Terms Used In Iowa Code > Chapter 229 - Hospitalization of Persons With Mental Illness

• Administrator: means the administrator of the department of human services assigned, in accordance with section 218. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Advocate: means a mental health advocate. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
• Auditor: means the county auditor or the auditor's designee. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Chemotherapy: means treatment of an individual by use of a drug or substance which cannot legally be delivered or administered to the ultimate user without a physician's prescription or medical order. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• Chief medical officer: means the medical director in charge of a public or private hospital, or that individual's physician-designee. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Clerk: means the clerk of the district court. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Court: shall mean and include any court upon which jurisdiction has been conferred to determine the liability of persons for the support of dependents. See Iowa Code 252A.2
• Department: means the department of human services. See Iowa Code 249L.2
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Docket: A log containing brief entries of court proceedings.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Habeas corpus: A writ that is usually used to bring a prisoner before the court to determine the legality of his imprisonment. It may also be used to bring a person in custody before the court to give testimony, or to be prosecuted.
• Hospital: means either a public hospital or a private hospital. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Institution: means a birthing hospital. See Iowa Code 252A.2
• Intellectual disability: means a diagnosis of intellectual disability or intellectual developmental disorder, global developmental delay, or unspecified intellectual disability or intellectual developmental disorder which diagnosis shall be made only when the onset of the person's condition was during the developmental period and based on an assessment of the person's intellectual functioning and level of adaptive skills. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Licensed physician: means an individual licensed under the provisions of chapter 148 to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Magistrate: means the same as defined in section 801. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Mental health and disability services region: means a mental health and disability services region formed in accordance with section 331. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Mental health professional: means the same as defined in section 228. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Mental illness: means every type of mental disease or mental disorder, except that it does not refer to an intellectual disability as defined in section 4. See Iowa Code 229.1
• month: means a calendar month, and the word "year" and the abbreviation "A. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Party: means a petitioner, a respondent, or a person who intervenes in a proceeding instituted under this chapter. See Iowa Code 252A.2
• Patient: means a person who has been hospitalized or ordered hospitalized to receive treatment pursuant to section 229. See Iowa Code 229.1
• person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
• persons with mental illness: include persons with psychosis, persons who are severely depressed, and persons with any type of mental disease or mental disorder, except that mental illness does not refer to intellectual disability, or to insanity, diminished responsibility, or mental incompetency as defined and used in the Iowa criminal code or in the rules of criminal procedure, Iowa court rules. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Private hospital: means any hospital or institution not directly supported by public funds, or a part thereof, which is equipped and staffed to provide inpatient care to persons with mental illness. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
• property: includes personal and real property. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Psychiatric advanced registered nurse practitioner: means an individual currently licensed as a registered nurse under chapter 152 or 152E who holds a national certification in psychiatric mental health care and who is licensed by the board of nursing as an advanced registered nurse practitioner. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Public hospital: means :
   a. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Region: means a mental health and disability services region formed in accordance with section 331. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Regional administrator: means the regional administrator of a mental health and disability services region, as defined in section 331. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Respondent: means any person against whom an application has been filed under section 229. See Iowa Code 229.1
• Rule: includes "regulation". See Iowa Code 4.1
• Serious emotional injury: is a n injury which does not necessarily exhibit any physical characteristics, but which can be recognized and diagnosed by a licensed physician or other mental health professional and which can be causally connected with the act or omission of a person who is, or is alleged to be, mentally ill. See Iowa Code 229.1
• serious mental impairment: describes the condition of a person with mental illness and because of that illness lacks sufficient judgment to make responsible decisions with respect to the person's hospitalization or treatment, and who because of that illness meets any of the following criteria:
   a. See Iowa Code 229.1
• state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• United States: includes all the states. See Iowa Code 4.1
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.