Suicide exists as a public health crisis. Some 30,000 Americans commit suicide each year. Even more alarmingly, suicide is the third leading cause of death for children and adolescents. Ninety percent of all suicides involve mental illness. This legislation will help prevent suicides.
Effective treatments exist.
In each case, the rate is higher than that for heart disease. Unfortunately, many people with these brain disorders do not get the treatment they need. This legislation will help to promote treatment. NAMI notes the importance especially of provisions, which seek to reverse the criminalization of mental illness. More than 250,000 individuals with mental illnesses today reside in American prisons and jails.