[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 87 (Tuesday, May 5, 2020)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 26825-26827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09737]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 87 / Tuesday, May 5, 2020 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 26825]]
Proclamation 10020 of April 30, 2020
National Mental Health Awareness Month, 2020
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
This year, National Mental Health Awareness Month
coincides with one of the most complex and challenging
periods in our Nation's recent history--combatting the
coronavirus pandemic. Not only has the virus caused
immense physical suffering and loss for many people, it
has also resulted in mental and emotional hardship. The
stress and worry over the health and safety of family
and friends, forced isolation, and financial distress
can all result in anxiety, depression, substance misuse
and abuse, and, tragically, even suicide. There is no
question this is a difficult and unprecedented time for
Americans. Yet, we know that there are ways to help
people cope during these uncertain times, and we are
committed to caring for those in need.
Mental illness can affect anyone and can develop at any
time. Its effects spread well beyond the individual to
family, friends, and coworkers. As a Nation, we must
fight the stigmas surrounding mental illness and
empower those affected by emotional distress and their
loved ones to seek care. We also recommit to
strengthening our efforts to ensure every individual
living with a mental illness, including children and
young adults, our Nation's fastest growing population
diagnosed with behavioral, mental, or emotional issues,
receives the care and treatment they need to enjoy the
blessings of a fulfilling and productive life.
One of my first actions in response to the pandemic was
to ensure easy access to vital medical resources.
Expanded access to medical care through telemedicine is
essential to fighting the virus. Through the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES)
Act, we have simplified access to health care and
treatment without fear of the transmission of COVID-19
and other illnesses. By expanding Medicare telehealth
coverage for the duration of the public health
emergency, we have enabled our most vulnerable and
high-risk populations to access important medical care
from the comfort and safety of their home.
Additionally, we have given $19.6 billion to the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to further support
our veterans through this crisis. This funding covers
things like expanded telehealth services, including for
mental health, and additional access to the VA Video
Connect app, which offers a free, secure, virtual
platform for patients to receive direct care from their
VA medical providers through video.
Providing an uninterrupted connection to essential
mental health treatment and social support groups
through telehealth technology can be lifesaving,
especially for the more than 11 million American adults
who struggle with serious mental illnesses such as
bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or major depressive
disorder. That is one of the reasons I have overseen a
historic expansion of telehealth services to give
people in need easier access to mental health
treatments, crisis interventions, and other vital
resources. We must continue to find innovative ways to
link doctors, nurse practitioners, physician
assistants, clinical psychologists, and licensed
clinical social workers to people who need their help.
As President, it is my top priority to ensure the
health and wellness of all Americans, especially during
the present crisis. Through the Community
[[Page 26826]]
Mental Health Services Block Grant program, the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA) provides critical funding to
every State to support community services for adults
with serious mental illnesses and children with
significant emotional disturbances. Through these
grants, States and communities have increased ability
to make substantial improvements in treatment delivery
and to greatly expand access to those in need of
behavioral healthcare services. As the virus began to
take hold, I ensured that SAMHSA very quickly began
releasing $360 million in emergency grant funding to
provide Americans with substance use treatment and
mental health services. Additionally, to help meet the
needs of Americans during this crisis, I authorized the
Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency
Management Agency to make crisis counseling and
training services available to States hardest hit
through the Stafford Act.
Tragically some individuals feel their problems are
insurmountable, lose their will and hope, and succumb
to suicide. We must prevent these tragedies. The
Federal Communications Commission has designated a
national three-digit number for suicide prevention to
connect directly to the National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline. The proposed abbreviated number, 988, would
make crisis help more widely available to Americans.
Additionally, in March of 2019, I signed an Executive
Order to establish the President's Roadmap to Empower
Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide
(PREVENTS), which unites State and local governments,
faith communities, employers, schools, and healthcare
organizations through a whole-of-government and whole-
of-Nation approach to provide world-class, evidence-
based tactics for veteran suicide prevention. Rather
than waiting for veterans in need to seek help, this
program actively empowers veteran communities through
local and national support networks. In response to the
current crisis, the PREVENTS initiative--with Second
Lady Karen Pence as Lead Ambassador--has launched the
#MoreThanEverBefore campaign to encourage all Americans
to compassionately reach out to veterans in need. My
fiscal year 2021 budget requests $313 million--a 32-
percent increase from the enacted fiscal year 2020
level--to support and sustain these initiatives. My
Administration will always champion policies and
treatments to help all Americans appreciate the full
and abundant potential of life.
No American should ever feel alone. Let us recommit to
lifting up our struggling friends, family members, and
neighbors with the touch of humanity. There is always
the promise of recovery, healing, and renewal.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do hereby proclaim May 2020 as National
Mental Health Awareness Month. I call upon all
Americans to support citizens suffering from mental
illnesses, raise awareness of mental health conditions
through appropriate programs and activities, and commit
our Nation to innovative prevention, diagnosis, and
treatment.
[[Page 26827]]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and forty-fourth.
(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2020-09737
Filed 5-4-20; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F0-P