FACES | Family Advocacy Creating Education and Services

FACTS ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS

Mental illnesses are biologically based brain disorders. Like a thyroid disorder and diabetes, they must be treated medically and have nothing to do with moral fortitude.
1 in 4 American families has a loved one with a serious brain disorder.
Family members suffer along with the individual who experiences the illness.
Of those affected by mental illness, 50% will experience the onset of the brain disorder before the age of 15.
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in the 10 to 24-year-old age group in Virginia, which is 6% higher than the national average.
Over 90% of all suicides are the result of untreated or improperly treated brain disorders.
Stigma surrounding mental illness prevents people from seeking treatment.
Recovery is possible with appropriate medications, counseling, and supportive services.

http://legis.state.va.us/1_cit_guide/contacting_my.html
Virginia General Assembly. Find out who your representatives are and what they stand for, read the newspaper, volunteer in your community, be aware of issues and how they affect you; realize that you can initiate change and remember that every vote counts. Your vote and your voice can always make a difference! Want to find out who your legislator is and how to contact them? Search for your representative using your address. Also read SB177 (Assisted outpatient treatment program; established for severely mentally ill) and SB246 (Involuntary commitment; establishes new standard for outpatient commitment).
http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org
The Treatment Advocacy Center is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating barriers to the timely and effective treatment of severe mental illnesses. TAC promotes laws, policies, and practices for the delivery of psychiatric care and supports the development of innovative treatments for and research into the causes of severe and persistent psychiatric illnesses, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
www.fightsma.org
Andrew's Buddies Corporation (also known as "FightSMA") was created to accelerate the search for a treatment and cure for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the number-one inherited cause of infant death. The organization pursues this objective by raising awareness and funding for SMA research.