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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Mental health includes emotional, psychological,
3and social well-being; it affects how people think, feel, and
4act; it also affects how we handle stress, relate to others,
5and make choices; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Mental health disorders are health conditions
7that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or
8behavior, or some combination thereof, and are associated with
9distress or impaired functioning; and
 
10    WHEREAS, One in six U.S. youth aged six to 17 experience a
11mental health disorder each year; and
 
12    WHEREAS, LGBTQ youth experience mental health disorders at
13a significantly higher rate; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Bullying can affect one's mental health, both in
15the short term and later in life; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Bullying is a prevalent issue among youth ages 12
17to 18 years old, with 35% and 15% of that age group reporting
18involvement in traditional bullying and cyberbullying,
19respectively; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Suicide is the second leading cause of death
2among people aged 10 to 34 and the 10th leading cause of death
3in the United States; and
 
4    WHEREAS, The University of Illinois' 2018 Illinois Youth
5Survey found that 58% of 12th grade students used alcohol,
6tobacco, inhalants, or marijuana in the past year; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Interactions with their peers is a major
8component of a student's daily life; school days last for an
9average of 6.5 hours, and Illinois requires a minimum of 176
10school attendance days each school year; therefore, students
11are exposed to their peers for a minimum of 1,144 hours each
12year; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Schools are the most effective and efficient
14places to teach youths to identify, understand, and respond to
15signs of substance use and mental health disorders in
16themselves and among their peers; schools can provide
17meaningful instruction to students on how to help someone who
18is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental
19health crisis; therefore, be it
 
20    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
21HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
22SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we urge Illinois schools to

 

 

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1provide education for all students in grades six to 12 on how
2to identify, understand, and respond to signs of addictions
3and mental illnesses, as well as provide instruction on how to
4help someone who is developing a mental health problem or
5experiencing a mental health crisis; and be it further
 
6    RESOLVED, That we commend the National Council for
7Behavioral Health and the Illinois Association for Behavioral
8Health for their work in developing and directing teen Mental
9Health First Aid training programs for schools; and be it
10further
 
11    RESOLVED, That we commend Amos Alonzo Stagg High School,
12the Paris Union School District, and Clinton High School for
13participating in the first nationwide pilot programs of teen
14Mental Health First Aid training for schools; and be it
15further
 
16    RESOLVED, That we commend Operation Snowball, the Human
17Resources Center of Edgar and Clark Counties, and the Heritage
18Behavioral Health Center for participating in the first
19nationwide teen Mental Health First Aid instructor trainings;
20and be it further
 
21    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
22presented to the National Council for Behavioral Health, the

 

 

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1Illinois Association for Behavioral Health, Amos Alonzo Stagg
2High School, the Paris Union School District, Clinton High
3School, Operation Snowball, the Human Resources Center of
4Edgar and Clark Counties, and the Heritage Behavioral Health
5Center.