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| 5 | 6 | | |
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| 6 | 7 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 7 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Mental health is essential to the overall health and |
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| 8 | 9 | | well-being of every individual, and the observance of National |
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| 9 | 10 | | Mental Health Awareness Month in May provides an opportunity to |
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| 10 | 11 | | highlight the need for greater empathy and support for Texans |
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| 11 | 12 | | experiencing mental health issues; and |
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| 12 | 13 | | WHEREAS, According to the National Alliance on Mental |
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| 13 | 14 | | Illness, approximately one in every five Americans, including more |
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| 14 | 15 | | than 4.7 million adults in Texas, lives with a mental illness; these |
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| 15 | 16 | | conditions affect people of all ages, races, ethnicities, and |
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| 16 | 17 | | socioeconomic backgrounds, and though they are common and |
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| 17 | 18 | | treatable, the stigma associated with them can be an obstacle to |
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| 18 | 19 | | treatment, recovery, and social acceptance; and |
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| 19 | 20 | | WHEREAS, Cost is another hurdle to receiving effective |
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| 20 | 21 | | treatment, and over one million Texans report being unable to |
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| 21 | 22 | | access the care that they need for a serious mental illness; in |
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| 22 | 23 | | addition, there is a significant demand for crisis support in |
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| 23 | 24 | | Texas, as evidenced by the more than 177,000 calls made to suicide |
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| 24 | 25 | | and crisis line call centers in 2023, underscoring the need for |
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| 25 | 26 | | sustained investment in accessible mental health services; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Mental illnesses often begin early in life, with |
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| 27 | 28 | | around half of cases developing by age 14; every year, close to half |
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| 28 | 29 | | a million adolescents in Texas experience a major depressive |
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| 29 | 30 | | episode, and more than 300,000 have thoughts of suicide; over 18 |
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| 30 | 31 | | percent of youth in our state have endured multiple adverse |
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| 31 | 32 | | childhood experiences, which increase the risk of mental illnesses |
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| 32 | 33 | | and substance use disorders in adulthood; despite the urgent need |
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| 33 | 34 | | for mental health care among young people, the average public |
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| 34 | 35 | | school in Texas provides just one school psychologist for every |
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| 35 | 36 | | 2,300 students, a ratio that falls short of the recommendation of |
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| 36 | 37 | | one per 500 students; and |
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| 37 | 38 | | WHEREAS, Promoting awareness and understanding of mental |
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| 38 | 39 | | health needs can help ensure that individuals receive the support |
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| 39 | 40 | | and treatment necessary to lead healthy, productive lives; for our |
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| 40 | 41 | | mental health care system to be effective, it must emphasize early |
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| 41 | 42 | | intervention, prevention, education, and access to quality |
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| 42 | 43 | | behavioral health services; and |
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| 43 | 44 | | WHEREAS, Mental Health Awareness Month serves as a means of |
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| 44 | 45 | | educating the public about this critical issue and celebrating the |
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| 45 | 46 | | progress made by those living with mental health conditions, and it |
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| 46 | 47 | | is fitting to acknowledge the vital work being done by community |
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| 47 | 48 | | organizations, peer advocates, families, professionals, and |
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| 48 | 49 | | policymakers across the state to advance these worthy goals; now, |
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| 49 | 50 | | therefore, be it |
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| 50 | 51 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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| 51 | 52 | | Legislature hereby recognize May 2025 as Mental Health Awareness |
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| 52 | 53 | | Month and encourage all Texans to join in supporting mental health |
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| 53 | 54 | | services, education, and outreach in their communities. |
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