[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 87 (Tuesday, May 5, 2020)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 26825-26827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09737]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 87 / Tuesday, May 5, 2020 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 26825]]


                Proclamation 10020 of April 30, 2020

                
 National Mental Health Awareness Month, 2020

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                This year, National Mental Health Awareness Month 
                coincides with one of the most complex and challenging 
                periods in our Nation's recent history--combatting the 
                coronavirus pandemic. Not only has the virus caused 
                immense physical suffering and loss for many people, it 
                has also resulted in mental and emotional hardship. The 
                stress and worry over the health and safety of family 
                and friends, forced isolation, and financial distress 
                can all result in anxiety, depression, substance misuse 
                and abuse, and, tragically, even suicide. There is no 
                question this is a difficult and unprecedented time for 
                Americans. Yet, we know that there are ways to help 
                people cope during these uncertain times, and we are 
                committed to caring for those in need.

                Mental illness can affect anyone and can develop at any 
                time. Its effects spread well beyond the individual to 
                family, friends, and coworkers. As a Nation, we must 
                fight the stigmas surrounding mental illness and 
                empower those affected by emotional distress and their 
                loved ones to seek care. We also recommit to 
                strengthening our efforts to ensure every individual 
                living with a mental illness, including children and 
                young adults, our Nation's fastest growing population 
                diagnosed with behavioral, mental, or emotional issues, 
                receives the care and treatment they need to enjoy the 
                blessings of a fulfilling and productive life.

                One of my first actions in response to the pandemic was 
                to ensure easy access to vital medical resources. 
                Expanded access to medical care through telemedicine is 
                essential to fighting the virus. Through the 
                Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) 
                Act, we have simplified access to health care and 
                treatment without fear of the transmission of COVID-19 
                and other illnesses. By expanding Medicare telehealth 
                coverage for the duration of the public health 
                emergency, we have enabled our most vulnerable and 
                high-risk populations to access important medical care 
                from the comfort and safety of their home. 
                Additionally, we have given $19.6 billion to the 
                Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to further support 
                our veterans through this crisis. This funding covers 
                things like expanded telehealth services, including for 
                mental health, and additional access to the VA Video 
                Connect app, which offers a free, secure, virtual 
                platform for patients to receive direct care from their 
                VA medical providers through video.

                Providing an uninterrupted connection to essential 
                mental health treatment and social support groups 
                through telehealth technology can be lifesaving, 
                especially for the more than 11 million American adults 
                who struggle with serious mental illnesses such as 
                bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or major depressive 
                disorder. That is one of the reasons I have overseen a 
                historic expansion of telehealth services to give 
                people in need easier access to mental health 
                treatments, crisis interventions, and other vital 
                resources. We must continue to find innovative ways to 
                link doctors, nurse practitioners, physician 
                assistants, clinical psychologists, and licensed 
                clinical social workers to people who need their help.

                As President, it is my top priority to ensure the 
                health and wellness of all Americans, especially during 
                the present crisis. Through the Community

[[Page 26826]]

                Mental Health Services Block Grant program, the 
                Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
                Administration (SAMHSA) provides critical funding to 
                every State to support community services for adults 
                with serious mental illnesses and children with 
                significant emotional disturbances. Through these 
                grants, States and communities have increased ability 
                to make substantial improvements in treatment delivery 
                and to greatly expand access to those in need of 
                behavioral healthcare services. As the virus began to 
                take hold, I ensured that SAMHSA very quickly began 
                releasing $360 million in emergency grant funding to 
                provide Americans with substance use treatment and 
                mental health services. Additionally, to help meet the 
                needs of Americans during this crisis, I authorized the 
                Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency 
                Management Agency to make crisis counseling and 
                training services available to States hardest hit 
                through the Stafford Act.

                Tragically some individuals feel their problems are 
                insurmountable, lose their will and hope, and succumb 
                to suicide. We must prevent these tragedies. The 
                Federal Communications Commission has designated a 
                national three-digit number for suicide prevention to 
                connect directly to the National Suicide Prevention 
                Lifeline. The proposed abbreviated number, 988, would 
                make crisis help more widely available to Americans. 
                Additionally, in March of 2019, I signed an Executive 
                Order to establish the President's Roadmap to Empower 
                Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide 
                (PREVENTS), which unites State and local governments, 
                faith communities, employers, schools, and healthcare 
                organizations through a whole-of-government and whole-
                of-Nation approach to provide world-class, evidence-
                based tactics for veteran suicide prevention. Rather 
                than waiting for veterans in need to seek help, this 
                program actively empowers veteran communities through 
                local and national support networks. In response to the 
                current crisis, the PREVENTS initiative--with Second 
                Lady Karen Pence as Lead Ambassador--has launched the 
                #MoreThanEverBefore campaign to encourage all Americans 
                to compassionately reach out to veterans in need. My 
                fiscal year 2021 budget requests $313 million--a 32-
                percent increase from the enacted fiscal year 2020 
                level--to support and sustain these initiatives. My 
                Administration will always champion policies and 
                treatments to help all Americans appreciate the full 
                and abundant potential of life.

                No American should ever feel alone. Let us recommit to 
                lifting up our struggling friends, family members, and 
                neighbors with the touch of humanity. There is always 
                the promise of recovery, healing, and renewal.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim May 2020 as National 
                Mental Health Awareness Month. I call upon all 
                Americans to support citizens suffering from mental 
                illnesses, raise awareness of mental health conditions 
                through appropriate programs and activities, and commit 
                our Nation to innovative prevention, diagnosis, and 
                treatment.

[[Page 26827]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United 
                States of America the two hundred and forty-fourth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2020-09737
Filed 5-4-20; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F0-P