Terminology L - M
From Voices for Ohio's Children
Lawful Permanent Resident
Any person not a citizen of the U.S. who is residing in the U.S. with legal recognition.
Lawyer
Represents a person in a legal action. The lawyer’s job is to do what the client requests within ethical and professional guidelines. The state also has a lawyer (the prosecutor) representing their interests in the case. A lawyer is the same as an attorney.
LE (Loaned Executive)
A person “loaned” by a company/organization to United Way of Greater Cleveland for usually three to six months to help with the annual campaign drive. The LE continues to be paid by his/her company, but works full-time or part-time for United Way, primarily helping to organize employee campaigns in the workplace. Rather than loaning an employee, some organizations provide the financial resources needed for United Way to hire LEs. LEs help staff the campaign and their work enables United Way to hold down administrative expenses.
LEA (Local Education Agency)
Agency responsible for providing special education services at the local school district, city, and county level.
Lead Agency
The agency in the Care Coordination Partnership that enters into a contract with Cuyahoga County, serves as the fiscal agent, and accepts responsibility for all deliverables of the contract.
Leadership Circle
A United Way “giving” category denoting individuals who contribute $1,000 to $9,999 to a single campaign. In 2004, 5,075 donors pledged at this level.
Level of Care
A determination of the help needed to guarantee a person’s health and safety, completed for all Medicaid programs.
Level of Care Assessment
A comprehensive level of care assessment developed by Children and Family Services to determine the level of need for placement for children entering the custody of Children and Family Services.
LFCC (Local Federal Coordinating Committee)
A group of local Federal Officials designated by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to select the Principal Combined Fund Organization (PCFO).
LIFT (Let’s Invest in Families Today)
An initiative targeted at encouraging state policy change for low-income families and children by integrating social science, policy, and effective communication. The goal is to improve and protect the amount and quality of investments made in low-income families and children.
LRE (Least Restricted Environment)
One of the principles of normalization. It requires that people with disabilities receive services and support in environments that do not limit their life activities unnecessarily.
Magistrate
An officer of the court who performs a function similar to that of a judge. If you do not agree with the magistrate’s order, you can ask your child’s attorney to file objections to the magistrate’s decision so a judge can review the order of a magistrate.
MC (Making Connections)
A ten-year investment by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to improve outcomes for families and children in harsh or isolated neighborhoods. Making Connections sites work with a team to promote family neighborhood strengthening, concentrating on creating opportunities to earn decent income and build assets, developing relationships and having reliable sources close to home. MC sites are located in many cities across the country.
Useful Website: http://www.aecf.org/MajorInitiatives/MakingConnections.aspx
MCHB (Maternal and Child Health Bureau)
They strive for a society where children are wanted and born with optimal health, receive quality care and are nurtured lovingly and sensitively as they mature into healthy, productive adults. MCHB seeks a nation where there is equal access for all to quality health care in a supportive, culturally competent, family and community setting.
Useful Website: http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/about/default.htm
Medicaid
A state and federally funded health program for certain low-income and medically vulnerable people. As an entitlement program, those who meet eligibility requirements are guaranteed coverage through the Medicaid program. In Ohio, Medicaid is administered by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) via 88 local county departments of job and family services.
Useful Website: http://www.healthpolicyohio.org/pdf/OhioMedicaidBasics2005.pdf
Medical Home
Primary care that is accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family centered, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally effective. In a medical home, a pediatric clinician works in partnership with the family/patient to assure that all of the medical and non-medical needs of the patient are met. Through this partnership, the pediatric clinician can help the family/patient access and coordinate specialty care, educational services, out-of-home care, family support, and other public and private community services that are important to the overall health of the child/youth and family.
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Useful Website: http://www.medicalhomeinfo.org/
Mental Retardation
See Cognitive Disability (Above)
MFE (Multifactored Evaluation Risk Factors)
Process designed to determine whether or not the student is eligible for services and to provide the IEP team with the information needed to describe the student’s present level of performance, educational needs and, when available, interventions that have been successful.
Useful Website: http://www.seo-serrc.org/Spectrum%202003%20Summer.pdf
MH (Mental Health)
A state of successful performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with other people, and the ability to adapt to change and to cope with adversity; mental health is the springboard of thinking and communication skills, learning and emotional growth, resilience and self-esteem.
Useful Website: http://www.mh.state.oh.us/communications/general/odmhglossary.html#m
Minor
A person under 18 years old – the same as a juvenile.
Misdemeanor
A minor criminal offense that if committed by an adult would be punishable by up to six months in jail. Less serious than a felony.
Modification
To make changes to a sentence or disposition by making it less severe (possibly early release) or more severe (like placing a child in a detention facility instead of a group home).
Motion to Suppress
A motion to suppress evidence or statements which seeks to exclude certain evidence or statements that the prosecution may wish to use against a child. Relates to the constitutional rights a child has in the initial search, seizure, and interrogation by the police. Decided by the judge after both sides present evidence on why the evidence should or should not be admissible. Both competency motions and motions to suppress evidence or statements are optional, meaning that an attorney does not have to file either of them if he does not have reason to do so. Attorneys may also file other types of motions during the pretrial stage.
MR/DD
Mental Retardation and other Developmental Disabilities
MST (Multisystemic Therapy)
A family and community based treatment for severely antisocial juvenile offenders. MST addresses factors in environments and systems related to delinquency, and promote behavior change in the youth’s natural environment. MST therapists provide parents with the skills and resources they need to independently deal with difficulties in raising their children, and provide youth with the ability to cope with environmental problems by placing developmentally appropriate demands on the child. MST has
successfully reduced juvenile criminal offenses and out-of-home placement for juvenile offenders, and has increased family functioning and the mental health of youth.
Useful Website: http://www.mstservices.com/text/treatment.html
MSW (Master in Social Work)
See Social Worker
MUI (Major Unusual Incident)
The reporting system mandated by Ohio law that sets a procedure to review and report allegations of abuse, neglect and potentially serious incidents that occur in the Mental Retardation/Developmental Disorders (MR/DD) system.
Multidisciplinary
A team of two or more professionals qualified to assess various areas of development.
