[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 86 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 86

 Expressing the sense of Congress that an appropriate month should be 
   recognized as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health 
    Awareness Month to enhance public awareness of mental illness, 
                especially within minority communities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 8, 2007

Mrs. Jones of Ohio submitted the following concurrent resolution; which 
          was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of Congress that an appropriate month should be 
   recognized as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health 
    Awareness Month to enhance public awareness of mental illness, 
                especially within minority communities.

Whereas mental illness is one of the leading causes of disability in the United 
        States, affecting one out of every four families in the United States 
        and victimizing both those with the illness and those who care for and 
        love those afflicted;
Whereas three major brain diseases, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and 
        depression, adversely affect the economy, contribute to the rise in 
        incarceration rates, and erode the quality of family life of those 
        involved;
Whereas the National Institute of Mental Health has reported that many people 
        suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time;
Whereas nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria 
        for two or more health disorders, with severity strongly related to co-
        morbidity, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, and 
        cancer;
Whereas according to the Office of Minority and National Affairs for the 
        American Psychiatric Association, although mental disorders impact all 
        groups of people, African Americans experience a greater unmet need for 
        mental health services than other groups of people and receive a lesser 
        quality of care than such other groups;
Whereas according to the National Alliance for Mentally Ill, the direct and 
        indirect costs to the workplace resulting from the affects of mental 
        disorders equal $34,000,000;
Whereas two-thirds of all people with a diagnosable mental disorder do not seek 
        treatment, especially people from diverse communities;
Whereas the consequences of mental disorders, especially depression, are felt 
        acutely among minority communities;
Whereas such consequences include physical symptoms and the obstacle of being 
        confronted with the stigma associated with diagnosis and treatment 
        associated with mental disorders, which proves to be a major obstacle 
        that prevents people from getting help;
Whereas to this end, communities of color are in need of culturally and 
        linguistically competent mental health resources, including for purposes 
        of encouraging the provision of mental health services by health care 
        providers from multi-ethnic communities and training all health care 
        providers to serve multi-ethnic consumers;
Whereas the customs, values, and traditions of African Americans, Latinos, 
        Asians, Native Americans, and other underserved groups, must be taken 
        into consideration when attempting to treat and diagnose mental 
        disorders;
Whereas minority mental health consumers often fall into the category of the 
        ``working poor'', face additional challenges because of the lack of 
        adequate insurance available to them, and are underinsured or uninsured, 
        which often leads to the late diagnosis of a mental disorder or the 
        failure to make such a diagnosis;
Whereas community mobilization of resources is needed to educate, advocate, and 
        train mental health providers in order to help to remove barriers to 
        treatment of mental disorders;
Whereas there is a need to strengthen local and national awareness of brain 
        diseases in order to assist with advocacy for mentally ill persons of 
        color, so that such persons may receive adequate and appropriate 
        treatment that will enhance their ability to become fully functioning 
        members of society;
Whereas the late Bebe Moore Campbell, a New York Times best-selling author, co-
        founder of NAMI Urban Los Angeles, mother, grandmother, wife, friend, 
        and advocate, was recognized for her tireless fight to bring awareness 
        and attention to mental illness among minorities with the release of her 
        novel, ``72 Hour Hold'', and her children's book, ``Sometimes My Mommy 
        Gets Angry'', which brings awareness to the plight of those with brain 
        disorders; and
Whereas Bebe Moore Campbell's dedication and commitment sought to move 
        communities to support mental wellness through effective treatment 
        options, supportive community outreach, and resilience for the many 
        individuals with mental disorders who are unable to speak for 
        themselves: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),  
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) access to mental health treatment and services and 
        public awareness of mental illness is of paramount importance;
            (2) improved access to such treatment and services and 
        improved public awareness of mental illness is especially 
        needed in minority communities; and
            (3) an appropriate month should be recognized as Bebe Moore 
        Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to 
        enhance public awareness of mental illness, especially within 
        such minority communities.
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