182 THE SEVERE AND PERSI STENT MENTAL ILLNESS PROGRESS NOTES PLAN NER 5. Assist in Legal Representation Decisions ( 5) A. The client was assisted in making decisions about the need for legal representation. B. The client was encouraged to meet with an attorney to discuss plans for resolvin g his/her legal issues. C. The client was referred to specific attorneys who are knowledgeable about mental illness concerns. D. The client has obtained counsel and has met with the attorney to make plans for resolving his/her legal conflicts, and this w as reviewed. E. The client does not have financial resources to hire an attorney; therefore, the court was asked to appoint a public defender. F. The client has declined any legal representation and was strongly urged to reconsider this decision. 6. Review Court Proceedings (6) A. The basic proceedings and people involved in court hearings were reviewed with the client. B. The client was quizzed about the role of each person involved in the court proceedings in order to test his/her understanding. C. The client displayed a more complete understanding of the events that will likely occur in his/her court hearing subsequent to reviewing these proceedings. D. The client has failed to show a complete understanding of his/her likely court involvement and was provided with remedial information in this area. 7. Graphically Display Criminal Proceedings (7) A. The steps in a criminal proceeding were graphically displayed, identifying the reasons for each step within the process. B. The client's legal concern s were broken down into specific steps (e. g., investigation, arrest, arraignment, pretrial conferences, trial, and sentencing). C. As a result of being provided information in an alternative format, the client has developed an increased understanding of h is/her criminal proceedings. D. The client failed to completely understand the process of his/her legal proceedings and was provided with additional, remedial information in this area. 8. Advocate and Refer for Psychological Testing ( 8) A. The court was requested to require a psychological evaluation of the client. B. The client was referred for an assessment of cognitive abilities and deficits, as well as personality functioning. C. The client underwent objective psychological testing to assess his/he r cognitive strengths and weaknesses, as well as personality functioning. D. The client cooperated with the psychological testing, and feedback about the results was given to him/her. E. The psychological testing confirmed the presence of specific cognit ive abilities and deficits, and personality dynamics. F. The client was not compliant with taking the psychological evaluation and was encouraged to participate completely. 