I wanted to give you a little more information about the purpose of Mental Health Advocacy Day at the Capitol on May 27, and about why I hope you will be there.
The purpose of this event is to raise public awareness about mental illness. Did you know that people who have schizophrenia, and we're talking about one percent of the population and millions of people in California, typically suffer for six years before they get treatment?
In almost every case, people with this mental illness are on the street, in a hospital, or in jail before they get help. For those who land in jail, the mental health slots are very often full when they are released.
Yet, this is a very treatable condition. If people get help within the first weeks or months of onset of this mental illness, they do not need more than what private insurance will cover. If they do not get treatment early on, they will usually lose their jobs and often their homes and close relationships. That is just unacceptable.
This mental illness, in almost all cases, happens between the ages 10 and 30. For men the onset is typically in the late teens or early 20's. For women, the onset is typically in their late 20's.
The purpose of Mental Health Advocacy Day is to raise awareness so that the millions of people in California who have this mental illness, or another mental illnesses, do not suffer unnecessarily.
We want to raise awareness so that people recognize the symptoms of mental illnesses before they become severe and disabling. And we want everyone who has a vote - in the Legislature or at the polls - to understand the importance of this issue.
Please join me at the Capitol for this important Advocacy Day. We need to raise awareness about mental illness and about the fact that we can prevent unnecessary suffering. And we need to help everyone understand how important it is that we establish a dedicated funding source to treat mental illness.
Finally, a big, successful Advocacy Day will help us build support and momentum to pass the initiative in November.
So please mark your calendars and plan to be in Sacramento on May 27!
Click here to sign up or get more information >>
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