HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, The U.S. Surgeon General states that mental health 1-2 contributes to community and society and is fundamental to ensuring 1-3 both a sense of personal well-being and the ability to establish 1-4 rewarding interpersonal relationships; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Mental illness affects one in five Americans every 1-6 year, regardless of age, sex, race, ethnicity, religion, or 1-7 economic status; and 1-8 WHEREAS, A range of effective treatments exists for most 1-9 mental disorders, and Texas has made a commitment to supporting the 1-10 use of new generations of medications and community-based systems 1-11 of care for all residents; and 1-12 WHEREAS, Challenges continue to exist for implementing 1-13 effective and aggressive community services through Texas' public 1-14 mental health system, thus leading thousands of Texans with mental 1-15 illnesses into the criminal justice system; and 1-16 WHEREAS, The guiding principles of community mental health 1-17 care have always been comprehensiveness, cost-efficiency, effective 1-18 management, and high-quality, consumer-responsive services, and 1-19 these principles are now being adopted by private and public health 1-20 care payors; and 1-21 WHEREAS, The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Texas 1-22 has named May 2001 as Mental Health Month in Texas, and it is 1-23 indeed appropriate that we join with this organization in helping 1-24 to raise awareness and understanding of mental health and illness; 2-1 now, therefore, be it 2-2 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-3 hereby designate May 2001 as Mental Health Month in the Lone Star 2-4 State and encourage all Texas citizens, government agencies, public 2-5 and private institutions, businesses, and schools to commemorate 2-6 this observance by recommitting our community to becoming more 2-7 informed about mental health and mental illness and the need for 2-8 appropriate and accessible services for all people with mental 2-9 health disorders. Farabee _______________________________ _______________________________ President of the Senate Speaker of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 268 was adopted by the House on May 2, 2001, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House I certify that H.C.R. No. 268 was adopted by the Senate on May 14, 2001, by a viva-voce vote. _______________________________ Secretary of the Senate APPROVED: __________________________ Date __________________________ Governor