During May is Mental Health Month, the National Council urges mental health champions to join our advocacy and public education efforts to highlight America’s mental health crisis.

What is the crisis? A recent survey reported that more than two-thirds of primary care doctors were unable to obtain outpatient mental health services for their patients. Community mental health centers are experiencing a 20 percent increase in demand for services but at the same time, at least 32 states are known to be enacting mental health funding cuts — reducing services, closing programs, imposing hiring freezes, and cutting or freezing reimbursement rates for providers. Act now to end this discrimination!

Take advantage of key National Council resources for advocacy and public education:

• To obtain a sample May is Mental Health Month op-ed on the Strained Safety Net that you can send to your local media, contact us today.
• Turn the spotlight on children’s mental health
  

Use our key facts and figures to educate policymakers, media and stakeholders on children’s mental health needs.

Celebrate Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day on May 7 — sponsored by SAMHSA and cosponsored by the National Council — on May 7, several online resources are available to organize community events.

• To urge your members of Congress to support better access to services for persons with mental illness, plan to join us in Washington DC for Hill Day, June 9–10, 2009.
• To explore how you can bring Mental Health First Aid — a unique, evidence-based mental health 101 training and certification program — to your community, get more information now.