IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 134 

Expressing the sense of the Congress that there should be established a 

Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness 

Month to enhance public awareness of mental illness, especially within 

minority communities. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 30, 2007 

Mr. WYNN (for himself and Ms. WATSON) submitted the following concurrent 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Congress that there should be 

established a Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority 

Mental Health Awareness Month to enhance public 

awareness of mental illness, especially within minority 

communities. 

Whereas mental illness is one of the leading causes of disabilities in the United States, affecting one out of every four 

families in America and victimizing both those with the 

illness and those who care for and love those afflicted; 

Whereas according to the National Alliance for Mentally Ill 

(NAMI), the direct and indirect costs to the workplace 

resulting from mental illness total over $34,000,000 annually; 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

2 

•HCON 134 IH 

Whereas the National Institute of Mental Health has reported that many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time and 45 percent of those with 

any mental disorder meet criteria for two or more disorders, with severity strongly related to comorbidity (including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, and 

cancer); 

Whereas according to the 1999 Surgeon General’s Report on 

Mental Illness, more than 54,000,000 Americans have a 

mental disorder in any given year, although fewer than 

8,000,000 seek treatment; 

Whereas according to the same Surgeon General’s Report on 

Mental Illness, adult Caucasians who suffer from depression or an anxiety disorder are more likely to receive 

treatment than adult African Americans with the same 

disorders even though the disorders occur in both groups 

at about the same rate, when taking into account socioeconomic factors; 

Whereas according to a report from the Office of Minority 

and National Affairs for the American Psychiatric Association, although mental illness impacts all people, African Americans experience a much greater unmet need for 

mental health services and receive a lesser quality of 

care, thereby resulting in mental health disparities; 

Whereas the three major brain diseases—schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression—adversely affect the economy, contribute to the rise in incarceration rates, and 

erode the quality of family life of those involved; 

Whereas nearly two-thirds of all people with a diagnosable 

mental illness do not seek mental health treatment due 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

3 

•HCON 134 IH 

to stigma, lack of community-based resources, inadequate 

diagnosis, or no diagnosis; 

Whereas according to the June 28, 2005, Washington Post 

article ‘‘Racial Disparities Found in Pinpointing Mental 

Illness’’, African Americans in the United States are 

more than four times as likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia as Caucasians, and Hispanics are more than 

three times as likely to be diagnosed as Caucasians; 

Whereas communities of color are in need of culturally and 

linguistically competent mental health resources, including the provision of mental health services by health care 

providers from multi-ethnic communities, and the training of all health care providers to serve multi-ethnic consumers; 

Whereas advocacy for traditional mental health organizations 

must be encouraged to incorporate and integrate minority 

mental health education and outreach within their respective portfolios; 

Whereas there are disproportionate numbers of African 

Americans, Latinos, Asians, and others of color affected 

by a lack of resources for mental illness, and they comprise racially, ethnically, and linguistically unserved, underserved, and inappropriately served communities within 

the mental health system; 

Whereas the 2002 Building Blocks for Youth ‘‘Action Report 

on Behalf of Latino and Latina Youth in the U.S. Justice System’’ highlighted the alarmingly disproportionate 

rates of Latinos and African-American youth in the justice system and indicated these youth receive harsher 

treatment than Caucasian youth charged for the same 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

4 

•HCON 134 IH 

types of offenses and many of these youth have emotional 

disorders and mental health problems; 

Whereas other research studies estimate that 50 to 70 percent of all youth in the juvenile justice system have mental health problems that are usually undiagnosed, 

misdiagnosed, untreated, or badly treated, thus leaving 

those incarcerated in vulnerable conditions; 

Whereas minority mental health consumers often fall into the 

category of the ‘‘working poor’’, facing additional challenges because they are underinsured or uninsured, which 

often leads to late diagnosis or no diagnosis of mental illness; 

Whereas the faith, customs, values, and traditions of a variety of African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and other underserved groups must be taken into consideration when 

attempting to treat and diagnose mental illnesses; 

Whereas a small percentage of African Americans receive 

mental health treatment, and a significant percentage 

refuse treatment or view mental health treatment as the 

‘‘treatment of last resort’’, due to the stigma associated 

with mental illness; 

Whereas according to the 1999 Surgeon General’s Report on 

Mental Illness, African Americans are misdiagnosed at a 

higher rate within the mental health delivery system, and 

greater effort must be made to accurately assess the 

mental health of African Americans; 

Whereas there is a need to improve public awareness of mental illness and to strengthen local and national awareness 

of brain diseases in order to assist with advocacy for persons of color with mental illness, so that they may receive 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

5 

•HCON 134 IH 

adequate and appropriate treatment that will result in 

their becoming fully functioning members of society; 

Whereas there is a need for culturally competent mental 

health service delivery for people of color; 

Whereas community mobilization of resources is needed to 

educate, advocate for, and train mental health providers 

to help remove barriers to treatment of mental disorders; 

Whereas access to mental health treatment and services is of 

paramount importance; 

Whereas there is a need to encourage primary care physicians 

to offer screening, partner with mental health providers, 

and seek the appropriate referral to specialists and to encourage timely and accurate diagnosis; 

Whereas the late Bebe Moore Campbell (mother, grandmother, wife, friend, advocate, celebrated writer and journalist, noted author, radio commentator, community activist, co-founder of National Alliance for the Mentally Ill 

Urban Los Angeles, University of Pittsburgh Trustee and 

educator, and recipient of numerous awards and honors) 

was recognized for her tireless advocacy and fight to 

bring awareness and attention to mental illness among 

minorities with the release of her New York Times best 

selling novel, ‘‘72 Hour Hold’’, and her children’s book 

‘‘Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry’’, which both bring 

awareness to the plight of those with brain disorders; 

Whereas Bebe Moore Campbell through her dedication and 

commitment sought to move communities to support 

mental wellness through effective treatment options, open 

access to mental health treatment and services, and improve community outreach and support for the many 

loved ones who are unable to speak for themselves; and 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS

6 

•HCON 134 IH 

Whereas July would be an appropriate month to recognize as 

Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health 

Awareness Month: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that— 

3 (1) open access to mental health treatment and 

4 services and public awareness of mental illness is of 

5 paramount importance; 

6 (2) there is an important need for improved ac7 cess to care, treatment and services, including em8 ployment and housing for those diagnosed with se9 vere and persistent mental health disorders, and im10 proved public awareness of mental illness; and 

11 (3) an appropriate month should be recognized 

12 as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental 

13 Health Awareness Month to enhance public aware14 ness of mental illness and mental illness among mi15 norities. 

Æ 

mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS