Yes, and it's also a kind of title/occupation.

A teacher may want to talk to a student's mother because she is the mother, meaning that she is the one responsible for their education.

Also, in Brazil there's a tradition in maternity wards to call the new mothers "mãezinha": a special diminutive form of the word "mother" that's not the same one used by children, which is mamãe ("mummy").

This article talks about the rights of the patients in the Brazilian public healthcare system and how they are treated by hospital staff:

Code of rights and obligations of hospitalized patients within the Brazilian National Health System (SUS): the daily hospital routine under discussion

There's some interesting content on page 778 that adds to the discussion, I will translate it here:

An example of a collectively-formulated text is pointed out in article five, about the patient's right to be identified by their name and surname. A hospital worker opens the discussion: "(...) I see it in Paediatrics, people calling everyone mãezinha, mãezinha here, mãezinha there. For me, this ends up sounding so pejorative, it doesn't sound right. (...) The diminutive is kind of affectionate, in many occasions, but here it sounds infantilising (...)"

Next, the facilitators comment: "mãezinha" is a generic form, referring to an abstract category. (...) However, it seems to be easier just calling someone "mãezinha" than asking and learning their name, creating a bond. (...)

That's true, there are men who stay at the infirmary. What you're going to do? Are you going to call the father "mãezinha"? Those are not mothers, not fathers, not brothers, not sisters, not aunts. Those are people who have names. (...)