[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 86 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 86
Expressing the sense of Congress that an appropriate month should be
recognized as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health
Awareness Month to enhance public awareness of mental illness,
especially within minority communities.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 8, 2007
Mrs. Jones of Ohio submitted the following concurrent resolution; which
was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress that an appropriate month should be
recognized as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health
Awareness Month to enhance public awareness of mental illness,
especially within minority communities.
Whereas mental illness is one of the leading causes of disability in the United
States, affecting one out of every four families in the United States
and victimizing both those with the illness and those who care for and
love those afflicted;
Whereas three major brain diseases, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and
depression, adversely affect the economy, contribute to the rise in
incarceration rates, and erode the quality of family life of those
involved;
Whereas the National Institute of Mental Health has reported that many people
suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time;
Whereas nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria
for two or more health disorders, with severity strongly related to co-
morbidity, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, and
cancer;
Whereas according to the Office of Minority and National Affairs for the
American Psychiatric Association, although mental disorders impact all
groups of people, African Americans experience a greater unmet need for
mental health services than other groups of people and receive a lesser
quality of care than such other groups;
Whereas according to the National Alliance for Mentally Ill, the direct and
indirect costs to the workplace resulting from the affects of mental
disorders equal $34,000,000;
Whereas two-thirds of all people with a diagnosable mental disorder do not seek
treatment, especially people from diverse communities;
Whereas the consequences of mental disorders, especially depression, are felt
acutely among minority communities;
Whereas such consequences include physical symptoms and the obstacle of being
confronted with the stigma associated with diagnosis and treatment
associated with mental disorders, which proves to be a major obstacle
that prevents people from getting help;
Whereas to this end, communities of color are in need of culturally and
linguistically competent mental health resources, including for purposes
of encouraging the provision of mental health services by health care
providers from multi-ethnic communities and training all health care
providers to serve multi-ethnic consumers;
Whereas the customs, values, and traditions of African Americans, Latinos,
Asians, Native Americans, and other underserved groups, must be taken
into consideration when attempting to treat and diagnose mental
disorders;
Whereas minority mental health consumers often fall into the category of the
``working poor'', face additional challenges because of the lack of
adequate insurance available to them, and are underinsured or uninsured,
which often leads to the late diagnosis of a mental disorder or the
failure to make such a diagnosis;
Whereas community mobilization of resources is needed to educate, advocate, and
train mental health providers in order to help to remove barriers to
treatment of mental disorders;
Whereas there is a need to strengthen local and national awareness of brain
diseases in order to assist with advocacy for mentally ill persons of
color, so that such persons may receive adequate and appropriate
treatment that will enhance their ability to become fully functioning
members of society;
Whereas the late Bebe Moore Campbell, a New York Times best-selling author, co-
founder of NAMI Urban Los Angeles, mother, grandmother, wife, friend,
and advocate, was recognized for her tireless fight to bring awareness
and attention to mental illness among minorities with the release of her
novel, ``72 Hour Hold'', and her children's book, ``Sometimes My Mommy
Gets Angry'', which brings awareness to the plight of those with brain
disorders; and
Whereas Bebe Moore Campbell's dedication and commitment sought to move
communities to support mental wellness through effective treatment
options, supportive community outreach, and resilience for the many
individuals with mental disorders who are unable to speak for
themselves: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That it is the sense of Congress that--
(1) access to mental health treatment and services and
public awareness of mental illness is of paramount importance;
(2) improved access to such treatment and services and
improved public awareness of mental illness is especially
needed in minority communities; and
(3) an appropriate month should be recognized as Bebe Moore
Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to
enhance public awareness of mental illness, especially within
such minority communities.
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