STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1143

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: S.C.R. No. 63

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 63 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF MAY AS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to designate the month of May as Mental Health Awareness Month.

The Department of Health, the Mental Health Association in Hawaii, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Oahu, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Hawaii, Hawaii Medical Service Association, and one individual submitted testimony in support of this measure.

The Department of Health testified that "Access to mental health treatment is one of the most significant barriers to improving the health of persons in Hawaii. The U.S. Surgeon General in 1999 reported that only one in three persons with mental illness will seek treatment." Special activities and public education events regarding mental health awareness are traditionally scheduled here in Hawaii and nationally during the month of May. Your Committees agree with the testifiers that designating the month of May as Mental Health Awareness Month will increase public awareness and will hopefully reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and help break the barriers to treatment by educating the public about mental health.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 63 and recommend its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Health and Human Services,

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SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

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ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair