youth with disabilities have a better opportunity to reach their fullest potential.

NIDRR

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. A federal agency that funds research and services for persons with physical or mental disabilities. Part of the United States Department of Education.

NIMBY

Not in my back yard!

NIMH

National Institute of Mental Health. A federal agency, part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, that sponsors research and demonstration activities to increase knowledge and improve services in the field of mental health.

NMHA

National Mental Health Association. See MHA.

NOMS

National Outcome Measures: system developed jointly by SAMHSA, the states, and the District of Columbia. Tracks and measures real-life outcomes for people in recovery from mental-health and substance-abuse disorders.

NRI

NASMHPD’s National Research Institute

National Technical Assistance Center (for children’s mental health)

OBS

Observation: a forensic status for admission to inpatient care for a psychiatric evaluation in criminal cases.

OCD

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

ODD

Oppositional defiant disorder: defined in DSM-IF-TR (code 313.81) as a recurrent pattern of negativistic, defiant, disobedient and hostile behavior toward authority figures that persists for at least six months.

OH

Order of Hospitalization

ONH

Order of Non-Hospitalization

OT

Occupational therapy or occupational therapist.

OVHA

Office of Vermont Health Access: Manages the state’s Medicaid funding available for reimbursing the approved doctors, nurses, therapists, and clinicians who provide medically necessary services for Vermonters who are eligible for Medicaid.

P1

Priority One

P2P

Parent to Parent of Vermont (now Vermont Family Network—see VFN, below)

P & A

Protection and Advocacy. State agency providing advocacy activities on behalf of persons with developmental disabilities and mental illness. 

Physician’s Assistant

PACT

Program in Assertive Community Treatment, a different acronym for the same EBP

PASARR

Preadmission screening and annual resident review (for admission to nursing homes)

PASS

Plan for Achieving Self-sufficiency (savings account administered through the Social Security Administration)

 

PATH

Projects for Assistance in the Transition from Homelessness (federal program to aid people who are homeless)

PCMH

Program in Community Mental Health

PDD

Pervasive developmental disorder: defined in DSM-IV-TR (code 299 range) as a group of disorders characterized by severe and pervasive impairment in several areas of development: reciprocal social interaction skills, communication skills, or the presence of stereotyped behavior, interest and activities. PDD includes Autistic Disorder, Rett’s Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, and PDD Not Otherwise Specified.

PDP

Prescription drug plan (under Medicare Part D’s prescription drug coverage)

Ph.D.

Doctor of Philosophy

 

PIC

Parent Information Center. Parent information and support programs funded by the United States Department of Education.

 

PIP

Performance Indicator Project: also a brief mental-health indicator report distributed weekly to a broad community of stakeholders. See also DIG. 

PMIS

Provider Management Information System

PNMI

Private nonmedical institutions for residential child care, part of Vermont’s Medicaid program. The state funds a network of PNMIs to provide treatment for children and adolescents (ages seven to eighteen) and their families. The treatment is designed to build on strengths and return children to their homes and communities whenever possible and appropriate.

PPV

Preplacement Visit (from the Vermont State Hospital)

PRAMS

Pregnancy Risk Assessment Management Survey

 

PRC

Psychiatric Research Center (Dartmouth)

PRI

Professional Assault Crisis Training—principles for dealing with violence (previously used at Vermont State Hospital)

PT

Physical therapy or physical therapist

PTI

Parent Training and Information Center. See PIC.

PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder

QA

Quality Assurance

QI

Quality Improvement

QM

Quality Management

QMHP

Qualified Mental Health Professional

RHC

Retreat Health Care, the adult inpatient unit of the Brattleboro Retreat, in Brattleboro. RHC is a designated hospital.

REV

REV/ONH

Revocation of an Order of Non-Hospitalization

RMHS

RN

Registered Nurse

RRC

RRI

RRMC

RR

RS

Research and Statistics

RT

Research and Training Centers (or R & T Centers). Thirty-six centers funded by NIDRR to provide research, training and technical assistance to consumers with disabilities and service providers. Two centers focus on the needs of children and youth with emotional handicaps. These two centers are also supported by NIMH and are located at the University of South Florida and at Portland State University in Oregon.

RWJ

.

Substance Abuse Block Grant (from SAMHSA)

SAMHSA

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (federal)

SBS

Success Beyond Six: originally a Vermont funding strategy to provide needed mental-health services to children in school-based settings to help keep students in their local schools and able to benefit from the education offered. Contracts for various services were between schools or supervisory unions (requesting specific services and paying state general funds as match) and designated agencies (providing services requested and drawing down federal Medicaid funds). Currently being developed into a statewide program.

SCHIP

State Children’s Health Insurance Program

SE

Supported Employment (in general for individuals with disabilities; evidence-based SE refers specifically to the model used for individuals with severe mental illness)

SEA

State educational agency

SED

Serious emotional disturbance. Also commonly: EH for "emotionally handicapped," ED for “emotional disability,” or EBD for “emotional/behavioral disability.”

SF

State Fiscal [Year]

SGA

Substantial gainful activity (used in determining Social Security benefits)

SIT

State Interagency Team (Children’s Services)

SMHA

State Mental Health Agency

SMHRCY

State Mental Health Representatives for Children and Youth. The professional people in each state responsible for the planning, development and management of public child mental-health services. A division of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors.

SOC

System of care

SPMI

Severe and Persistent Mental Illness (sometimes SMI, severe mental illness)

SS

Social services.

SSA (1)

Social Security Administration. A federal agency that administers Social Security and disability benefits.

SSA (2)

Specialized Service Agency for developmental or mental-health services (must meet criteria as defined in § 5.1 of the Administrative Rules on Agency Designation)

SSDI

Social Security Disability Insurance. A federal program administered by the SSA.

SSI

Supplemental Security Income. A federal program administered by the SSA.

SX6

Success By Six

T&TA

Training and Technical Assistance

TBI

Traumatic Brain Injury

TCR

Therapeutic community residence

TIP

TTL

Total

TTW

Ticket to Work (also known as TTWWIIA, Ticket to Work and Work Incentive Improvement Act)

TX

Treatment

UCS

United Counseling Service of Bennington County, a designated agency. See also CMHC and DA.

VAC

Vermont Adoption Consortium

VAHHS

Vermont Association of Hospital and Health Systems

VAMH

Vermont Association for Mental Health

VCDMHS

Vermont Council of Developmental and Mental Health Services

VCDR

Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights

VCF

Vermont Children’s Forum

VCHIP

Vermont Child Health Improvement Program (through the University of Vermont)

VCIL

Vermont Center for Independent Living

VCIN

Vermont Crisis Intervention Network

VCORP

Vermont Coalition of Residential Programs

VCRHYP

Vermont Coalition of Runaway and Homeless Youth Programs

VDH

Vermont Department of Health

VFAFA

Vermont Foster and Adoptive Families Association

VFFCMH

Vermont Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health

VFN

Vermont Family Network (as of July 1, 2008): merger of VPIC (see below) and Parent to Parent of Vermont (P2P)

VISI

Vermont Integrated Services Initiative

VP&A

Vermont Protection and Advocacy

VPA (1)

Vermont Psychiatric Association

VPA (2)

Vermont Psychological Association

VPIC

Vermont Parent Information Center

VPS

Vermont Psychiatric Survivors

VPQHC

Vermont Program for Quality in Health Care

VR

Vocational Rehabilitation 

VSH

Vermont State Hospital

WC

The Windham Center, a designated hospital in Bellows Falls (the WC is the psychiatric unit of the Springfield Hospital)

WCMHS

Washington County Mental Health Services, a designated agency. See also CMHC and DA.

WIC

Women, Infants, and Children

WISC

Wechsler Tests

WRAP

Wellness Recovery Action Plan (used as part of Recovery Education as developed by Mary Ellen Copeland)

WRAT

Wide Range Achievement Test. A short test for evaluating basic skills of spelling, arithmetic and reading. The WRAT is widely used by schools for testing educational achievement.