TO: Mayor and Commissioners
FROM: Michael Coleman, Director, Community Improvement
THROUGH: Chief Neal de Jesus, Interim City Manager
DATE: May 2, 2017
Title
MAY 2017 MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AND TRAUMA INFORMED CARE MONTH
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Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Proclamation to recognize May 2017 as Mental Health Awareness and Trauma Informed Care Month
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Background:
National Mental Health Month raises awareness about mental illness and related issues in the United States. In recent times, attitudes towards mental health issues appear to be changing. Negative attitudes and stigma associated with mental health have reduced, and there has been growing acceptance towards mental health issues and support for people with them. Despite this shift in attitude, the idea of a mental health awareness campaign is not a recent one. In the late 1940's, the first National Mental Health Awareness Week was launched in the United States. During the 1960's, this annual, weekly campaign was upgraded to a monthly one, with May being the designated month. During this month, National Health America, the main organization which sponsors this event, runs a number of activities which are often based on a theme. This year the theme is tied to the content of National Health America’s 2017 Annual Conference: Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll. The campaign is titled, Risky Business, and will educate the public on habits and behaviors that increase the risk of developing or exacerbating mental illnesses, or could be signs of mental health problems themselves. These include such diverse risk factors as risky sex, prescription drug misuse, internet/gaming addiction, excessive spending, marijuana use and troublesome exercise patterns. The intent behind this theme is to raise awareness of the risks that these types of behaviors present,especially to young people,to help individuals detect these early warning signs and to provide resources for preventi...
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