Mental Health and Developmental Disability
Mental Illness and/or Developmental Disability
The intersection of mental illness and the law is a complex and multifaceted area. Several legal issues arise when individuals with mental illnesses are involved in the criminal justice system or require legal assistance.
Mental illness refers to a wide range of conditions that affect a person's thinking, feeling, behavior, or mood. These conditions can significantly impact an individual's daily functioning, relationships, and overall well-being. Mental illnesses are characterized by disturbances in thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and can vary in severity.
Some common types of mental illnesses include:
Anxiety Disorders: Conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, and social anxiety disorder involve excessive worry, fear, or nervousness.
Mood Disorders: These include conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, and cyclothymic disorder, which affect a person's mood and emotional state.
Psychotic Disorders: Conditions like schizophrenia involve disruptions in thinking, perception, and reality.
Eating Disorders: Conditions like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder are characterized by abnormal eating patterns and a distorted body image.
Personality Disorders: Disorders like borderline personality disorder or antisocial personality disorder involve enduring patterns of behavior, cognition, and inner experience that deviate from societal expectations.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A neurodevelopmental disorder that affects attention, impulse control, and hyperactivity.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Develops in response to a traumatic event and involves symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety.
It's important to note that mental illnesses are medical conditions and are not the result of personal weakness or a lack of character. They often have a complex interplay of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.
Together we can look at the aspects of the mental illness or developmental disability and determine its impact on the overall case. We believe that by working with you and simultaneously scrutinizing the allegations by the state, we will begin to develop your defense.
POINTS OF SERVICE:
We work with you and your provider to determine issues associated with culpability, voluntariness, and deficient in understanding and empathy.
We guide you through the confusing process of the life of this court case.
We create a case map so that no small fact goes undiscovered or noticed.
All actions that we take together are to separate you and your case from the numerous other cases both the judge and prosecutor have seen. You are an individual and we work to show your unique situation clearly and accurately.
Work with professionals to determine a path moving forward and the impact of a mental illness or disability on the case