WHEREAS, Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being and affects how we think, feel, and act, including how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices; and

WHEREAS, Mental health allows us to maintain relationships, take care of ourselves and our families, take care of our physical bodies, and respond and adapt to daily life changes; and

WHEREAS, Nearly 20 percent of children and young people 3 to 17 years of age, inclusive, in the United States have a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder; and

WHEREAS, One in five adolescents 12 to 17 years of age, inclusive, have had a major depressive episode in the past year; and

WHEREAS, The number of deaths by suicide increased by 8 percent from 2011 to 2022; and

WHEREAS, Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people 10 to 34 years of age, inclusive, and the 11th leading cause of death in the United States overall; and

WHEREAS, A lack of mental health awareness leads to devastating impacts on the well-being of individuals and society; and

WHEREAS, Evidence-based mental and behavioral health training teaches adults how to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges in youth and adults and provides skills to use a five-step action plan to help someone who may be facing a mental health challenge or crisis, such as suicide; and

WHEREAS, Adolescent mental health first aid trainings are proven to reduce stigma and teach teens how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among their friends and peers; now, therefore, be it