; Whereas roughly 20 to 50 percent of all prison and jail inmates are diagnosed with a mental illness; Whereas mental illness is the leading cause of disability in the Nation; Whereas untreated mental illness is a leading cause of absenteeism and presenteeism resulting in lost earnings and productivity in the workplace and costs the United States economy over $193 billion per year in lost earnings; Whereas suicide is the second-leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34; Whereas 1 in 4 Latino adolescent girls report contemplating suicide, a rate higher than any other demographic; Whereas Native Americans currently rank as the top ethnicity for suicide rates among young people nationwide; Whereas studies report that people with serious mental illness die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general population; Whereas those with mental illness are 11 times more likely to be the victims of crime and abuse; Whereas the delay between a first episode of psychosis and onset of treatment is an average of 70 weeks; Whereas stigma, shame, and discrimination associated with mental illness continue to persist; Whereas recovery-oriented interventions such as supported employment, supported housing, and supported education have been shown to improve outcomes; Whereas the faith community may provide a vital link in ministering and serving individuals and families in need of mental health services; Whereas individuals connected to peer support services are better connected to their community and services and utilize crisis and emergency services less; and Whereas it would be appropriate to observe May 2018 as Mental Health Month : Now, therefore, be it