Declaring May 2006 as Mental Health Month in the City of Philadelphia.

WHEREAS, Founded in 1979, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (“NAMI”) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons living with serious mental illness and their families and has become the nation’s voice on mental illness with over 1,000 affiliate chapters across the country, which join together to meet the organization’s mission through support, education, advocacy, and research; and

WHEREAS, NAMI just released

Grading the States: A Report on America’s Health Care System for Serious Mental Illnesses, 2006

, the first state-by-state report on the nation’s mental health care system in more than 15 years, which comes as President Bush releases the FY 2007 federal budget with proposed cuts for mental health; and

WHEREAS, From the NAMI report, the national average per state for mental health care was a D and Pennsylvania’s grade for helping adults with serious mental illness was a D+; and

WHEREAS, To address this problem of accessible mental health care, Philadelphia’s three affiliate NAMI chapters will host a three-part Open House and Membership Drive in May, as part of Mental Health Month, to bring together families and individuals, living with mental illness, and caregivers and professionals for practical support and information as well as to raise awareness, combat stigma, and coordinate outreach -- all with the goal of improving the quality of life of all people affected directly or indirectly by mental illness; and

WHEREAS, On Saturday May 6th, from 1 to 4 p.m., NAMI PA Northwest Philadelphia will host their open house and membership drive at the Joseph E. Coleman Northwest Regional Library at 68 West Chelten Avenue, on Thursday May 18th, from 6 to 8 p.m., NAMI PA North Central Philadelphia will host their open house and membership drive at the Warren E. Smith Health Center at 1315 Windrim Avenue, and on Sunday, May 21st , from 2 to 4 p.m., NAMI PA Northeast Philadelphia will host their open house and membership drive at Friends Hospital at 4641 Roosevelt Boulevard; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby proclaim the month of May as Mental Health Month in the City of Philadelphia and we call upon men and women in the City of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to take proactive measures to raise awareness regarding mental illness and to provide accessible mental health care.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to representatives of the National Alliance on Mental Illness further evidencing the sincere sentiment and high esteem of this legislative body.

End