Mental Health Acronyms

A&E Accident and Emergency

AAC Administrative Appeals Chamber

AC Approved Clinician 

ACO Activity Coordinator

ACT Assertive Community Treatment 

AD Absolute Discharge

ADLs Activities of Daily Living

AEDS Adult Eating Disorders Inpatient Service 

AMHP Approved Mental Health Practitioner

AMHT Adult Mental Health Team

AO Assertive Outreach 

AOA Adult and Older Adult (Services)

AOT Assertive Outreach Team

ASC Autistic Spectrum Condition

ASW Approved Social Worker (now AMHP)

AUDIT Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test

AWOL Absent Without Leave

BIA Best Interest Assessor

BPAD Bi-polar Affective Disorder

BPSD Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia 

CA Court of Appeal

CAMHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

CATT Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team 

CBF Challenging Behaviour Foundation

CBT Cognitive Behavioural Therapy 

CCG Clinical Commissioning Group (currently ICB)

CD Conditional Discharge

CD (Dep) Conditional Discharge Deprivation of Liberty

CDAT Community Drug and Alcohol Team 

CDW Community Development Worker

CIN Child In Need

CJA Criminal Justice Act (2003)

CLDT Community Learning Disability Team 

CMHT Community Mental Health Team

COP Code of Practice

CoP Court of Protection

CPA Care Programme Approach 

CPC Child Protection Conference

CPD Continuing Professional Development 

CPN Community Psychiatric Nurse 

CPS Crown Prosecution Service

CQC Care Quality Commission 

CRHT Crisis Resolution and Home Treatment

CTM Clinical Team Meeting 

CTO Community Treatment Order 

CETR Care, Education, and Treatment Review

CTR Care and Treatment Review

DAAT Drug and Alcohol Action Team

DBT Dialectic Behavioural Therapy

DLS Daily Living Skills

DNA Did Not Attend

DoH Department of Health 

DOLS/DoLS Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards 

DOLO Deprivation of Liberty Order

DOL CD Conditional Discharge Deprivation of Liberty

DPA Data Protection Act 1998

DSPD Dangerous and Severe Personality Disorder

DTC Day Treatment Centre

DTJ District Tribunal Judge

EBP Evidence-Based Practice 

ECA Extra Care Area 

ECHR European Convention on Human Rights 

ECT Electro-Convulsive Therapy 

ECtHR European Court of Human Rights 

EDS Eating Disorder Service

EHCP Education, Health and Care Plan

EIS Early Intervention Service

EL Escorted Leave

ECL Escorted Community Leave

EGL Escorted Ground Leave

EPA Enduring Power of Attorney 

EWCA England and Wales Court of Appeal, Criminal or Civil

EWHC England and Wales High Court

EUPD Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder

EQ Equality Act 2010

FME Forensic Medical Examiner

GP General Practitioner

HCR Historical/ Clinical/ Risk Management 

HDRU High Dependency Rehabilitation Unit

HDU High Dependency Unit(s) 

HL House of Lords

HMCTS Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service 

HNA Health Needs Assessment

HoNOS Health of the Nation Outcome Scale 

HRA Human Rights Act 1998 

IAPT Improving Access to Psychological Therapies

IC Infection Control

ICB Integrated Care Board

ICS Integrated Care Services

ICN Integrated Care Network

ICP Integrated Care Pathway

ID Intellectual Disability

IMCA Independent Mental Capacity Advocate 

IMHA Independent Mental Health Advocate 

IP In-patient

IPP Imprisonment for Public Protection 

LA Local Authority

LAA Legal Aid Agency

LAC Looked After Child

LD Learning Disabilities 

LDS Learning Disability Services

LPA Lasting Power of Attorney 

LSC Legal Services Commission 

LSU Low Secure Unit 

MAPPA Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements 

MCA Mental Capacity Act 2005 

MDT Multi-Disciplinary Team 

MFFD Medically fit for discharge

MH Mental Health

MHA Mental Health Act 1983 as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007

MHAA Mental Health Act Administrator 

MHLA Mental Health Lawyers Association

MHRT Mental Health Review Tribunal First-tier Tribunal (Health and Social Care Chamber) (Mental Health), i.e. the Mental Health Tribunal

MHT Mental Health Tribunal 

MHU Mental Health Unit of the Ministry of Justice 

MoJ Ministry of Justice

MSU Medium Secure Unit 

NHS National Health Service

NIC Nurse in Charge 

NICE National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence 

NHFT National Health Foundation Trust

NOK Next of Kin (can be chosen by patient)

NR Nearest relative (defined in MHA) 

OBD Occupied Bed Days

OP Out-patient

OPG Office of the Public Guardian 

OPMH Old People’s Mental Health

OSCA Outreach Service for Children and Adolescents

OT Occupational Therapist/Therapy

PACE Police and Criminal Evidence Acts 1984 

PALS Patient Advice and Liaison Service

PCL R Psychopathy Checklist – Revised 

PCL SV Psychopathy Checklist – screening version 

PCLT Primary Care Liaison Team

PCS Professional Clinical Services

PCT Primary Care Trust (currently ICB)

PD Practice Direction 

PD Personality Disorder

PDP Personal Development Plan(s) 

PICU(s) Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit(s) 

POVA Protection of Vulnerable Adults 

PRN Pro re nata – as needed medication

PTSD Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 

RC Responsible Clinician 

RCJ Royal Courts of Justice 

RESPECT Respond to Every Challenge Therapeutically

RMN Registered Mental Nurse 

RMO Responsible Medical Officer, now the RC 

RSU Regional Secure Unit 

Rx Treatment

S. Section

SALT Speech and Language Therapy

SC Supreme Court

SCT Supervised Community Treatment 

SED Sentence Expiry Date

SEN Special Educational Needs

SFMHS Secure Forensic Mental Health Service 

SHA Strategic Health Authority 

SLA Service Level Agreement

SMS Substance Misuse Services

SOAD Second Opinion Appointed Doctor

SS. Sections

SSHD Secretary of State for the Home Department (i.e. the Home Secretary) 

SSJ Secretary of State for Justice 

SW Social Worker 

TSMH Tribunal Service Mental Health

UKHL UK House of Lords

UKSC UK Supreme Court

UKUT Upper Tribunal

UCL Unescorted Community Leave

UGL Unescorted Ground Leave

UL Unescorted Leave

UK Upper Tribunal

VLO Victim Liaison Officer

YOT Youth Offending Team

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