PTSI Awareness Month Proclaimed

Senate Resolution No. 2556 BY: Senator PARKER MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim June 2017, as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Month, and June 27, 2017, as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day in the State of New York WHEREAS, The brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces who proudly serve the United States and risk their lives to protect our freedom deserve the investment of every possible resource to ensure their lasting physical, mental, and emotional well-being; and WHEREAS, All citizens possess the basic human right to the preservation of personal dignity; and WHEREAS, The diagnosis now known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was first defined to commonly and more accurately understand and treat veterans who had endured severe traumatic combat stress; and WHEREAS, Combat operational stress has historically been viewed as a mental illness caused by a pre-existing flaw of character and/or ability; the term Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) carries a stigma that perpetuates this misconception; and WHEREAS, Post-traumatic stress can occur after experiencing a severely traumatic event to include sexual assault, child abuse, high-impact collisions and crashes, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and military combat; and WHEREAS, Referring to the complications from post-traumatic stress as a disorder perpetuates the stigma of and bias against mental illness, and the stigma discourages those suffering from post-traumatic stress from seeking proper and timely medical treatment; and WHEREAS, Making the condition less stigmatizing and more honorable can favorably influence those affected and encourage them to seek help without fear of retribution or shame; and WHEREAS, Proper and timely treatment can diminish suicide rates; and WHEREAS, All citizens suffering from post-traumatic stress injury deserve our compassion and consideration, those who have received these wounds in action against an enemy of the United States further deserve our tribute and acknowledgement; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim June 2017, as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Month and June 27, 2017, as Post-Traumatic Stress Injury Awareness Day in the State of New York; and be it further RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause further to respectfully urge the Department of Health, the Department of Mental Health, the Division of Military and Naval Affairs and the Division of Veterans' Affairs to continue to work to educate the victims of abuse, crime and natural disasters, service members, veterans and their families, the general public, about the causes, symptoms, and treatment of post-traumatic stress injury; and be it further RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York, and Colonel Eric J. Hesse, (Retired), Director of the New York State Division of Veterans' Affairs.