[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 138 (Thursday, October 2, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1965]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           NEW FREEDOM COMMISSION ON MENTAL HEALTH RESOLUTION

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                        HON. GRACE F. NAPOLITANO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 2, 2003

  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce my resolution 
regarding the report by the President's New Freedom Commission on 
Mental Health. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and 
adopt the goals and recommendations of the Commission's report. As we 
commemorate Mental Illness Awareness Week, we must take steps to 
implement these goals and ensure affordable, accessible, and high 
quality mental health care for all Americans.
  I commend the Commission for their insightful and informative report. 
Almost one quarter of all Americans currently suffer from a diagnosable 
mental disorder, but a only small fraction of them actually receive the 
treatment they need. This is unacceptable. The Commission's report 
provides us with six key goals and corresponding recommendations that 
will help ensure that all Americans who need mental health services 
receive them in an effective manner.
  The goals of the Commission are as follows:
  (1) To help all Americans understand that mental health is essential 
to overall health;
  (2) To make mental health care consumer and family driven;
  (3) To eliminate disparities in mental health services;
  (4) To make early mental illness screening, assessment, and referral 
to services common practice;
  (5) To ensure delivery of excellent mental health care and 
acceleration of mental illness research; and
  (6) To use technology to access mental health care and information.
  It would be a tragedy to ignore the Commission's report and its 
sensible recommendations. Every year we lose approximately 30,000 lives 
in the U.S. to suicide. Every year we lose millions of dollars in lost 
productivity due to mental illness. Many of these lives and dollars 
could be saved if high quality mental health services were accessible 
to all.
  I call upon all of my colleagues in Congress and my friends in the 
Administration and in the mental health advocacy community to work 
together and take the necessary steps to implement the Commission's 
goals and dramatically improve mental health care in this Nation.

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