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PROCLAMATION
Recognizing May as
MENTAL HEALTH MONTH
WHEREAS, mental health is critical for our well-being and vitality to our families, communities and businesses; and
WHEREAS, the President's New Freedom Commission declared that mental disorders and mental health problems affect people of all backgrounds and all stages of life, and no one is immune; and
WHEREAS, the World Health Organization found that mental illnesses rank first in terms of causing disability in the United States and, are a more prevalent health problem in America today than cancer and lung and heart disease combined; and
WHEREAS, mental illnesses, including substance abuse, affect one in five Americans every year, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion or economic status; and that one in ten children has a serious mental health disorder that, if untreated, can lead to school failure, physical illness, substance abuse and even suicide; and
WHEREAS, almost 30,000 residents in Jefferson County, including children and adults, have a serious mental illness; and
WHEREAS, the long-term consequences of untreated mental health disorders in children and adults are costly, in both human and fiscal terms; and
WHEREAS, Lakewood, Colorado has made a commitment to community-based systems of mental health care for all residents and to the core values and guiding principles of a system of care for children with mental health needs and their families; and
WHEREAS, the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council; the Colorado Cornerstone System of Care Initiative and its partner families, agencies, and organizations; including the Local Coordinating Council; Family Directions; The Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health - Colorado Chapter; Jefferson Center for Mental Health; The Jefferson County Family Support Network; The Mental Health Association of Colorado; The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and their partners observe Mental Health Month each May to raise awareness and understanding of mental health and illness.
NOW, THEREFORE, on behalf of the City Council and the people of the City of Lakewood, I, Steve Burkholder, Mayor of the City of Lakewood, Colorado, by virtue of the authority vested in me, do hereby recognize May as
MENTAL HEALTH MONTH
in the city of Lakewood and urge residents, government agencies, public and private institutions, businesses and schools to recommit our community to increasing awareness and understanding of mental illness and the need for appropriate and accessible services for all people with mental illness.
GIVEN under my hand and Seal of the City of Lakewood, this 28th day of April 2003.
Stephen A. Burkholder, Mayor
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