[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 40 (Monday, October 11, 1993)]
[Pages 2009-2010]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 6603--Mental Illness Awareness Week, 1993

 October 5, 1993

By the President of the United States

of America

A Proclamation

     Almost 50 million Americans have serious emotional disorders or 
illnesses. The economic and human costs of these disorders are 
staggering. Treatment expenses and lost productivity cost the United 
States over one hundred billion dollars a year. The pain and suffering 
caused by mental illness are immeasurable for the individuals afflicted 
and their families.
    The consequences of untreated mental illnesses and emotional 
disturbances are clear. Suicide is 30 times more common among people who 
are clinically depressed than among the general population. Persons with 
mental illness often live in poverty and are at risk for homelessness 
and disease. The mentally ill may find themselves in jail or prison, not 
for any criminal act, but rather because no other facilities are 
available to respond to psychiatric emergencies.

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    Research has led to major advances, not only in the development of 
treatments for mental illnesses, but also in the understanding of the 
needs of the individuals who live with mental illnesses. With 
appropriate care and support, many people who have these disorders can 
live productive and fulfilling lives. Unfortunately, less than one-third 
of all individuals in need of mental health services actually receive 
appropriate care. Children, probably the most vulnerable among the 
mentally ill population, are the least likely to receive care, with less 
than one-fifth of those in need of services receiving them. The barriers 
to effective treatment are numerous. Individuals may be unaware that 
treatment can help them or may be hesitant to seek help for fear of 
discrimination or ridicule. In many instances, individuals actually lack 
access to appropriate services. We must work to remove the stigma of 
mental illness and to educate the public about the availability and 
effectiveness of mental health treatment.
    The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), a component of the 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the 
Department of Health and Human Services, was created in 1992 to provide 
vigorous Federal leadership in the development and delivery of mental 
health services. CMHS plays a unique role in working with other Federal 
agencies and departments whose programs and policies affect the lives of 
the mentally ill, their families, and their communities. CMHS also works 
closely with State and local governments and the private sector to 
guarantee continuity, integration of services, and access to 
comprehensive systems of care. CMHS supports policy studies, 
evaluations, and assessments on service delivery issues that are 
critical for Federal, State, and local policymakers as they organize and 
finance systems of care.
    In recognition of the importance of improving the delivery of mental 
health services and of educating the American public about the needs of 
individuals with mental illness, the Congress, by Senate Joint 
Resolution 61, has designated the week of October 3 through October 9, 
1993, as Mental Illness Awareness Week.
    Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United 
States of America, do hereby proclaim the week beginning October 3, 
1993, as Mental Illness Awareness Week. I call upon all citizens of the 
United States to observe this week with ceremonies and activities to 
increase the Nation's understanding and acceptance of people with mental 
illness and to encourage recognition of their need for a broad array of 
treatment services.
    In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of 
October, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-three, and 
of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and 
eighteenth.
                                            William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:31 a.m., October 6, 
1993]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on October 
7.