05/09/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 05/09/2024 07:51
Governors are taking actions to acknowledge May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Founded in 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month aims to provide education, reduce stigma, and advocate for policies that support individuals with mental illness.
Mental health conditions, including anxiety and depression, are common and treatable. One in five Americans experience a mental illness each year, but only half receive treatment.
Supporting individuals with mental illness and their families has grown as a bipartisan priority for Governors in recent years. To support Mental Health Awareness Month, Governors have taken actions, including the following:
To support Governor Murphy's 2023 Chair's Initiative on Strengthening Youth Mental Health, NGA is currently supporting six states (Alabama, Hawai'i, Kentucky, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Virginia) through a policy academy with implementing recommendations from Strengthening Youth Mental Health: A Playbook for Governors. States will receive in-depth technical assistance through December 2024.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a toolkit to support states and organizations with promoting Mental Health Awareness Month. The toolkit includes key messages, hashtags and graphics that can be shared on social media.
For more information on how Governors are supporting Mental Health Awareness Month, please contact Marianne Gibson ([email protected]).