Section 4300.4. Definitions

The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

Act—The Mental Health and Mental Retardation Act of 1966 (50 P. S. § § 4101—4704).

County—A county or a first class city.

County authority—The county official responsible for certain functions related to the administration of the county program. The responsibility and authority may be established by statute or the delegation of duties by the county commissioners, county executive, county councils or the city councils of first class cities or two or more of these acting in concert.

County program—A mental health and mental retardation program established by a county, or two or more counties acting in concert. The term includes a program which contains a variety of services and provides a continuum of care in the community for the mentally disabled.

Department—The Department of Human Services of the Commonwealth.

Direct costs—Costs that can be identified and immediately charged to a specific cost or service category.

Expensing—Payment for an item in full at the time of acquisition or within the fiscal period in which it was acquired.

Facility—An establishment, hospital, clinic, institution, center, day care center or other organizational unit, or part thereof, which is devoted primarily to the diagnosis and treatment of mentally disabled persons.

Fixed assets—ajor items, excluding real estate, which can be expected to have a useful life of more than 1 year, or which can be used repeatedly without materially changing or impairing their physical condition by normal repair, maintenance or replacement of components with a purchase price of $500 or more.

Indirect costs—Costs incurred for a common or joint purpose and not readily assignable to a specific cost or service category.

Joinder—Two or more counties acting in concert to establish a county program.

Modified Classification Review (MCR)——A personnel classification system whereby the county authority has the authority to crosswalk positions in contracted agencies into a structure of categorical position definitions developed by the Department.

Mortgaged real estate—A conveyance of real property subject to certain financial conditions or obligations which are satisfied by payment according to stipulated terms. The conveyance of real property through bonded indebtedness shall be considered as mortgaged real estate.

New program—A program initiated and approved by the Department that is not a mandated service identified in section 301 of the act (50 P. S. § 4301).

Personnel Action Plan (PAP)—A personnel classification system whereby the county authority has the authority to crosswalk positions in contracted agencies into a structure of categorical positions developed by the county within a broad structure developed by the Department.

Prevailing county practice for agencies funded by multiple counties—Policies agreed upon by the involved county programs, when two or more county programs fund an agency.

Prevailing county practice for joinders—A policy agreed upon by the counties in the joinder.

Related party—A party who meets the tests of common ownership or control.

Secretary—The Secretary of the Department.