[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 86 (Thursday, May 24, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H4724]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

  (Mr. PANETTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mental Health 
Awareness Month. We have got to realize that one in six adults in the 
United States lives with a mental illness. However, only 43 percent of 
them receive any sort of treatment.
  I saw this firsthand as a prosecutor, as many, not all, but many men, 
women, and even juveniles were behind bars because of a mental illness. 
Unfortunately, due to the cutbacks in funding and the legislature's 
cutting back on sentences, many failed to receive the proper treatment, 
and what we had was a revolving door where we no longer could rely on 
the criminal justice system to house and treat those with mental 
illnesses.
  Fortunately, in my district on the Central Coast of California, we 
have many organizations that realize this and attempt to provide proper 
services, including Interim, Parent's Place, and the Monterey and Santa 
Cruz Counties Behavioral Health Departments.
  So now it is Congress' time to play their part. We, on the bipartisan 
Mental Health Caucus, are committed to ensuring accessible mental 
treatment. Good mental health this month and every month for all ages 
of life and all walks of life contribute to the overall health of our 
communities, and that is why we should continue to work to fund and 
provide mental health services throughout our country.

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