MA = (1) Master of
Arts--a university graduate degree requiring one or two years of
additional study above the requirements for a bachelors degree (BA or BS),
or (2)
Marijuana Anonymous, a chemical dependency
support group.
MAA = Medical Assistance Administration.
MAABS, MA/ABS or MA, ABS = (1.)
This should be just an MA, but in the past, graduates of Bastyr University's
LIOS Leadership Institute of Seattle often added these
extra initials (meaning Applied Behavioral Science) after their names, as in John
Smith, MA, ABS. This added "ABS" does not indicate any additional licensure or
certification beyond the masters degree and tends to be confusing and misleading to
members of the public. October 20, 2006, Jacqueline Hooper, Vice President
for Academic Affairs, announced that Bastyr University completed a review
of degree acronym designations and determined that the MA designation
should be used for the Master of Arts in Applied Behavioral Science degree. Some
counselor alumni continue to use the "ABS" acronym despite repeated requests from Bastyr LIOS to discontinue the practice.]
[Return to
unethical, unprofessional counselor - therapist page.]
or (2.) maabs (in lower case) "are groups of people who decide a location, time,
activity etc. by "smart" means (such as) wireless messaging, email groups, instant
messaging, etc. (These guys may be total strangers to each other.) They simply get together for a
common purpose....This mob is carefully designed - to be at a particular place, at a
particular time and to perform some specific activities....Did you read about the NYTimes article on the flash maab that got together at the Toys'R'Us store - they
bowed to the mechanical dinosaur in the store whenever it roared." (Nothing to
do with counseling, but the recent popularity of the term might have caused
confusion, so it is included here--2008.)
MAAP =
More advanced individuals with Autism,
Asperger's syndrome, and
Pervasive developmental disorder
(PDD). [
MAAP]
MAC =
Master Addictions Counselor, a speciality certification for addictions counselors offered by the National Board for Certified Counselors,
Inc., 3-D Terrace Way, Greensboro, North Carolina 27403-3660. Telephone: (336)547-0607. The MAC credential is accredited by the
National Commission for Certifying Agencies. The MAC certification is also offered through the NAADAC.
MACD =
Minnesota Association for Counseling and Development
MACES = Mississippi
Association of Counselor Educators and Supervisors, a division of the
Mississippi Counseling Association.
MACI™ = Millon™ Adolescent Clinical Inventory, "a brief adolescent personality
inventory with a strong clinical focus...Unlike many other instruments
developed for adults and adapted for adolescents, the MACI assessment
was specifically created to address the unique concerns, pressures and
situations facing teens."
MALDEF =
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund is the
leading nonprofit Latino litigation, advocacy and educational outreach
institution in the United States.
MAMFC = Mississippi
Association of Marriage & Family Counselors, a division of the
Mississippi Counseling Association.
MAMFT = Mississippi
Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
MaMHCA = Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors
Association.
MAN = Master of Arts
in Nursing See also: the website "
Masters in Nursing,"
that lists and discusses the various graduate degrees in nursing (and their acronyms)
explains the differences, the colleges and universities that offer the degree programs, indexed by state,
and the accrediting agencies for the programs.
MAOI / MAOIs =
monoamine oxidase inhibitors
MAP = an incorrect
acronym mistakenly used by someone who has earned a Master of Arts
in Psychology--It should be listed as an MA degree in
psychology.
MAPP = an incorrect
acronym mistakenly used by someone who has earned a Master of Arts
in Public Policy--It should be listed as an MA degree in
public policy.
MAPS = an incorrect acronym mistakenly used by
someone who has earned a Master of Arts in Policy Studies--It
should be listed as an MA degree in policy studies.
MASGW = Mississippi
Association of Specialists in Group Work, a division of the Mississippi
Counseling Association.
MAT = an incorrect acronym mistakenly used by
someone who has earned a Master of Arts in Teaching--It
should be listed as an MA degree in teaching. There is, however, one college that encourages it's graduates to
use MAT to represent their degree.
MBA =
Masters
Degree in Business Administration
MBBS = Bachelor of Medicine
and Surgery [Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of
Surgery is the degree given to doctors in countries following
British tradition.]
MBBS = Bachelor of Medicine,
Bachelor of Surgery, are the two first professional degrees
awarded upon graduation from medical school in medicine and surgery by
universities in various countries that follow the tradition of the
United Kingdom. The naming suggests that they are two separate
degrees; however, in practice, they are usually treated as one and
awarded together. [Adapted from Wikipedia, Thanks to Anil Coumar,
MBBS.]
MBTI =
Myers Briggs Type Indicator® questionnaire, published by the
Consulting Psychologists Press, is one of the most widely used
questionnaires in the world and places you in one of 16 personality types.
MCA = 1. Mississippi Counseling
Association 2. Montana Counseling Association
MCAA =
Maine College Admissions Association.
MCC =
Master Certified Coach,
ICF Credentialing Program.
MCCA =
Maine Clinical Counselors Association.
MCDA = 1.
Maine Career Development Association
2.
Minnesota Career Development Association
MCM =
Maternity Case Management
MCMHCA =
Montana Clinical Mental Health Counselors Association
a state chapter of the AMHCA.
MCO =
Managed Care Organization, which includes the BHMCO
and the dreaded HMO.
MCPAC =
Mississippi Counselors' Political Action Committee
MCSERVIC = Mississippi
Counselors Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling, a
division of the Mississippi Counseling Association.
MD = Medical
Doctor: Psychiatrists are medical doctors with advanced training in
diagnosing and treating the most serious mental illnesses. Often the
treatment includes prescribing and monitoring mental health medications.
MDD =
major depressive disorder.
MDiv =
Masters in Divinity A university graduate degree. A masters degree in
divinity usually requires three years of university graduate study beyond a bachelors degree (BA or BS)
MDFT =
Multidimensional family therapy, an effective intervention technique for
adolescent drug abuse.
MDMA =
Methylene-dioxy-methamphetamine,
called Ecstasy, also called entactogen , which
means "touching within"
MdMHCA =
Maryland Mental Health Counselors Association
MEA or MEAs = Maine Educational Assessment,
a comprehensive assessment of pupil progress on both an
individual and a per school basis as required by the federal education funding bill
referred to as, "No Child Left Behind."
MeCA =
The Maine Counseling Association
MECA = Mississippi Employment
Counselors Association, a division of the Mississippi Counseling
Association.
MECD =
Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, professional journal of the Association for
Assessment in Counseling and Education.
MEd =
Masters of Education A university graduate degree requiring one or two years of
additional study above the requirements for a bachelors degree (BA or BS).
MedPAC = the
Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
MESCA =
Maine School Counselor Association.
MFA =
Master of Fine Arts degree , involving music, art, music & art
history, etc.
MFCC = (1.) Marriage, Family, and Child Counselor (Initials that serve as an indication of what a counselor does, rather
than a recognized license or certification.) or (2.) Marriage, Family and Child Counselor (MFCC) was the license designation
issued by the BBS in California up until 1999. According to the BBS website, effective July 1, 1999, the MFCC's profession
underwent a name change (ie., AB 1449 (Brown)). Any reference in any statute or regulation to 'licensed marriage, family and child
counselor" or "marriage, family and child counselor" shall be deemed a reference to "licensed marriage
and family therapist" or "marriage and family therapist." (See also: MFT, below.)
MFT = 1.
In the state of California MFT indicates a
licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. 2.
marriage and family therapist or marriage and family therapy.
In Washington state these are generic initials in that are generally used by counselors who lack other
certification and decide to add these initials using the rationalization, "This is what I do."
MFT is not the same as an LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist).
It means nothing and performs no service but to confuse the public, a practice that
CounselingSeattle.com considers to be in violation of professional and ethical standards.
The American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists website lists the
question: "Who are Marriage and Family Therapists?" and then answer it
in detail. "Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are mental health professionals
trained in psychotherapy and family systems, and
licensed to diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders within the context of marriage, couples and
family systems...." So, Washington Counselors, if you aren't licensed and
can't use LMHC, it is unethical for you to use MFT ! [
Return to unethical, unprofessional counselor - therapist page.]
MFTA =
ERROR
Marriage and Family Therapist Associate:
NOTE:
This is NOT an official acronym in Washington State
and means nothing after a counselor's name. Do not be misled.
See: LMFTA.
MH =
mental health
MHACA =
Mental Health Association of Central Alabama
MHANYS =
The Mental Health Association in New York State, Inc.
MHC =
mental health counselor or mental health counseling. These are
generic initials, in that they are used as a rationalization by some counselors to indicate,
"this is what I do." In some cases the person may have a degree
with a major in mental health counseling but often this is not the case.
I do not know of any jurisdiction in which these initials have any legal
or official standing. MHC does not indicate licensure nor
certification by a professional organization. So far as we can tell, MHC could be used by anyone--without regard for experience, education, or
training standards. The use of these
initials as part of the practitioner's credentials is misleading to the general public
and therefore unprofessional and unethical under the ACA or AMHCA guidelines. [Return
to unethical, unprofessional counselor - therapist page.]
MHCA =
ERROR
Mental Health Counselor Associate:
NOTE:
This is not an official acronym in Washington State
and means nothing after a counselor's name. Do not be misled.
See: LMHCA.
MHF = Mental Health
Facilitator, a curriculum project under NCBB, intended to
bring a basic level of mental health education to parts of the world
lacking knowledge and services. [Thanks to The NCC, Volume
23, Number 2, page 15, Spring 2007, a publication of the National Board
for Certified Counselors, Inc.]
MHCA =
Mental Health Council of Arkansas
MHCADSD =
Mental Health, Chemical Abuse & Dependency Services Division in the Department of Community
and Human Services, King county, Washington
MHF = mental health facilitators,
a new category being developed to provide "grassroots" mental health services around
the world, primarily in low to middle income countries. Discussions began in 2006
involving the National Board for Certified Counselor - International and the World
Health Organization's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. [Thanks to
"The NCC" Vol 23, Number 1, Winter 2007, an publication of the National Board for
Certified Counselors, Inc., Greensboro, NC 27403.] "...The program...is
designed to teach basic mental health skills to helpers and caregivers
who are not mental health professionals....The full curriculum is
expected to be ready for training of trainers in January 2008."
MHLG =
Mental Health Liaison Group
--a coalition of "National organizations representing consumer,
family members, advocates, professionals and providers."
MHN =
Managed Health Network, a
BHMCO.
MHP =
Mental Health Professional. MHPs are
qualified mental health providers who have been designated by an agency or
hospital to meet contractual requirements with the county to perform
duties in accordance with Washington State law. It appears that the
correct terminology was CDMHP or
County Designated Mental Health Professional (but since a 2005 revision,
it is simply "Designated Mental Health Professional.) Legal definition:
"Mental health professional means a psychiatrist, psychologist, psychiatric nurse,
or social worker, and such other mental health professionals as may be defined by
rules adopted by the secretary pursuant to the provisions of this chapter."
[Washington State RCW 71.05.020 Definitions] Most of the job
postings for an MHP require a minimum qualification of "Masters degree
or further advanced degree in counseling or one of the social sciences
from an accredited college or university, and having, in addition, at
least two years' experience in direct treatment of persons with mental
illness or emotional disturbance, such experience gained under the
supervision of a mental health professional." [Thanks to Michael Yu,
MA]. While counselors in private practice may report experience
gained as a designated MHP for an agency, the acronym should not be used
in private practice counselor credentials.
MHR =
1. medical history review, 2. maximum heart rate
MHSP =
Mental Health Service Provider (State of Tennessee).
MI =
1. mental illness 2. myocardial infarction (heart attack)
[It's dangerous to confuse the two in a patient's chart, notes Regina
Hardy, who wishes there were different abbreviations for the two conditions.]
MICA =
Mentally Ill (ill) Chemical Abuser 1.) This phrase is generally used to describe clients who
are addicted to a chemical substance and also have a diagnosed mental illness.
Formerly referred to by the term, "dually diagnosed."
(see also: COD), 2.) It is also a
training facility certification for persons who have completed a special
program to prepare them to work with such populations [i.e.: Pierce
College, Lakewood, Washington].
MIS =
Master of Information Science degree
MISA = Mentally
Ill Substance Abuser, same as MICA.
MLCPCA =
Montana Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors Association
MLIS =
Master of Library and Information Science degree
MLPCA =
Mississippi Licensed Professional Counselors Association is a Division
of Mississippi Counseling Association (MCA) and a state chapter of the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA).
MLS =
Master of Library Science degree
MLSP =
Masters of Law and Social Policy Program--offered by Bryn Mawr College, Graduate School
of Social Work and Social Research--prepares professionals in social work
or human services, public administration, and policy analysis for socio-legal practice and research.
MMHCA = 1.) Michigan
Mental Health Counselors Association, 2.)
Missouri Mental Health Health Counselors Association
MMHS =
Minority Mental Health Specialist
MMR =
Measles/Mumps/ Rubella vaccine
MMT =
methadone maintenance treatment
MMWR =
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Center for Disease Control
MN =
Masters Degree in Nursing A
university graduate degree requiring one or two years of additional study
above the requirements for a bachelors degree in nursing (BA or BS)
MNADV =
Men's Network Against Domestic Violence
MOLPC =
Missouri Association of Licensed Professional Counselors.
MORF =
male or female?
a common chat room inquiry.
MPA =
Masters Degree in Public Administration. Training for
leadership in government and non-profit organizations.
MPD =
multiple personality disorder (now the preferred term is DID.)
MPH =
Masters Degree in Public Health
MPS =
Master of Professional Studies
is one of the degrees offered by Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York 11205.
The MPS degree is offered in several departments: Arts and Cultural Management, Art
Therapy & Creativity Development, Art Therapy--Special Education, and Design
Management. The website does not explain the difference between an MA degree and a MPS.
MQAC =
Medical Quality Assurance Commission, the disciplinary board for doctors in Washington State.
MR =
Mentally Retarded, Mental Retardation , Mind Rape (re: "mind reading" or projecting your thoughts into another's
head.) [more]
MRO =
Medical Review Officer, a licensed physician (M.D. or D.O.) who is an expert in drug and
alcohol testing and the application of federal regulations to the process.
MRSC =
Municipal Research & Services Center
of Washington, serving Washington State counties and cities.
MRT = Moral Recognition Therapy, a cognitive-behavioral approach with the goal of systematically
altering cognition in offenders.
MS = (1.) Master of Science A university graduate degree requiring
one or two years of additional study above the requirements for a
bachelors degree (BA or BS). (2.) multiple sclerosis.
MSABS, MS/ABS or MS, ABS =
This should be just an MS (Master of Science degree),
but Bastyr University's LIOS Leadership Institute of Seattle--perhaps for lack of
understanding of traditional standards for degree reporting or perhaps to make their
graduates feel more important--used to encourage their graduates to add these extra
initials (meaning Applied Behavioral Science) after their names, as in John Smith,
MS, ABS. [This policy was abandoned in 2007 and alumni were
notified.] This added "ABS" does not indicate any additional licensure or
certification beyond the master's degree and tends to be confusing and misleading to
members of the public. [The personal and professional opinions
expressed here are those of Floyd Else, MA, LMHC, webmaster, CounselingSeattle.com.]
MSCA =
1. Mississippi School Counselors Association, a division of the
Mississippi Counseling Association.
2.
Mountain State Counselors Alliance.
Formed July 1, 2003, includes West Virginia School Counselors Association,
West Virginia Counseling Association and West Virginia Licensed
Professional Counselors Association [Thanks to "Counseling Today," July
2003, a publication of the ACA.]
MSCHE = Middle States
Commission on Higher Education, Philadelphia, PA. A regional
accrediting association: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New
Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
MSEd =
Master of Science in Education
MSM = men who
have sex with men. Acronym frequently used by
public health.
MSN =
Master of Science in Nursing A university graduate degree requiring one or two years of additional study above the requirements
for a bachelors degree in nursing (BA or BS). See also: the website "Masters in Nursing,"
that lists and discusses the various graduate degrees in nursing (and their acronyms)
explains the differences, the colleges and universities that offer the degree programs, indexed by state,
and the accrediting agencies for the programs.
MSN/MA = Master of Science in
Nursing with a Masters in Pastoral Ministry, one of the
joint, or dual, degrees offered in combination with a masters degree in nursing.
MSN/MBA = Master of Science
in Nursing with Master of Business Administration, one of the
joint, or dual, degrees offered in combination with a masters degree in nursing.
MSN/MDiv = Master of
Science in Nursing with a Master of Divinity, one of the
joint, or dual, degrees offered in combination with a masters degree in nursing.
MSN/MHSA = Master of Science
in Nursing with Master of Health Services Administration, one
of the joint, or dual, degrees offered in combination with a masters degree in nursing.
MSN/MPA = Master of Science
in Nursing with Master of Public Administration, one of the
joint, or dual, degrees offered in combination with a masters degree in nursing.
MSN/MPH = Master of Science in
Nursing with Master of Public Health, one of the joint, or dual,
degrees offered in combination with a masters degree in nursing.
MSN/MSIS: = Master of
Science in Nursing with Master of Science in Information Science,
one of the joint, or dual, degrees offered in combination with a masters
degree in nursing. See also: the website "Masters in Nursing,"
that lists and discusses the various graduate degrees in nursing (and their acronyms)
explains the differences, the colleges and universities that offer the degree programs, indexed by state,
and the accrediting agencies for the programs.
MSS = (1.) maternity support services, or
(2.) Master's of Social Service--similar to an MSW degree, the
MSS is offered by Bryn Mawr College, Graduate School of Social Work and
Social Research. [Thanks to Melissa Wood Brewster]
MSSW = Master of Science in Social Work
MSU =
Minimum Security Unit
MSW =
Masters of Social Work A university graduate degree usually requiring two
years of additional study above the requirements for a bachelors degree (BA or BS).
MT-BC =
Music Therapist--Board Certified,
a credential awarded by the
Certification Board for Music Therapists. [Thanks to Wendy Zieve MA, MT-BC.]
MTF = Male to Female--"A
person assigned 'male' at birth, but who identifies as female: the
person may or may not seek or desire surgery. A transgendered person
whose gender identity (sense of being mal/female) differs from their
assigned birth sex....also those whose behavior, identity or appearance
is not congruent with their assigned birth sex." [Adapted from
"Transgender 101," Counseling Today, February 2008, a ACA publication.]
MTRL = a person registered as a
music therapist who is granted a license to practice psychotherapy.
[Wisconsin]
MTS = At one time Seattle
University offered a Master of Arts in Theological Studies which some
referred to at a MTS or masters of theological studies. The degree
is no longer offered.
MVA =
motor vehicle accident [Thanks to Richard Bagley]
MYOB =
mind your own business, an acronym that was frequently used by advice columnist, the
late Ann Landers.
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