Iowa § 280A.1 - 280A.1 Definitions.

§ 280A.1. 280A.1 Definitions.

As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires: 1. “Accredited nonpublic school” means any school, other than a public school, that is accredited pursuant to section 256.11 for any and all levels for grades one through twelve. 2. “Area education agency” means an area education agency established pursuant to chapter 273. 3. “Behavioral health screening” or “screening” means a screening and assessment performed using a universal behavioral health screening and assessment tool, approved for use by the department of education in consultation with the department of health and human services, to identify factors that place children at higher risk for behavioral health conditions, to determine appropriate treatment or intervention, and to identify the need for referral for appropriate services. 4. “Behavioral health services” means services provided by a health care professional operating within the scope of the health care professional’s practice which address mental, emotional, medical, or behavioral conditions, illnesses, diseases, or problems. 5. “Health care professional” means a physician or other health care practitioner licensed, accredited, registered, or certified to perform specified health care services consistent with state law. 6. “In-person encounter” means that the mental health professional and the student are in the physical presence of each other and are in the same physical location during the provision of behavioral health services. 7. “Mental health professional” means the same as defined in section 228.1. 8. “Patient” means a student receiving a behavioral health screening or other behavioral health services in accordance with this chapter. 9. “Primary care provider” means the personal provider trained to provide the first contact and continuous and comprehensive care to a patient and includes but is not limited to any of the following licensed or certified health care professionals who provide primary care: a. A physician who is a family or general practitioner or a pediatrician. b. An advanced registered nurse practitioner. c. A physician assistant. 10. “Provider-patient relationship” means the relationship between the patient and the mental health professional that meets the requirements for commencement and establishment of a valid provider-patient relationship as specified in this chapter. 11. “Public school” means any school directly supported in whole or in part by taxation. 12. “School district” means a school district described in chapter 274. 13. “Student” means a person enrolled in and attending an accredited nonpublic school or a public school in grades one through twelve. 14. “Telehealth” means the same as defined in section 514C.34. 2020 Acts, ch 1105, §1; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §1044 Referred to in §154B.1, 154B.12 Thu Dec 11 19:29:09 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Section 280A.1 (6, 0)