Title: A resolution supporting the designation of the week of May 2, 2021, as "Children's Mental Health Awareness Week" and the day of May 9, 2021, as "Children's Mental Health Awareness Day".
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This resolution supports the designation of Children's Mental Health Awareness Week and Children's Mental Health Awareness Day.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 193 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 193

Supporting the designation of the week of May 2, 2021, as ``Children's 
     Mental Health Awareness Week'' and the day of May 9, 2021, as 
              ``Children's Mental Health Awareness Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 29, 2021

Mr. King (for himself, Mr. Cornyn, Ms. Smith, and Ms. Hassan) submitted 
   the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Supporting the designation of the week of May 2, 2021, as ``Children's 
     Mental Health Awareness Week'' and the day of May 9, 2021, as 
              ``Children's Mental Health Awareness Day''.

Whereas children in the United States were already experiencing a public health 
        crisis regarding mental and behavioral health before the additional 
        challenges of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic;
Whereas a 2013 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
        estimated that mental disorders affect between 13 and 20 percent of 
        children in a given year and cost approximately $247,000,000,000 
        annually;
Whereas the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that nearly \1/2\ of 
        adolescents aged 13 to 18 years old will experience some form of a 
        mental disorder;
Whereas, in 2019, over 11 percent of children ages 3 to 17 years old received 
        treatment or counseling from a mental health professional, according to 
        the United States Census Bureau;
Whereas suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 24 
        years old, and 90 percent of those individuals have an underlying mental 
        illness;
Whereas, during the COVID-19 pandemic, increased isolation and collective trauma 
        have led to an increase in demand for mental health services for 
        children, with the proportion of mental health-related visits to 
        emergency rooms for children increasing from approximately 24 to 31 
        percent between 2019 and 2020;
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has also laid bare the inequities in our mental 
        health delivery system for all populations, and such inequities have 
        disproportionately impacted children and adults who have been exposed to 
        adverse childhood experiences prior to and during the pandemic; and
Whereas the stigma of accessing mental and behavioral health services persisted 
        before the COVID-19 pandemic, and acknowledging this public health 
        crisis and creating awareness as early as possible is as important as 
        ever: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the designation of the week of May 2, 2021, as 
        ``Children's Mental Health Awareness Week'' and the day of May 
        9, 2021, as ``Children's Mental Health Awareness Day'';
            (2) recognizes the importance of connecting children with 
        appropriate mental and behavioral health services and supports;
            (3) seeks to create awareness regarding the additional 
        challenges children and their families have faced during the 
        COVID-19 pandemic due to isolation from family and peers, 
        exposure to traumas, and barriers to mental and behavioral 
        health services and supports;
            (4) supports programs and services aimed at expanding 
        access to care, building resiliency, and addressing trauma; and
            (5) appreciates and extends its gratitude to family 
        members, friends, educators, mental and behavioral health 
        service providers, and others in their support for children's 
        mental health and well-being.
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