Terms Used In Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 81.001

  • Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005

In this chapter:
(1) “Mental health services” means assessment, diagnosis, treatment, or counseling in a professional relationship to assist an individual or group in:
(A) alleviating mental or emotional illness, symptoms, conditions, or disorders, including alcohol or drug addiction;
(B) understanding conscious or subconscious motivations;
(C) resolving emotional, attitudinal, or relationship conflicts; or
(D) modifying feelings, attitudes, or behaviors that interfere with effective emotional, social, or intellectual functioning.
(2) “Mental health services provider” means an individual, licensed or unlicensed, who performs or purports to perform mental health services, including a:
(A) licensed social worker as defined by § 505.002, Occupations Code;
(B) chemical dependency counselor as defined by § 504.001, Occupations Code;
(C) licensed professional counselor as defined by § 503.002, Occupations Code;
(D) licensed marriage and family therapist as defined by § 502.002, Occupations Code;
(E) member of the clergy;
(F) physician who is practicing medicine as defined by § 151.002, Occupations Code;
(G) psychologist offering psychological services as defined by § 501.003, Occupations Code; or
(H) special officer for mental health assignment certified under § 1701.404, Occupations Code.
(3) “Patient” means an individual who seeks or obtains mental health services. The term includes a person who has contact with a special officer for mental health assignment because of circumstances relating to the person’s mental health.
(4) “Sexual contact” means:
(A) “deviate sexual intercourse” as defined by § 21.01, Penal Code;
(B) “sexual contact” as defined by § 21.01, Penal Code;
(C) “sexual intercourse” as defined by § 21.01, Penal Code; or
(D) requests by the mental health services provider for conduct described by Paragraph (A), (B), or (C). “Sexual contact” does not include conduct described by Paragraph (A) or (B) that is a part of a professionally recognized medical treatment of a patient.
(5) “Sexual exploitation” means a pattern, practice, or scheme of conduct, which may include sexual contact, that can reasonably be construed as being for the purposes of sexual arousal or gratification or sexual abuse of any person. The term does not include obtaining information about a patient’s sexual history within standard accepted practice while treating a sexual or marital dysfunction.
(6) “Therapeutic deception” means a representation by a mental health services provider that sexual contact with, or sexual exploitation by, the mental health services provider is consistent with, or a part of, a patient’s or former patient’s treatment.
(7) “Mental health services,” as defined by this section, provided by a member of the clergy does not include religious, moral, and spiritual counseling, teaching, and instruction.