As used in this chapter unless otherwise indicated by the context:

“Administrator” means the person in charge of a public or private hospital.

“Admission procedures” mean the various methods for admission of mentally ill persons or of persons habituated to the excessive use of drugs or alcohol to public and private psychiatric facilities.

“Authorized absence” means absence of a patient from a psychiatric facility for any period of time with permission.

“Behavioral health crisis center” means a facility that is specifically designed and staffed to provide care, diagnosis, or treatment for persons who are experiencing a mental illness or substance use disorder crisis.

“Community mental health center” means one or more facilities which alone or in conjunction with other facilities, public or private, are part of a coordinated program providing a variety of mental health services principally for persons residing in a community or communities in or near which the center is located.

“Conservator” shall have the meaning provided in § 560:5-102.

“Court” means any duly constituted court and includes proceedings, hearings of per diem judges as authorized by law.

“Dangerous to others” means likely to do substantial physical or emotional injury on another, as evidenced by a recent act, attempt or threat.

“Dangerous to property” means inflicting, attempting or threatening imminently to inflict damage to any property in a manner which constitutes a crime, as evidenced by a recent act, attempt or threat.

“Dangerous to self” means the person recently has:

(1) Threatened or attempted suicide or serious bodily harm; or

(2) Behaved in such a manner as to indicate that the person is unable, without supervision and the assistance of others, to satisfy the need for nourishment, essential medical care, including treatment for a mental illness, shelter or self-protection, so that it is probable that death, substantial bodily injury, or serious physical debilitation or disease will result unless adequate treatment is afforded.

“Department” means the department of health.

“Director” means the director of health.

“Discharge” means the formal termination on the records of a psychiatric facility of a patient’s period of treatment at the facility.

“Guardian” shall have the meaning provided in § 560:5-102.

“Health care operations” means the services and activities conducted by an institution, facility, or agency licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized or permitted by law to provide medical or health services in the ordinary course of business, including case management and care coordination, quality assessment and improvement activities, medical reviews, and administrative activities.

“Health care provider” means an individual or entity licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized or permitted by law to provide medical or health services in the ordinary course of business or practice of a profession.

“Homeless individual” means an individual who is homeless as defined under § 346-361 and who has a serious and persistent mental illness or is otherwise eligible for treatment.

“Imminently dangerous to self or others” means that, without intervention, the person will likely become dangerous to self or dangerous to others within the next forty-five days.

“Incapacitated person” shall have the meaning provided in § 560:5-102.

“Interested person” means an interested, responsible adult, including but not limited to a public official, the legal guardian, spouse, parent, legal counsel, adult child, or next of kin of a person allegedly mentally ill, mentally deficient or suffering from substance abuse or as otherwise provided in article I of chapter 560.

“Intoxicated person” means a person who is deprived of reasonable self-control because of intake of alcohol or because of any substance which includes in its composition volatile organic solvents.

“Judge” means any judge of the family court or per diem judge appointed by the chief justice as provided in section 604-2.

“Law enforcement officer” has the same meaning as in § 710-1000.

“Licensed physician” means a physician or surgeon licensed by the State to practice medicine, including a physician and surgeon granted a limited and temporary license under section 453-3(1), (2), and (5) or a resident physician and surgeon granted a limited and temporary license under paragraph (4) thereof, or a medical officer of the United States while in this State in the performance of the medical officer’s official duties.

“Mental health” means a state of social, psychological, and physical well-being, with capacity to function effectively in a variety of social roles.

“Mentally ill person” means a person having psychiatric disorder or other disease which substantially impairs the person’s mental health and necessitates treatment or supervision.

“Patient” means a person under observation, care, or treatment at a psychiatric facility.

“Person suffering from substance abuse” means a person who uses narcotic, stimulant, depressant, or hallucinogenic drugs or alcohol to an extent which interferes with the person’s personal, social, family, or economic life.

“Protected person” shall have the meaning provided in § 560:5-102.

“Psychiatric facility” means a public or private hospital or part thereof which provides inpatient or outpatient care, custody, diagnosis, treatment or rehabilitation services for mentally ill persons or for persons habituated to the excessive use of drugs or alcohol or for intoxicated persons.

“Special treatment facility” means a public or private facility which provides a therapeutic residential program for care, diagnosis, treatment or rehabilitation services for emotionally distressed persons, mentally ill persons or persons suffering from substance abuse.

“Therapeutic living program” means a supervised living arrangement that provides mental health or substance abuse services for individuals or families who do not need the structure of a special treatment facility and are transitioning from a more restrictive treatment setting to independent living. The program aids residents in meeting basic needs and provides supportive services through a required service plan.

“Treatment” means the broad range of emergency, out-patient, intermediate, domiciliary, and inpatient services and care, including diagnostic evaluation, medical, psychiatric, psychological, and social service care, vocational rehabilitation, career counseling, and other special services which may be extended to handicapped persons.

“Treatment summary” means a record of information including present history and physical examination, mental status examination, emergency department record, intake evaluation, eligibility determination, current medication list and prescription history, treatment plan, consultant reports, diagnosis and problem lists, recent laboratory and diagnostic testing, clinical or discharge summaries, and discharge instructions, or any combination of such information.

“Unauthorized absence” means absence of a patient from a psychiatric facility for any period of time without permission.