I'm not sure about that, but I do know that some people have fought hard to be called "clients" instead of "patients." I suppose to them the word patient implies that there's something wrong with their brain and they don't like that, or something to that effect. I don't know if that's why facilities started using the word or if there's some added reason. In any case, to me, being called a patient is only logical. Bipolar is a real physical condition of the brain, after all. I would reserve the word "client" for people who are in relationship therapy or other non-medical reasons.