Legislation Document

SPONSOR:	Rep. Longhurst & Sen. Pinkney
Reps. Baumbach, Briggs King, Gray, Griffith, K. Johnson, Minor-Brown, Mitchell, Morrison, Osienski, Ramone, Michael Smith, Wilson-Anton, Yearick; Sens. Ennis, Hansen, Hocker, Lopez, Sokola, Wilson

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

151st GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 26

RECOGNIZING THE MONTH OF MAY 2021 AS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH.

WHEREAS, 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience mental illness each year, but less than half of them receive treatment; and

WHEREAS, over 100 Americans, teens through older adults, die by suicide each day, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among Americans aged 10-34; and

WHEREAS, mental illness and substance use disorders are involved in 1 out of every 8 emergency department visits by an adult in the United States; and

WHEREAS, nationally, 37% of incarcerated adults and 70.4% of youth in the juvenile justice system have a diagnosed mental illness; and

WHEREAS, 11% of youth have a mood disorder, 10% of youth have a behavior or conduct disorder, and 8% of youth have an anxiety disorder; and

WHEREAS, mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of the importance of mental health and the advantages to individuals and our communities of providing resources to identify and treat mental health conditions as early as possible, the General Assembly has introduced and is considering House Bill No. 100, which would create a mental health services unit to fund a position for counselors, psychologists, social workers and mental health therapists in schools with kindergarten through 5 ^th grade students; and

WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic, social, and educational disruptions have served to exacerbate mental health conditions in both adults and children, making the availability of mental health resources more important than ever.

NOW, THEREFORE:

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 151 ^st General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the Senate concurring therein, that May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Assembly calls upon citizens, government agencies, and other to raise mental health awareness and continue helping Delawareans to live longer, healthier, more productive lives.