2023 CODE OF GEORGIA › Title 37 - MENTAL HEALTH (§§ 37-1-1 — 37-12-14) › Chapter 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 37-1-1 — 37-1-125) › Article 1 - DEFINITIONS (§§ 37-1-1 — 37-1-7) › Section 37-1-1 - Definitions

As used in this title, the term:
(1)
"Addictive disease" means a chronic, often relapsing, brain disease that causes compulsive alcohol or drug seeking and use despite harmful consequences to the individual who is addicted and to those around him or her.
(2)
"Board" means the Board of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
(3)
"Commissioner" means the commissioner of behavioral health and developmental disabilities.
(4)
"Community service board" means a public mental health, developmental disabilities, and addictive diseases board established pursuant to Code Section
37-2-6
.
(5)
"Consumer" means a natural person who has been or is a recipient of disability services.
(6)
"County board of health" means a county board of health established in accordance with Chapter 3 of Title 31 and includes its duly authorized agents.
(7)
"Department" means the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and includes its duly authorized agents and designees.
(8)
"Developmental disability" means a severe, chronic disability of an individual that:
(A)
Is attributable to a significant intellectual disability, or any combination of a significant intellectual disability and physical impairments;
(B)
Is manifested before the individual attains age 22;
(C)
Is likely to continue indefinitely;
(D)
Results in substantial functional limitations in three or more of the following areas of major life activities:
(i)
Self-care;
(ii)
Receptive and expressive language;
(iii)
Learning;
(iv)
Mobility;
(v)
Self-direction; and
(vi)
Capacity for independent living; and
(E)
Reflects the person's need for a combination and sequence of special, interdisciplinary, or generic services, individualized supports, or other forms of assistance which are of lifelong or extended duration and are individually planned and coordinated.
(9)
"Disability" means:
(A)
Mental or emotional illness;
(B)
Developmental disability; or
(C)
Addictive disease.
(10)
"Disability services" means services to the disabled or services which are designed to prevent or ameliorate the effect of a disability.
(11)
"Disabled" means any person or persons having a disability.
(11.1)
"Mental health care agent" means an agent appointed under a psychiatric advance directive in accordance with Chapter 11 of Title 37.
(12)
"Mental illness" means a disorder of thought or mood which significantly impairs judgment, behavior, capacity to recognize reality, or ability to cope with the ordinary demands of life.
(13)
"Mentally ill" means having a mental illness.
(14)
"Peace officer" means any federal, city, or county police officer, any officer of the Georgia State Patrol, or any sheriff or deputy sheriff.
(15)
"Penal offense" means a violation of a law of the United States, this state, or a political subdivision thereof for which the offender may be confined in a state prison or a city or county jail or any other penal institution.
(16)
"Physician" means any person duly authorized to practice medicine in this state under Chapter 34 of Title 43.
(16.1)
"Psychiatric advance directive" means a written document voluntarily executed by an individual in accordance with the requirements of Code Section
37-11-9
.
(17)
"Psychologist" means any person duly licensed to practice psychology in this state under Chapter 39 of Title 43.
(18)
"Regional board" means a regional board established in accordance with Code Section
37-2-4.1
as that Code section existed on June 30, 2002.
(19)
"Regional coordinator" means an employee of the department who acts as the department's agent and designee to manage community services for consumers of disability services within a mental health, developmental disabilities, and addictive diseases region established in accordance with Code Section
37-2-3
.
(20)
"Regional office" means an office created pursuant to Code Section
37-2-4.1
. Such office shall be an office of the department and serve as the entity for the administration of disability services in a region.
(21)
"Regional planning board" means a planning board established in accordance with Code Section
37-2-4.1
.
(22)
"Regional services administrator" means an employee of the department who, under the supervision of the regional coordinator, manages the purchase or authorization of services, or both, for consumers of disability services, the assessment and coordination of services, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation of services provided within a region established in accordance with Code Section
37-2-3
.
(23)
"Regional state hospital administrator" means the chief administrative officer of a state owned or state operated hospital and the state owned or operated community programs in a region. The regional state hospital administrator has overall management responsibility for the regional state hospital and manages services provided by employees of the regional state hospital and employees of state owned or operated community programs within a mental health, developmental disabilities, and addictive diseases region established in accordance with Code Section
37-2-3
.
(24)
"Resident" means a person who is a legal resident of the State of Georgia.
(25)
"State mental health facility" means, for purposes of this title and Title 31, a hospital, inpatient unit, or other institution operated by or under contract with the department for its operation, including the replacement or reorganization of the facility.
Amended by 2022 Ga. Laws 836,§ 2-20, eff. 7/1/2022.
Amended by 2016 Ga. Laws 377,§ 7, eff. 4/26/2016.
Amended by 2009 Ga. Laws 102,§ 3-1, eff. 7/1/2009.
Amended by 2006 Ga. Laws 544,§ 2, eff. 7/1/2006.
Amended by 2002 Ga. Laws 971, § 1-6, eff. 7/1/2002.
Amended by 2002 Ga. Laws 971, § 2-1, eff. 1/1/2003