Geriatric Unit: An inpatient unit which provides medical services to meet the acute medical needs of adults 55 and older.
Mixed Population Unit: An inpatient unit that provides medical services to meet the acute medical needs of adults of all ages.

Medicare: A federal health insurance program covering people 65 and over, some adults with permanent disabilities, and end stage renal disease.

Mental Health Education: A component of the mental health system, dedicated to the education of the public about a variety of mental health issues.

Mental Health Specialist: A professional trained and licensed to provide clinical treatment services. (Note: Mental health specialists who can bill Medicare include social workers, psychologists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, and psychiatrists.)

Clinic Based: A mental health professional that provides mental health outpatient services in a facility licensed as a mental health clinic or to a limited extent in licensed health clinics. Services include individual and group counseling to all populations and/or for specialized populations (e.g. older adults).
Private Practice: A mental health professional in private practice or in private group practice providing outpatient mental health treatment to all populations and/or for specialized populations (e.g. older adults).

Methadone Maintenance Services: Methadone treatment services provided to persons dependent on heroin or other opiates designed to reduce drug use so that they may lead productive lives. Services are provided along with other medical services and include prescribing and dispensing of methadone, supportive counseling, medical care, and other individualized services based on the treatment plan.

MICA (Mentally Ill Chemical Abuser): A term with two meanings:

A term used to refer to an adult who has both a mental illness and a substance abuse disorder.

A program funded by the NYS Office of Mental Health to provide services to the MICA client including emergency, outpatient, and community support programs. The program also works with local agencies to fund training regarding proper assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of the MICA client as well as the development of referral networks.

Mobile Mental Health Crisis: A form of mental health crisis intervention in which professionals go into the home or the community to provide stabilization, perform a risk assessment, and link individuals with ongoing treatment and support.

Multilevel Housing and Care Complex: A category of housing included in a housing guide of the NYS Office for the Aging, which provides multiple levels of care for older adults and includes independent living units, social activities, congregate meals, supportive assistance, and nursing care in one location. The independent living units may be structured as a cooperative, condominium, conventional rental, or long-term lease. Residents pay for housing and other services with monthly charges and may also pay an initial entry or purchase fee.

National Aging Information and Referral Support Center: A national resource center formed under the Older Americans Act designed to provide information and referrals for services for older adults.

National Eldercare Locater: A national directory assistance service collaboratively operated by the Administration on Aging, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, and the National Association of State Units on Aging, designed to help older adults and caregivers locate local support services via state and local AAAs.

National Elder Lawyer Locater: A national directory service of elder lawyers provided by the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, which is a non-profit association that assists lawyers, bar associations, etc. who work with older adults and their families.

NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community): A building or housing complex available to people of all ages but that has evolved to include primarily older adults.

NORC-SSP (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community – Supportive Service Program): A supportive service program operating in a NORC. Typical services include case management, health care management, education, socialization, recreational activities, and volunteer opportunities.

Nursing Home: (see skilled nursing facility)

Nutritional Education and Counseling: A service provided by all three systems that includes nutrition education and information, sometimes under the direction of a dietician. In the mental health system, this service is sometimes provided by psychiatric rehabilitation and community residence programs. In the health system, it is provided by medical adult day programs and under the Medicaid managed long-term care program. In the aging system, it is provided in senior centers and social adult day programs.

OASAS: The NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), which is responsible for licensing, regulating, funding, and implementing alcohol and substance abuse services. The major categories of service are crisis, inpatient, outpatient, and residential. They also fund methadone treatment services as well as alcoholism and substance abuse prevention and intervention programs. Crisis services manage and treat alcohol and/or substance abuse withdrawal, and provide one or more of the following: medically managed detoxification services; medically supervised withdrawal services in an inpatient, outpatient, or residential setting; and medically monitored withdrawal. Inpatient rehabilitation services provide evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation services for persons suffering from chemical dependence. Residential services provide persons with alcohol or substance abuse problems the structure of a 24-hour residential setting for persons who are unable to maintain abstinence or participate in treatment while living in the open community. The categories of service include intensive residential treatment and rehabilitation, community residential services, and supportive living services. Outpatient services provide clinical services to persons with alcohol or substance abuse problems and/or their family members and significant others.

OMH: The NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) is responsible for licensing, regulating, funding, and overseeing mental health programs operated by local governments and community agencies. These programs include inpatient, outpatient, emergency, community support, and residential services. The Office also operates state psychiatric centers across NYS and two research centers.

Outpatient Alcohol/Drug Rehabilitation: An outpatient service that provides medical management and treatment for substance abuse for persons with alcohol and/or substance abuse problems. Programs provide comprehensive, intensive, and short-term medical services and substance abuse counseling.

Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility: A licensed facility that provides therapeutic and restorative treatments for improving or restoring functions that have been impaired by illness or injury.

Outreach: An effort to engage those who need service, but do not seek it through traditional pathways. It includes finding specific populations in need of service (e.g. homeless elderly) as well as following people into the community (e.g. home health). Services are provided in homes and community settings, such as senior centers and houses of worship, which older adults go to for other reasons. In the mental health system, the service is provided by intensive case managers (ICMs) and assertive community treatment (ACT) teams among other programs. In the aging systems, it is provided through some local AAAs and contracted local agencies.

Partial Hospitalization Program: A therapeutic day program for people with acute psychiatric illnesses who would otherwise require inpatient treatment. Services include psychiatric assessment and treatment; individual, group and family therapies; and medication education and management. It is designed to be short-term, usually 30 days or less.

Pastoral Counselor: A professional trained to provide religiously oriented emotional support and psychotherapy.

Peer Mental Health Services: A variety of services provided by people with histories of mental illness such as:

Peer Advocate: An individual in recovery from a serious mental illness who is trained to advocate on behalf of others with mental illness. Some are volunteers; some are paid.
Peer Bridger: An individual in recovery from a serious mental illness who is trained and paid to help others with mental illness make a transition from living in an institutional setting to a community setting.
Peer Emotional Counseling: A form of emotional counseling provided by individuals who are in recovery from mental illness and who have been appropriately trained.
Peer Support: A form of social support, provided by individuals who are in recovery from serious mental illness and who have been trained to offer support to others with mental illness.

Personal Emergency Response System: A response system, offered by private companies, that offers services such as 24 hour medical emergency response, medication reminders, compliance monitoring, and falls detection.

Primary Health Care Provider: A professional trained and licensed to provide basic medical assessment and treatment services before potential referral to other services.

Clinic Based: A health care professional who provides basic health care services in a licensed outpatient facility including primary care physicians, pediatricians, and nurse practitioners.
Private Practice: A health care professional or group of professionals in private practice who provide basic outpatient health care services.

Private Transportation: A private service that transports individuals of all ages, including older adults to health appointments, social services agencies etc.

PROS (Personalized Recovery Oriented Services): A category of recovery oriented programs certified by the Office of Mental Health. The goals of the programs are to integrate treatment, support, and rehabilitation in a manner that facilitates the individual's recovery. Goals for individuals in the program are to: improve functioning, reduce inpatient utilization, reduce emergency services, reduce contact with the criminal justice system, increase employment, attain higher levels of education, and secure preferred housing. (As of this writing, PROS are being introduced in NYS but do not exist in most parts of the state.)

Psychiatric Inpatient Unit:

Psychogeriatric Unit: A short-term psychiatric inpatient unit of a general hospital or public or private psychiatric hospital which serves only older adults with acute mental health needs. Interventions may include individual therapy, group therapy, and pharmacotherapy as well as therapy, psychoeducation, and support groups for families.
Mixed Population Unit: A psychiatric inpatient unit of a general hospital or public or private psychiatric hospital which serves populations of different ages, including older adults with acute mental health needs.

Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program: A program for people with long-term psychiatric disabilities that makes services available during the day and often during evenings and weekends. They provide vocational rehabilitation, social skills training, educational opportunities, support services including a support network, socialization opportunities, and recreation. Services are intended to help individuals to lead more independent lives and to help them avoid re-hospitalization. Unlike continuing day treatment (CDT), psychiatric rehabilitation programs, do not provide medical model psychiatric services.

Rehabilitation Hospital: A facility which provides physical rehabilitation services to people of all ages.

Resource Directory: A directory of local mental health, health, and/or aging services which is provided by some local mental health, health, and aging departments.

Respite: A service provided by the mental health, health, and aging systems to provide caregivers rest from their caregiving responsibilities. Some programs are exclusively respite, while others are embedded in larger programs. Some provide respite for a period of time during the day or evening; others provide a temporary alternative residence. Day programs are sometimes used to provide respite for caregivers. In the mental health system, programs that provide respite include psychiatric rehabilitation and continuing day treatment (CDT). In the health system, programs include home health. And in the aging system, respite is provided through the Caregiver Resource Centers as well as through programs such as social adult day.

Satellite Mental Health Service: A mental health service provided in a site other than a licensed mental health program. Satellites are located in senior centers, adult homes, and in other locations. Satellites must be operated by a licensed mental health provider. Satellites must be provided by a licensed mental health provider and must be formally approved by the Office of Mental Health as satellites.

SCORE: A program run by the Small Business Administration which gives retired professionals an opportunity to counsel and train emerging small business owners.

Screening: An effort to identify individuals who might benefit from further assessment and possible treatment for a physical or psychiatric illness. Some screenings are done through direct interaction and others are self-administered questionnaires. In the mental health system, providers screen patients for mental illnesses and in some cases, health problems. In the health system, providers screen patients for a variety of health care problems and in some cases, mental health problems. Some aging providers also screen for health and mental health problems. (See “assessment” for the distinction between screening and assessment.)

Section 8: A federal rental assistance program for low-income individuals and families, including older adults and people with disabilities. It provides a subsidy to pay monthly housing expenses over 30% of income.

Section 202: A federal supportive housing program for low-income older adults, which usually includes supportive services such as meals, transportation, and services for the disabled.

Self-Help and Mutual Aid: Supportive services, including support groups and mentoring, provided by and for people experiencing various illnesses or their caregivers.

Senior Corps: A national program administered by the Corporation for National Community Services (CNCS) that connects people 55 and over with volunteer opportunities. The programs offered are the Foster Grandparents Program, Senior Companion Program, and RSVP (Retired Seniors Volunteer Program).

Senior Housing Development: A category of housing included in a housing guide of the NYS Office for the Aging, which is restricted to older adults. In addition to private dwellings, some have activities, supportive services, personal care and/or health care, which is usually not included in the monthly rent.