HomeMy WebLinkAbout19-077RESOLUTION NO. 19-077
A RESOLUTION PROCLAIMING MAY 2019 AS
"MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH" IN ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie County, Florida, has made the
following determinations:
1. Serious mental illness affects one in every five Americans — children, adolescents and adutts.
Mental illnesses are treatable medical illnesses affecting the brain, posing the same concerns
as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses. Scientific research is constantly
working toward breakthroughs in the understanding of mental illnesses, resulting in more
effective treatments to allow people to reclaim full and productive lives.
2. Mental health is essential to everyone's overall health and well-being and helps to sustain an
individual's thought processes, relationships, productivity and ability to change or face
adversity. It is important to maintain mental health and learn the symptoms of mental
illnesses in order to get help when needed. Public education and civic activities can
encourage mental wellness and help improve the lives of individuals and families affected by
mental illnesses.
3. Misunderstandings about mental illness often wrongly impose a stigma on individuals coping
with mental illness. One-half of chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14. Long delays
often occur between the time symptoms first appear and when individuals get help. Early
identification and treatment can make a profound difference in successful management of
mental illness and recovery.
4. New Horizons of the Treasure Coast and Okeechobee and Suncoast Mental Health Center are
the community's non-profit providers of recovery -oriented behavioral health services. They
remain committed to improving the quality of life for individuals and families in our
community.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of St. Luce
County, Florida that this Board does hereby proclaim the month of May 2019 as "MENTAL HEALTH
AWARENESS MONTH" in St. Lucie County, Florida to increase public understanding of the
importance of mental health and to promote identification and treatment of mental illnesses. Every
citizen in our community can make a difference in helping to improve the lives of individuals and
families affected by mental illness.
PASSED AND DULY ADOPTED this 7th day of May 2019.
ATTEST:
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA
BY:
CHAIR
APPROV AS TO LEGAL FORM AND
CORRECTNXSS; �i
COUNTY A