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June 23, 2022
MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION #22-252
Sponsored By: Janet Jackson, Charles Cavell. Marcia Gershenson, Michael Gingell, Robert Hoffman. Karen
Joliat, Adam Kochenderfer, Eileen Kowall. Christine Long, Penny Luebs, Gwen Markham, Gal} McGillivray,
Angela Powell, William Miller III. Chick Moss, Kristen :Nelson. Yolanda Smith Charles, David Woodward,
Philip Weipert, Michael Spisz
Board of Commissioners - Resolution Recognizing July 2022 as Minority Mental Health Awareness
Month in Oakland County
Chairperson and Members of the Board:
WHEREAS July was designated, by U.S. Congrpss, as Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in 2008 to
bring a-vvareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face regarding mental illness in the United
States; and
«'HEREAS in July, the U,S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) launches outreach programs
to disseminate health information and education material designed for minority sectors of the population,
including Hispanics, Blacks, AsianiPacifre Islanders. as well as :Native Americans; and
WHEREAS the purpose of the national Minority Mental Health Awareness Month is to ensure that useful
information and technical assistance are available for patient education in response to minority population
requirements, particularly those in special care services like school. medical, community -based and work -site
locations: and
R'HEREAS it is also an opportunity for initiating discussions with minority and nonminority health experts,
organizations, state and local governments, academic institutions, and other entities from private and public
sectors in coming tip with means and ways of improving availability and accessibility of health professionals to
nllnority populations; and
WHEREAS mental illness affects approximately one in five American families, and people in diverse
populations are no exception; and
WHEREAS nearly two -thuds of people with a diagnosable mental illness do not seek treatment, and racial and
ethnic groups in the U.S. are even less likely to get help; and
WHEREAS the terni'minority' is traditionally associated with racial, ethnic, or cultural minorities: and
WHEREAS the Oakland Community Health Network (OCHN) also embraces individuals who have been
marginalized and underserved in the community. including those who may identify as part of the LGBTQ-
spectrum. Diversity and inclusion, according to OCHN; create a stigma -free environment; and
WHEREAS there are many issues that affect minority members' mental health. such as deep-seated systemic
racism and injustice affecting societal treatment towards minorities, as well as racial disparities in the mental
health system that can discourage some from getting the care they need; and
WHEREAS anyone can experience the challenges of mental illness regardless of their background. However,
background and identity can make access to mental health treatment much more difficult; and
WHEREAS according to the U.S. DHHS, minorities are less likely to receive diagnosis and treatment for their
mental illness, have less access to mental health services and often receive a poorer quality of mental health
care; and
WHEREAS it is vital to brine awareness towards minority mental health, especially with the ongoing C'OVID-
19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests that have caused a heightened ernotional and mental toll; and
WHEREAS as efforts to fix these issues continue to gain momentum, the need for awareness and to address the
minority mental health issues are crucial.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby
recognizes July 2022 as Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in Oakland County,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners urges Oakland County
residents to learn more about how mental health is perceived and addressed among minority groups.
Chairperson, the following Commissioners are sponsoring the foregoing Resolution: Janet Jackson, Charles
Cavell, -Marcia Gershenson, 'Michael Gingell, Robert Hoffman, Karen Joliat, Adam Kochenderfer, Eileen
Kowall, Christine Long, Penny Luebs, Gwen Markham, Gary McGillivray, Angela Powell, William
Miller III, Chuck Moss, Kristen Nelson, Yolanda Smith Charles, David Woodward, Philip Weipert,
Michael Spisz.
Q7d Date: June 30, 2022
David Woodward, Commissioner
Date: July 01, 2022
David Coulter, Oakland County Executive
$4, PJ
Date: July 01, 2022
Lisa Brown, County Clerk / Register of Deeds
COMMITTEE TRACKING
2022-06-23 Full Board - Request to suspend the Board Riles for immediate consideration tinder New Business
VOTE TRACKING
Motioned by Commissioner Janet Jackson seconded by Commissioner Yolanda Smith Charles to adopt the
attached Resolution: Recognizing July 2022 as Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in Oakland County.
Yes: David Woodward, Michael Gingell, Karen Joliat Kristen Nelson, Eileen Kowall, Christine Long,
Philip Weipert. Gwen Markham. Angela Powell, Thomas Kulrn, Chuck Moss. Marcia Gershenson. William
Miller III, Yolanda Smith Charles, Charles Cavell, Janet Jackson, Gary McGillivray, Robert Hoffman, Adam
Kochenderfer (19)
No: None (0)
Abstain: None (0)
Absent: (0)
Passed
ATTACHMENTS
None
STATE OF INUCHIGAN)
COUNTY OF OAKLAND)
I, Lisa Brown, Clerk of the County of Oakland, do hereby certify that tlue foregoing resolution is a true and
accurate copy of a resolution adopted by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners on June 23, 2022, with
the original record thereof now remaining in my office.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the Circuit Court at Pontiac,
Michigan our Thursday. June 23. 2022.
Lisu Brown, Oaklcmd ComitY Clerk 'Regisrer ofDeeds