2019 -- S 0809

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

COMMEMORATING MAY OF 2019 AS "MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH" IN

THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

     Introduced By: Senators Lawson, Ruggerio, Felag, Algiere, and Satchell

     Date Introduced: April 25, 2019

     Referred To: Recommended for Immediate Consideration

     WHEREAS, Since 1949, Mental Health America, joined by organizations from across

the country, have led the observance of May as Mental Health Month, with the mission of raising

awareness and educating the public about mental illnesses. This year marks its 70th Anniversary;

and

     WHEREAS, Mental Health Awareness Month strives to reduce the stigma, the negative

attitudes and misconceptions, that surround mental illnesses; and

     WHEREAS, One of the main reasons why individuals do not seek professional help is

due to the stigma that surrounds mental health. Individuals are afraid to seek the help and

treatment they need because they may be judged, ridiculed and shunned by others or they may

even judge themselves and as a result, they often live in silence about their undiagnosed mental

health disorder; and

     WHEREAS, Each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental

health condition. Anyone can experience the challenges of mental illness regardless of their

background, age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion or economic status; and

     WHEREAS, According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 18.1 percent of adults

living in the United States have experienced an anxiety disorder in the past year and nearly 1 in

25 adults in America are living with a serious mental illness; and

     WHEREAS, Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and according

to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Data & Statistics, 9.8 million adults,

age 18 or older thought about trying to kill themselves in 2015; and

     WHEREAS, Each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental

health condition. Mental Health Awareness Month is a time to bring about change through

compassion, concern, open-mindedness, and understanding, and to celebrate the journeys of

resiliency and recovery of individuals living with mental illness; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

hereby commemorates May of 2019 as "Mental Health Awareness Month" and urges schools,

businesses, government agencies, and health-care providers to commit to promoting and ensuring

innovative prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, and to spreading awareness through education

programs and understanding for mental health issues; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and herby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Rhode Island Division of Behavioral

Healthcare, and the Mental Health Association of Rhode Island (MHARI).

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