[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 538 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 538

     Supporting the goals and ideals of Bebe Moore Campbell Black, 
  indigenous, and people of color (``BIPOC'') Mental Health Awareness 
                          Month in July 2021.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 19, 2021

  Ms. Johnson of Texas (for herself, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Correa, 
Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mrs. Napolitano, and Mr. Keating) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                        on Oversight and Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Supporting the goals and ideals of Bebe Moore Campbell Black, 
  indigenous, and people of color (``BIPOC'') Mental Health Awareness 
                          Month in July 2021.

Whereas July 2021 is Bebe Moore Campbell BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month;
Whereas the goals of Bebe Moore Campbell BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, 
        formerly known as ``Minority Mental Health Awareness Month'', are to--

    (1) recognize disparities in the incidence of mental health-related 
challenges faced by Black, indigenous, and people of color (referred to in 
this preamble as ``BIPOC'') communities;

    (2) raise awareness of the systemic drivers of those disparities;

    (3) educate patients, caregivers, and the family members of individuals 
who may be in need of care on the importance of recognizing the signs of 
mental illness, seeking evaluation and accepting diagnosis, receiving and 
adhering to mental health treatment, and counseling;

    (4) highlight the necessity for culturally informed and culturally 
effective mental health services in order to increase receptivity to 
treatment among communities of color, reducing social and cultural stigma;

    (5) underscore the need to dismantle the barriers to access faced by 
individuals who seek mental health care services; and

    (6) overcome and repair the mental harm and trauma that are experienced 
by people of color and caused by systematic racism and racial bias;

Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disproportionately impacted communities 
        of color, is expected to have grave and potentially long-term mental 
        health implications due to the traumatic stress associated with pandemic 
        conditions, including stress from--

    (1) the loss of resources to meet immediate and future needs;

    (2) grief and concerns for the safety of family and loved ones;

    (3) reduced social interaction and increased isolation and loneliness;

    (4) the stigma and xenophobia against Asian-American communities, 
including many incidents of hate during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to 
negative mental health outcomes; and

    (5) lack of consideration for preexisting social-environmental 
disparities when addressing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on 
communities of color;

Whereas, even in nonpandemic times, the psychosocial stress of racial 
        discrimination, including exclusion from health, educational, social, 
        and economic resources, contributes to poorer health quality and higher 
        rates of chronic health conditions for communities of color;
Whereas BIPOC communities, already burdened by disparities in chronic illnesses 
        like lung disease, asthma, heart conditions, sickle cell disease, and 
        diabetes, disproportionately suffer from the mental health disorders 
        that are commonly associated with those chronic illnesses;
Whereas environmental strains, such as poverty, unsafe neighborhoods, and 
        chronic racial and ethnic discrimination, among other social 
        determinants of health, can significantly increase distress and the 
        overall mental and emotional well-being of poor youth of color;
Whereas an emerging body of research shows that past trauma inflicted on racial 
        and ethnic minorities has the potential to affect the descendants of the 
        survivors of that trauma;
Whereas, despite the necessity of diverse scientific and health care workforces, 
        as well as culturally informed and culturally effective science and 
        research, to address mental health disparities, including disparities in 
        care, and decades of efforts to diversify those workforces, there 
        continues to be a challenging pattern of continued underrepresentation 
        of people of certain genders and racial and ethnic groups in these 
        fields;
Whereas mental health services and supports often are not aligned with the 
        National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate 
        Services in Health and Health Care;
Whereas the lack of linguistically appropriate mental health services and the 
        lack of information about where to find those services decrease the 
        likelihood that families of color will seek help;
Whereas investment in linguistically appropriate mental health services will--

    (1) reverse the trend of families of color not seeking help; and

    (2) drive an increase in use of those services by people of color who 
experience mental health-related challenges;

Whereas the Office of Minority Health of the Department of Health and Human 
        Services has determined that Black adults are 20 percent more likely 
        than their White peers to report serious psychological distress;
Whereas the suicide death rate for Black youth has risen from 2.55 per 100,000 
        in 2007 to 4.82 per 100,000 in 2017;
Whereas Black youth under the age of 13 are twice as likely as White youth of 
        the same age group to die by suicide;
Whereas Black males ages 5 through 11 are more likely than their White peers to 
        die by suicide;
Whereas, in 2018, 42 percent of Black adults with a serious mental illness 
        received no treatment, compared with 35.9 percent of the total adult 
        population of the United States;
Whereas chronic underfunding of Federal treaty obligations for health services 
        for Tribal Nations has contributed to disparate mental health outcomes 
        for American Indians and Alaska Natives, who experience post-traumatic 
        stress disorder more than twice as often as the general population;
Whereas, between 2000 and 2020, the suicide rate for American Indian and Alaska 
        Native women and men increased by 139 percent and 71 percent, 
        respectively, compared with a 33-percent increase for the total adult 
        population in the United States;
Whereas suicide is the second-leading cause of death for American Indian and 
        Alaska Native youth ages 10 through 24;
Whereas the suicide rate for American Indian and Alaska Native youth is 2.5 
        times higher than the national average and the highest across all ethnic 
        and racial groups;
Whereas Latino adults and children face barriers to accessing mental health 
        services, including a lack of insurance, the high cost of health 
        services, low wages, poor transportation, work stress, and immigration 
        factors;
Whereas research shows that, in the Hispanic population, older adults and youth 
        are more susceptible than other Hispanic adults to mental distress 
        relating to immigration and acculturation;
Whereas, in 2018, Hispanics were 50 percent less likely to have received mental 
        health treatment as compared to non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas fewer treatment and prevention services reach Hispanics than other 
        racial or ethnic groups in the United States due to the lack of 
        professionals being equipped to support culturally specific challenges;
Whereas, in 2019, suicide was the leading cause of death for Asian/Pacific 
        Islanders ages 15 through 24;
Whereas, in 2015, Asian adults with any mental illness had the lowest rates of 
        use of health services, prescription medication, and outpatient services 
        among all racial groups;
Whereas, in 2018, Asians were 60 percent less likely to have received mental 
        health treatment as compared to non-Hispanic Whites;
Whereas Native Hawaiian youth in Hawaii have significantly higher suicide rates 
        than other adolescents;
Whereas, in 2019, suicide was the leading cause of death for Native Hawaiians/
        Pacific Islanders ages 15 through 24;
Whereas Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders face greater stigma than is faced 
        by the general population of the United States in accessing mental 
        health care;
Whereas, in 2019, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders were three times less 
        likely to receive mental health services or to receive prescription 
        medications for mental health treatment as compared to non-Hispanic 
        Whites;
Whereas the first BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month was designated in honor of 
        the late Bebe Moore Campbell, who was an American author, journalist, 
        teacher, and mental health advocate who worked tirelessly to shed light 
        on the mental health needs of the Black community and other 
        underrepresented communities;
Whereas Bebe Moore Campbell struggled to support her daughter who battled with 
        mental illness and a system that prevented her daughter from getting 
        help and support;
Whereas Bebe Moore Campbell founded NAMI-Inglewood in a predominately Black 
        neighborhood to create a space that was safe for Black people to talk 
        about mental health concerns;
Whereas, throughout her time as an advocate, Bebe Moore Campbell made her way to 
        Washington, DC, and on June 2, 2008, Congress formally recognized Bebe 
        Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to bring 
        awareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face 
        regarding mental illness in the United States;
Whereas Bebe Moore Campbell showed great dedication and commitment to moving 
        communities to--

    (1) support mental wellness through effective treatment options; and

    (2) increase access to mental health treatment and services; and

Whereas communities of color have shown deep mental health resiliency in the 
        face of decades and centuries of trauma and discrimination, underscoring 
        the efficacy and importance of resilience-focused and culturally and 
        contextually grounded prevention and early intervention strategies in 
        mental health: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives supports the goals and 
ideals of Bebe Moore Campbell BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, 
which include bringing attention to the mental health disparities faced 
by communities of color in the United States, such as American Indians, 
Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Blacks, Latinos, and Native Hawaiians 
and other Pacific Islanders.
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