2020 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 12 - Professions And Occupations
Article 245. Mental Health
Section 12-245-801. Definitions.

As used in this part 8, unless the context otherwise requires:

1. "Addiction" means a persistent, compulsive dependence on a behavior or substance,including mood-altering behaviors or activities known as process addictions.

2. "Administrative supervision" means oversight of treatment agency operations, organization of people and resources, and implementation of policies and procedures in a way that directs activities towards agency goals and objectives.

3. "Approved school, college, or university" means any accredited institution of highereducation offering a full-time graduate or undergraduate course of study in behavioral health sciences, such as addiction counseling, human services, psychology, rehabilitation, social work, or other behavioral health sciences, that is recognized by an appropriate national organization or is approved by the board.

4. "Behavioral health disorders" includes behavioral, mental health, and substance usedisorders.

5. "Board" means the state board of addiction counselor examiners created in section12-245-802.

6. "Certified" means certified as an addiction technician or addiction specialist.

7. "Certified addiction counselor" means an individual who has a certificate issued bythe board authorizing the individual to practice addiction counseling commensurate with his or her certification level and scope of practice.

8. "Clinical supervision" means:

1. The evaluation and modification or approval by a supervisor of the clinical practiceof the person being supervised; and

2. A source of knowledge, expertise, and more advanced skills made available to theperson being supervised.

9. "Co-occurring disorders" means the existence of one or more substance use disorders, addictive behavioral disorders, or behavioral or mental health disorders presenting concurrently. At the individual level, co-occurring disorders exist when at least one disorder can be established independent of the other, and the disorders are not simply a cluster of symptoms resulting from a single disorder.

10. "Licensed addiction counselor" means a person licensed by the board to provideprofessional behavioral health disorder treatment.

Source: L. 2019: Entire title R&RE with relocations, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1290, § 1, effective October 1. L. 2020: (6) amended, (HB 20-1206), ch. 304, p. 1538, § 35, effective July 14.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 12-43-801 as it existed prior to 2019.