May is Mental Health Awareness Month
NAMI Proc 2023 - Copy Mental Health Proc Scan 2023 copy - Copy

The Board of Commissioners on May 3, 2023, issued a Proclamation for "Mental Health Awareness Month",  as nearly one in five adults and one in five adolescents in the United States live with a mental illness; and mental health impacts a person’s emotional, social, environmental, financial and overall well-being, with significant disparities among racially and ethnically diverse communities.


Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for 15-to-24-year-olds, with teenagers experiencing a 17.3% increase in the use of anxiety medications since 2010.

Counties are well-positioned to lead action on the mental health crisis because counties play an integral role in local health, justice and human services systems. Direct mental health service delivery responsibilities are falling increasingly to America’s counties, who serve as the nation’s safety net for residents in need, act as first responders, operate crisis lines, and manage public hospitals and detention centers.

(Pictured above are Commissioner Jerry Notarianni, NAMI Northeast Region PA Executive Director, Marie Onukiavage, and Commissioner Chris Chermak)