Mental Health Awareness Day

Proclamation

By the Governor of Alabama

WHEREAS, the Campaign to Change Direction was designed to promote national public awareness of mental health; and

WHEREAS, through the promotion of these five signs: change in personality, agitation, withdrawal, poor self-care and hopelessness, mental health can be found; and

WHEREAS, veterans, elderly, young adults and adolescents are specifically targeted; and

WHEREAS, through the Alabama Department of Mental Health, over 3,000 individuals are served annually in the state-operated facilities and over 100,000 individuals receive services in certified community-based programs; and

WHEREAS, serious mental illnesses, such as major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, severe anxiety disorders, borderline personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorders, affect one in every four people; and

WHEREAS, serious mental illnesses have been scientifically proven to be highly treatable illnesses of the brain; and

WHEREAS, misunderstandings exist about many mental illnesses and our social culture strongly imposes a stigma upon them; and

WHEREAS, the Alabama Department of Mental Health promotes recovery-based services and involves all stakeholders in setting and prioritizing service goals designed to meet the needs of the citizens that they serve; and

WHEREAS, through the Campaign to Change Direction, the Face the Five Initiative strives to change the culture of mental health in Alabama, so all can receive well-deserved care and support:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim March 5, 2017, as

Mental Health Awareness Day

in the State of Alabama.

Given Under My Hand and the Great Seal of the Office of the Governor at the State Capitol in the City of Montgomery on the 5th day of March 2017.

Robert Bentley

Governor