Albert Russell Wynn

Mr. Speaker, as the House of Representatives debates H. Con. Res. 134, a resolution expressing the sense of the Congress that there should be established a Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to enhance public awareness of mental illness, especially within minority communites, I would like to submit the following eight endorsement letters for the Record.

May 20, 2008.

Edward S. Hubbard, Jr., Esq.,

Senior Policy Advisor and Counsel,

Office of Congressman Albert R. Wynn.

To Whom It May Concern: We, the members of the ``D.C.

Divas,'' also make up the Bebe Moore Campbell National

Minority Mental Health Task Force. We are writing to strongly

urge you to support H. Con. Res. 134, which establishes the

month of July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental

Health Awareness Month.

As friends and fellow advocates, we witnessed Ms.

Campbell's tireless efforts to educate people throughout the

country about mental health. Because a member of her family

suffers with mental illness, she knew firsthand that the

disease is a leading cause of disability in the United

States. One out of every four American families is affected

by mental illness.

In her own search for information and services, Ms.

Campbell found compassionate support within the community of

people, who like her, had loved ones struggling with the

disease. She also discovered that minorities suffering from

mental illness lack access to culturally and linguistically

competent mental health care. Compounding these challenges

are the cultural stigma associated with mental health

diagnosis and treatment, and a dearth of education and

resources for minority families supporting a mentally ill

loved. Always one to do whatever she could to solve a

problem, Ms. Campbell joined several other people from black

communities in Los Angeles to found the National Alliance for

the Mentally Ill--Urban Los Angeles.

Establishing July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority

Mental Health Awareness Month will raise awareness about

mental illness and mental health disparities among minorities

nationwide. This modest effort will improve public health by

encouraging the expansion of vital care in underserved

communities in every state.

Ms. Campbell, a noted author whose works became New York

Times bestsellers, died on November 27, 2006 of brain cancer

complications. By this time, she had become a national

spokeswoman for minority mental health issues, using her

celebrity status and creativity to address the issues

surrounding mental illness. Her last works before her death

included the best selling novel ``72 Hour Hold,'' a book

about a mother's struggle to get aid for her mentally ill

daughter, and the children's book, ``Sometimes My Mommy Gets

Angry,'' about a young girl whose mother is mentally ill.

The family of the late Ms. Campbell fully endorses this

initiative and seeks the help of all Members of Congress in

promoting this cause.

Again, as 13 of Ms. Campbell's friends from Washington,

DC--and fellow advocates for mental health services, we know

she would be honored to have her name attached to this

effort. Mostly, though, she would be thankful for the

congressional commitment to expand services in underserved

communities.

Sincerely,

Martha Jarvis, Beatrix Fields, Yolanda Phillips, Sheila

Garnett, Judi Mooore Latta, Melbourne Cummings, Sidonie

Davis, Patrice Gaines, LaFleur Paysour, Linda Wharton

Boyd, Andrea Carter, Niambi Jarvis, Courtney Lang.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1106) expressing support for designation of April 2008 as ``National Autism Awareness Month'' and supporting efforts to devote new resources to research into the causes and treatment of autism and to improve training and support for individuals with autism and those who care for individuals with autism.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1106, which designates April 2008 as National Autism Awareness Month and supports efforts to devote new resources to research into the causes and treatment of autism spectrum disorder.

Autism is a developmental spectrum disorder which inhibits an individual's ability to communicate and interact with others. For parents eager to communicate with their child, there is nothing more painful than watching their child fail to provide either a verbal or non-verbal cue of responsiveness. Affecting an estimated 1 in every 150 children and costing an estimated $90 billion to care for those with this disorder, the toll of autism spectrum disorder on our country is significant.

The resolution before us supports the goals of devoting new resources to researching the root causes of autism, expanding programs for individuals with autism spectrum disorder across their life span and promoting understanding of the special needs of people with autism spectrum disorder. This resolution also emphasizes the need for early intervention services, starting as soon as the child has been diagnosed with autism.

While there is currently no available cure for autism spectrum disorder, early behavioral intervention strategies significantly improve the outcome for those suffering from autism. These strategies can also reduce the level of funding and services necessary to treat people later in life.

I would like to note for the record, Mr. Speaker, Ms. Daisy Maggette, my constituent from the Fourth District of Maryland, who has been a tireless advocate and activist in the fight against autism in our community.

I would also like to thank my colleague, Congressman David Reichert, for his work in bringing this resolution to the floor today. I would also like to thank Congressman Mike Doyle for his leadership on this issue.

I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H. Res. 1106.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, before I yield the balance of my time, I want to recognize the gentleman and thank him for his leadership on this issue. He has been truly committed. I also again would like to recognize the work of Mr. Doyle, my colleague, and also my colleague and sponsor, Mr. Reichert, for his leadership on this issue.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 134) expressing the sense of the Congress that there should be established a Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month to enhance public awareness of mental illness, especially within minority communities, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution will designate July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.

Mental illness is one of the leading causes of disabilities in the United States affecting one out of every four Americans, and victimizing both those with the illness as well as those who care for and love those afflicted. However, according to a report from the Office of Minority and National Affairs for the American Psychiatric Association, although mental illness impacts all people, African Americans experience a much greater unmet need for mental health services and receive a lesser quality of care, thereby resulting in mental health disparities. Further, according to a Surgeon General's report on mental illness, African Americans who do seek help are misdiagnosed at a higher rate within the mental health delivery system.

Communities of color are in need of culturally competent mental health providers and expanding training for all health care providers to serve multiethnic consumers in order to accurately assess and treat African Americans and other minority patients.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one out of every three African Americans are more likely to stop treatment early, and are less likely to receive followup due to a lack of insurance coverage. Without adequate health insurance, mental health cannot be properly treated. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of African Americans receive mental health treatment, and a significant percentage refuse treatment or view mental health treatment as a treatment of last resort due to a stigma associated with mental illness.

To address these problems, obviously we need more resources and access to health insurance. But critically we also need to improve public awareness and encourage minority citizens to confront the illness instead of denying it or being ashamed of its existence in their families and communities.

This bill will, number one, raise awareness about mental illness and mental health disparities among minorities nationwide. Second, it will encourage training for health care providers to ensure proper diagnosis of African American patients and minority communities. And, third, it will improve public health by encouraging the expansion of vital mental health care into underserved communities in every State.

Let me take a moment and tell you about Bebe Moore Campbell. Bebe Moore Campbell was a renowned African American author who died on November 27, 2006, at the age of 56. She was also my college classmate at the University of Pittsburgh. Through her dedication and commitment, Ms. Campbell sought to remove the stigma of mental illness in the African American community. Her novel, ``72 Hour Hold,'' and her children's book, ``Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry,'' both bring to light the plight of those with brain disorders. Her goal was to move communities to support mental wellness through effective treatment, increased resources, access to mental health services, and improved community outreach and support.

July would be an appropriate month to be designated as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, since our first book, ``72 Hour Hold,'' which addressed minority mental health was released to the public in July of 2005.

I want to thank my lead cosponsor, Congresswoman Diane Watson, as well as all the cosponsors of this bill for their support, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this very important legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure to me that this bill is met with such bipartisan support. I particularly want to thank my colleague, Mr. Smith, for his support. He is recognized throughout this institution as a champion for the wellness of our citizens, human rights, and for supporting causes which make our country better. I want to thank him again for his support and thank all the cosponsors.

I yield back the balance of my time.