§ 4210.6. Scope of the program.
(a) The minimum services to be made available by counties are specified in the act. These services may be provided outside the county program by the Department if a waiver has been granted under section 508 of the act (50 P.S. § 4508). These mental health and intellectual disability services must be available to persons of any age with a mental disability. Mental illness, mental impairment, intellectual disability or mental deficiency is a mental disability if it so lessens the capacity of a person to use customary self-control, judgment and discretion in the conduct of his affairs and social relations as to make it necessary or advisable for him to receive mental health or intellectual disability services.
(b) The services of the county program shall consist of services to:
(1) Persons with impairment of psycho-social functioning who need institutionalization;
(2) Persons whose institutionalization may be shortened or avoided if they receive treatment outside of an institution;
(3) Persons with sufficiently impaired psycho-social functioning that they cannot maintain themselves acceptably in the community without treatment; or
(4) Persons, particularly children, whose behavior is indicative of processes which will lead to impaired psycho-social functioning or impaired educational progress without treatment.
(c) Impairment of psycho-social functioning may be evidenced by but not limited to:
(1) Prolonged or gross disturbance or variation from the normal course of development or ordinary patterns of interpersonal relationships.
(2) Marked or prolonged change in psycho-sensory or psycho-motor activity, posture and facial expression, mood, social participation, acceptance of responsibility, fatigability.
(3) Change in language pattern, sleep, recreation and work habits, or in sexual participation.
(4) Excessive drinking or change in drinking patterns.
(5) Impaired ability to concentrate.
(6) Memory changes.
(7) Excessive intake of drugs.
(8) Pseudo-loss of function.
(9) Hallucinations or delusions.
(d) Reduction of the widespread impairment associated with mental disability not only requires the array of services specified in the act but also requires that these services be so organized and patterned as to provide continuity of care for persons in need of the services.
(e) For the program to be effective, not only are services to patients necessary; also essential are consultation to welfare, probation, court, health, school, and other agencies as well as specifically those organizations whose membership represents the low income consumer community to help them to:
(1) Identify their own clients who are in need of services because of serious mental disability.
(2) Strengthen their staffs’ ability to help their clients solve their problems and thus prevent the development of seriously impaired psycho-social functioning.
(3) Differentiate their services from those of specialized mental health or intellectual disability facilities and to provide their agency services to persons with a mental disability as freely as to other members of the community.
(4) Be aware of the mental health and intellectual disability implications of their programs.
Authority The provisions of this § 4210.6 amended under sections 201(2) and (8) and 202 of the Mental Health and Intellectual Disability Act of 1966 (50 P.S. § § 4201(2) and (8) and 4202).
Source The provisions of this § 4210.6 amended June 17, 2016, effective June 18, 2016, 46 Pa.B. 3177. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (211811) to (211812).
Cross References This section cited in 55 Pa. Code § 4210.22 (relating to functions); 55 Pa. Code § 4210.141 (relating to general requirements); and 55 Pa. Code § 4210.181 (relating to purpose).
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