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PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RESOLUTION DECLARING MAY AS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH IN COOK COUNTY
WHEREAS, since 1949 May has been recognized as national Mental Health Awareness Month by organizations, advocates, healthcare providers and leaders as a time to draw awareness to issues, research and resources connected to mental health; and
WHEREAS, mental health is an essential part of each person's overall health and wellness; and
WHEREAS, mental health impacts a person's emotional, social, environmental, financial and overall well-being, with significant disparities among racially and ethnically diverse communities; and
WHEREAS, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year; 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness; 1 in 6 youth ages 6-17 experience a mental disorder each year; 50% of all lifetime illness began by age 14 and 75% by age 24; and suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death of children ages 10-14; and
WHEREAS, historic and ongoing disinvestment in Black and Brown communities contributes to disproportionate health outcomes due to factors including lack of access to adequate and affordable mental health services, higher rates of crime, violence and incarceration that result from systemic disinvestment; and
WHEREAS, people with mental health disorders are over-represented in the justice system with the federal Substanse Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reporting 18% of the general population having a mental illness with 44% of individuals in jails and 37% of individuals in prisons having a mental illness; and
WHEREAS, a broad scope of behavioral health services is needed to support the mental health of our residents, including prevention and early intervention, treatment, recovery and support services, and crisis care; and
WHEREAS, to achieve mental health parity, systems-level collaborative efforts are necessary to improve service coordination across...
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