2026 Minnesota Statutes

245I.02 DEFINITIONS.

Subdivision 1.Scope.

For purposes of this chapter, the terms in this section have the meanings given.

Subd. 1a.Alcohol and drug counselor.

"Alcohol and drug counselor" means an individual qualified under section 245G.11, subdivision 5.

[See Note.]

Subd. 2.Approval.

"Approval" means the documented review of, opportunity to request changes to, and agreement with a treatment document. An individual may demonstrate approval with a written signature, secure electronic signature, or documented oral approval.

Subd. 3.Behavioral sciences or related fields.

"Behavioral sciences or related fields" means an education from an accredited college or university in social work, psychology, sociology, community counseling, family social science, child development, child psychology, community mental health, addiction counseling, counseling and guidance, special education, nursing, and other similar fields approved by the commissioner.

Subd. 4.Business day.

"Business day" means a weekday on which government offices are open for business. Business day does not include state or federal holidays, Saturdays, or Sundays.

Subd. 5.Case manager.

"Case manager" means a client's case manager according to section 256B.0621; 256B.0625, subdivision 20; 256B.092, subdivision 1a; 256B.0924; 256B.093, subdivision 3a; 256B.094; or 256B.49.

Subd. 6.Certified rehabilitation specialist.

"Certified rehabilitation specialist" means a staff person who meets the qualifications of section 245I.04, subdivision 8.

Subd. 7.Child.

"Child" means a client under the age of 18.

Subd. 8.Client.

"Client" means a person who is seeking or receiving services regulated by this chapter. For the purpose of a client's consent to services, client includes a parent, guardian, or other individual legally authorized to consent on behalf of a client to services.

Subd. 9.Clinical trainee.

"Clinical trainee" means a staff person who is qualified according to section 245I.04, subdivision 6.

Subd. 10.Commissioner.

"Commissioner" means the commissioner of human services or the commissioner's designee.

Subd. 10a.Comprehensive evaluation.

"Comprehensive evaluation" means a person-centered, family-centered, and trauma-informed evaluation conducted according to section 245I.17, subdivision 12.

[See Note.]

Subd. 11.Co-occurring substance use disorder treatment.

"Co-occurring substance use disorder treatment" means the treatment of a person who has a co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorder. Co-occurring substance use disorder treatment is characterized by stage-wise comprehensive treatment, treatment goal setting, and flexibility for clients at each stage of treatment. Co-occurring substance use disorder treatment includes assessing and tracking each client's stage of change readiness and treatment using a treatment approach based on a client's stage of change, such as motivational interviewing when working with a client at an earlier stage of change readiness and a cognitive behavioral approach and relapse prevention to work with a client at a later stage of change; and facilitating a client's access to community supports.

Subd. 12.Crisis plan.

"Crisis plan" means a plan to prevent and de-escalate a client's future crisis situation, with the goal of preventing future crises for the client and the client's family and other natural supports. Crisis plan includes a crisis plan developed according to section 245.4871, subdivision 9a.

Subd. 13.Critical incident.

"Critical incident" means an occurrence involving a client that requires a license holder to respond in a manner that is not part of the license holder's ordinary daily routine. Critical incident includes a client's suicide, attempted suicide, or homicide; a client's death; an injury to a client or other person that is life-threatening or requires medical treatment; a fire that requires a fire department's response; alleged maltreatment of a client; an assault of a client; an assault by a client; or other situation that requires a response by law enforcement, the fire department, an ambulance, or another emergency response provider.

Subd. 14.Diagnostic assessment.

"Diagnostic assessment" means the evaluation and report of a client's potential diagnoses that a mental health professional or clinical trainee completes under section 245I.10, subdivisions 4 to 6.

Subd. 15.Direct contact.

"Direct contact" has the meaning given in section 245C.02, subdivision 11.

Subd. 16.Family and other natural supports.

"Family and other natural supports" means the people whom a client identifies as having a high degree of importance to the client. Family and other natural supports also means people that the client identifies as being important to the client's mental health treatment, regardless of whether the person is related to the client or lives in the same household as the client.

Subd. 17.Functional assessment.

"Functional assessment" means the assessment of a client's current level of functioning relative to functioning that is appropriate for someone the client's age.

Subd. 18.Individual abuse prevention plan.

"Individual abuse prevention plan" means a plan according to section 245A.65, subdivision 2, paragraph (b), and section 626.557, subdivision 14.

Subd. 18a.Initial evaluation.

"Initial evaluation" means the assessment and preliminary diagnosis necessary to begin client services, conducted according to section 245I.17.

[See Note.]

Subd. 19.Level of care assessment.

"Level of care assessment" means the level of care decision support tool appropriate to the client's age.

Subd. 20.License.

"License" has the meaning given in section 245A.02, subdivision 8.

Subd. 21.License holder.

"License holder" has the meaning given in section 245A.02, subdivision 9.

Subd. 22.Licensed prescriber.

"Licensed prescriber" means an individual who is authorized to prescribe legend drugs under section 151.37.

Subd. 23.Mental health behavioral aide.

"Mental health behavioral aide" means a staff person who is qualified under section 245I.04, subdivision 16.

Subd. 24.Mental health certified family peer specialist.

"Mental health certified family peer specialist" means a staff person who is qualified under section 245I.04, subdivision 12.

Subd. 25.Mental health certified peer specialist.

"Mental health certified peer specialist" means a staff person who is qualified under section 245I.04, subdivision 10.

Subd. 26.Behavioral health practitioner.

"Behavioral health practitioner" means a staff person who is qualified under section 245I.04, subdivision 4.

Subd. 27.Mental health professional.

"Mental health professional" means a staff person who is qualified under section 245I.04, subdivision 2.

Subd. 28.Mental health rehabilitation worker.

"Mental health rehabilitation worker" means a staff person who is qualified under section 245I.04, subdivision 14.

Subd. 29.Mental illness.

"Mental illness" means any of the conditions included in the most recent editions of the DC: 0-5 Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Development Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood published by Zero to Three or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association.

Subd. 30.Organization.

"Organization" has the meaning given in section 245A.02, subdivision 10c.

Subd. 31.Personnel file.

"Personnel file" means a set of records under section 245I.07, paragraph (a). Personnel files excludes information related to a person's employment that is not included in section 245I.07.

Subd. 31a.Psychotherapy.

"Psychotherapy" has the meaning given in section 256B.0671, subdivision 11.

[See Note.]

Subd. 32.Registered nurse.

"Registered nurse" means a staff person who is qualified under section 148.171, subdivision 20.

Subd. 33.Rehabilitative mental health services.

"Rehabilitative mental health services" means mental health services provided to a client that enable the client to develop and achieve psychiatric stability, social competencies, personal and emotional adjustment, independent living skills, family roles, and community skills when symptoms of mental illness has impaired any of the client's abilities in these areas. Rehabilitative mental health services include interventions that allow a client to self-monitor, compensate for, counteract, or replace psychosocial skills deficits or maladaptive skills acquired over the course of a mental illness. For a child client, rehabilitative mental health services include interventions to (1) restore a child or adolescent to an age-appropriate developmental trajectory that has been disrupted by a psychiatric illness, or (2) enable the child to self-monitor, compensate for, cope with, counteract, or replace psychosocial skills deficits or maladaptive skills acquired over the course of a psychiatric illness.

[See Note.]

Subd. 34.Residential program.

"Residential program" has the meaning given in section 245A.02, subdivision 14.

Subd. 35.Signature.

"Signature" means a written signature or an electronic signature defined in section 325L.02, paragraph (h).

Subd. 36.Staff person.

"Staff person" means an individual who works under a license holder's direction or under a contract with a license holder. Staff person includes an intern, consultant, contractor, individual who works part-time, and an individual who does not provide direct contact services to clients but does have physical access to clients. Staff person includes a volunteer who provides treatment services to a client or a volunteer whom the license holder regards as a staff person for the purpose of meeting staffing or service delivery requirements. A staff person must be 18 years of age or older.

Subd. 37.Strengths.

"Strengths" means a person's inner characteristics, virtues, external relationships, activities, and connections to resources that contribute to a client's resilience and core competencies. A person can build on strengths to support recovery.

Subd. 38.Trauma.

"Trauma" means an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening that has lasting adverse effects on the individual's functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being. Trauma includes group traumatic experiences. Group traumatic experiences are emotional or psychological harm that a group experiences. Group traumatic experiences can be transmitted across generations within a community and are often associated with racial and ethnic population groups who suffer major intergenerational losses.

Subd. 39.Treatment plan.

"Treatment plan" means services that a license holder formulates to respond to a client's needs and goals. A treatment plan includes individual treatment plans under section 245I.10, subdivisions 7 and 8; initial treatment plans under section 245I.23, subdivision 7; and crisis treatment plans under sections 245I.23, subdivision 8, and 245I.24, subdivision 11. For a license holder under section 245I.17, a treatment plan is the integrated treatment plan developed according to section 245I.17, subdivision 13.

[See Note.]

Subd. 40.Treatment supervision.

"Treatment supervision" means a mental health professional's or certified rehabilitation specialist's oversight, direction, and evaluation of a staff person providing services to a client according to section 245I.06.

Subd. 41.Volunteer.

"Volunteer" means an individual who, under the direction of the license holder, provides services to or facilitates an activity for a client without compensation.

History:

2021 c 30 art 15 s 3; 2022 c 98 art 4 s 18,19; 2023 c 25 s 128; 2024 c 127 art 61 s 5,6; 1Sp2025 c 9 art 4 s 56; 2026 c 121 art 7 s 14-19

NOTE: Subdivisions 1a, 10a, 18a, and 31a, as added by Laws 2026, chapter 121, article 7, sections 14 to 17, are effective January 1, 2028. Laws 2026, chapter 121, article 7, section 56.

NOTE: The amendments to subdivisions 33 and 39 by Laws 2026, chapter 121, article 7, sections 18 and 19, are effective January 1, 2028. Laws 2026, chapter 121, article 7, section 56.