(a) No person, partnership, corporation, or association of persons shall operate a facility or institution for the care or treatment of any kind of mental or emotional illness or substance abuse or for providing services to persons with an intellectual disability as defined in this chapter, without being certified by the department or licensed by the State Board of Health; provided that nothing in this section shall be construed so as to require a duly authorized physician, psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, licensed professional counselor operating under the scope of his or her license, or Christian Science practitioner to obtain a license for treatment of patients in his private office, unless he keeps two or more patients in his office for continuous periods of 24 hours or more in one week, or that a church or ministry be certified which provides only religious services.

Terms Used In Alabama Code 22-50-17

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(b) No part of this section shall be construed as a mandate for an insurance policy, plan, or contract to offer or provide new or additional coverage benefits, or require any payment or prepayment to any person by any insurer or health care service plan.