New York City Insider: Rep. Espaillat Recognizes Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.

 

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release July 21, 2022

Statement by Representative Adriano Espaillat in Recognition of Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) issued the following statement in honor of Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.   "The COVID-19 pandemic brought on an unprecedented number of mental health issues for Americans across the nation. However, America has been dealing with a crisis for years," said Rep. Espaillat. "This is particularly true for youth of color. Black children under the age of 12 are dying by suicide at twice the rate of their White peers. Suicide is the leading cause of death for Asian Pacific Islander youth ages 12 to 19 years old.   "I am proud to have introduced a resolution urging mental health resources be provided for adolescents of color.  Additionally, I am proud to see that as of this past week, Americans can finally use the nation-wide 988 Lifeline. This will afford everyone in need 24/7 confidential support if they are experiencing suicidal or mental-health related stress," he continued. "Despite this stride forward in our fight to accessible mental health care, there are still systemic and institutional barriers to our children of color. Already, the lack of cultural understanding and competency by health care providers cause many to delay or forgo treatment and leads to ‘underdiagnosis’. I vow to continue my efforts to ensure this issue remains at the forefront of our national dialogue to address the mental health needs among communities of color and especially among BIPOC youth. It remains critical that we, as a nation, commit to prioritizing saving the lives of our children---the future of our nation depends on it," Espaillat concluded. Bebe Moore Campbell was an author, co-founder of the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Urban Los Angeles, and advocate for mental health education and support among individuals of diverse communities. In 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives designated the month of July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in recognition of Campbell's work and advocacy to address the mental health needs of individuals around the nation.   Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his third term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Second Vice Chair and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where he serves as Deputy Whip. Representative Espaillat also currently serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.