[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
[April 29, 2002]
[Pages 676-679]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico
April 29, 2002
Well, thank you very much for that warm, New Mexican welcome. It's
nice to be back in this beautiful State. I'm particularly delighted to
be sharing the podium with a remarkable American, Pete
Domenici. He didn't finish the story. After
I interrupted him, he re-interrupted me--[laughter]--and gave me my
marching orders. [Laughter] I said, ``Yes, sir, Mr. Senator.''
[Laughter]
No, I really enjoy working with Pete,
and I appreciate so very much that leaders such as Pete have been
working to make America a more welcoming place for people with
disabilities. The work is progressing. We are making progress, but it
certainly isn't finished. There's a lot to do, and some of the greatest
health needs and obstacles and stigmas concern mental health. We are
determined to confront the hidden suffering of Americans with mental
illness.
Pete and I share a lot in common. We
love the Southwest. We care deeply about issues that face our country.
And we both married above ourselves. [Laughter] I love being with Pete
and Nancy, because their love and respect for each other is so evident
and so profound. And I love watching Nancy's
face, because it reveals and is a window into a compassionate heart. And
I want to thank Nancy Domenici.
I also want to thank Charles Curie for
coming. Pete introduced Charles. Charles is
a good hand, and I appreciate him being here. I also want to thank Phil
Eaton and all the good folks here at the
University of New Mexico. I'm so honored also to be traveling today with
Heather Wilson. Heather is a solid citizen
who brings a lot of dignity to the office she holds and a lot of class.
And I'm proud to call her friend. I want to thank the State officials
who are here, the Lieutenant Governor, thank
you for coming.
I also want to tell you about a lady I met named Lucy
Salazar. Where's Lucy? Is she here? Lucy, thank
you for coming. It's kind of off the subject but really not off the
subject, because one of the things I try to do when I go into
communities is herald soldiers in the armies of compassion, those souls
who have heard the call
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to love a neighbor like you'd like to be loved yourself and have
followed through on that call, the selfless citizens whose compassion
for their neighbor is really one of the things that makes America so
strong and powerful, particularly as we stand tall in the face of evil.
I like to tell my fellow citizens that if you're interested in
fighting evil--which, by the way, we're going to do--if you're
interested--[laughter]. But one way to help is do some good. And it's
that collective good that will define the true value and character of
our country.
And Lucy Salazar is a retired Federal
Government worker. She teaches reading skills to pre-kindergarten and
kindergarten children. She's incredibly important. She helps those with
disabilities participate in the fine and performing arts. She volunteers
through her church. She is a great citizen, and oftentimes, citizens
such as her never get the praise they deserve. Lucy, thank you for
coming and representing thousands of people like you.
Millions of Americans--millions--are impaired at work, at school, or
at home by episodes of mental illness. Many are disabled by severe and
persistent mental problems. These illnesses affect individuals; they
affect their families; and they affect our country.
As many Americans know, it is incredibly painful to watch someone
you love struggle with an illness that affects their mind and their
feelings and their relationships with others. We heard stories today in
a roundtable discussion about that--what the struggle means for family.
Remarkable treatments exist, and that's good. Yet many people--too
many people--remain untreated. Some end up addicted to drugs or alcohol.
Some end up on the streets, homeless. Others end up in our jails, our
prisons, our juvenile detention facilities.
Our country must make a commitment: Americans with mental illness
deserve our understanding, and they deserve excellent care. They deserve
a health care system that treats their illness with the same urgency as
a physical illness. To meet this goal, we've got to overcome obstacles,
and I want to talk about three such obstacles this morning.
The first obstacle is the stigma, the stigma that often surrounds
mental illness, a stigma caused by a history of misunderstanding, fear,
and embarrassment. Stigma leads to isolation and discourages people from
seeking the treatment they need. Political leaders, health care
professionals, and all Americans must understand and send this message:
Mental disability is not a scandal; it is an illness. And like physical
illness, it is treatable, especially when the treatment comes early.
Today, new drugs and therapies have vastly improved the outlook for
millions of Americans with the most serious mental illnesses and for
millions more with less severe illnesses. The treatment success rates
for schizophrenia and clinical depression are comparable to those for
heart disease. That's good news in America, and we must encourage more
and more Americans to understand and to seek more treatment.
The second obstacle to quality mental health care is our fragmented
mental health service delivery system. Mental health centers and
hospitals, homeless shelters, the justice system, and our schools all
have contact with individuals suffering from mental disorders. Yet, many
of these disorders are difficult to diagnose. This makes it even harder
to provide the mentally ill with the care they need. Many Americans fall
through the cracks of the current system. Many years and lives are lost
before help, if it is given at all, is given.
Consider this example--and for the experts in the field, they will
confirm this is a story which is oftentimes too true--a 14-year-old boy
who started experimenting with drugs to ease his severe depression. That
happens. This former honor student became a drug addict. He dropped out
of school, was incarcerated 6 times in
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16 years. Only 2 years ago, when he was 30 years old, did the doctors
finally diagnose his condition as bipolar disorder, and he began a
successful program, a successful long-term treatment program.
And to make sure that the cracks are closed, I am honored to
announce what we call the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health. It is
charged to study the problems and gaps in our current system of
treatment and to make concrete recommendations for immediate
improvements that will be implemented, and these will be improvements
that can be implemented and must be implemented by the Federal
Government, the State Government, local agencies, as well as public and
private health care providers.
To chair the Commission, I've selected Michael Hogan, Dr. Hogan. I appreciate your coming, Michael. Dr.
Hogan has served as the Director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health
for more than 10 years and is recognized as a leader in this profession.
He has been focused, as a State official, on how our mental health
system works and how it doesn't work.
I look forward to the Commission's findings. I look forward to their
proposals. I look forward to making progress and fixing the system so
that Americans do not fall through the cracks.
The third major obstacle to effective mental health care is the
often unfair treatment limitations placed on mental health in insurance
coverage. Many private health insurance plans have developed effective
programs to identify patients with mental illnesses, and they help them
get their treatment they need to regain their health.
But insurance plans too often place greater restrictions on the
treatment of mental illness than on the treatment of other medical
illnesses. As a result, some Americans are unable to get effective
medical treatments that would allow them to function well in their daily
lives.
Our health insurance system must treat serious mental illness like
any other disease. And that was Senator Domenici's message to me at the Oval Office. [Laughter] And it was
Nancy's message when we had them up for
dinner. [Laughter] And I want to appreciate the fact that they have
worked tirelessly on this problem.
I have a record on this issue. As the Governor of Texas, I signed a
bill to ensure that patients who critically need mental health are
treated fairly. Senator Domenici and I
share this commitment: Health plans should not be allowed to apply
unfair treatment limitations or financial requirements on mental health
benefits.
It is critical that we provide full--as we provide full mental
health parity, that we do not significantly run up the cost of health
care. I'll work with the Senator. I will
work with the Speaker. I will work with
their House and Senate colleagues to reach an agreement on mental health
parity this year.
We must work for a welcoming and compassionate society, a society
where no American is dismissed and no American is forgotten. This is the
great and hopeful story of our country, and we can write another
chapter. We must give all Americans who suffer from mental illness the
treatment and the respect they deserve.
Thank you all. God bless.
Note: The President spoke at 10:34 a.m. at the Continuing Education
Center. In his remarks, he referred to Charles G. Curie, Administrator,
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Department of
Health and Human Services; R. Philip Eaton, interim vice president,
Health Sciences, University of New Mexico; and Lt. Gov. Walter Bradley
of New Mexico. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
language transcript of these remarks. The Executive order of April 29
establishing the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health is
listed in Appendix D at the end of this volume.
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