IMMEDIATE ADOPTION
Number
240816
Version
ORIGINAL
Reference
220294, 231294
Sponsor
ALD. TAYLOR
Title
Resolution designating November as Veterans’ Mental Health and Suicide Awareness Month in Milwaukee.
Analysis
This resolution designates November, commencing November, 2024, as an annual Veterans’ Mental Health and Suicide Awareness Month to promote awareness of veterans’ mental health challenges and suicides risks. This resolution further urges the Department of Employee Relations and the Health Department to promote awareness of veterans’ mental health challenges and suicide risks among City employees and Milwaukee residents, respectively.
Body
Whereas, A veteran is “a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable”, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Verification Assistance Brief from October, 2019; and
Whereas, The RAND Corporation’s 2017 research finds that Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans since 2001 have greater risk of cognitive and mental health challenges than non-veterans, with up to 15% of veterans experiencing depression, up to 20% experiencing posttraumatic stress disorder, up to 23% having a traumatic brain injury, up to 39% having issues with alcohol dependence, 44% having difficulty adjusting to civilian life, 47% feeling sudden outbursts of anger, and 48% having strains in family life; and
Whereas, Wisconsin veterans’ suicide rate is 31.9 per 100,000, compared with a suicide rate of 18.8 per 100,000 among the state’s general population, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2021 Wisconsin Veterans Suicide Data Sheet; and
Whereas, The city of Milwaukee’s 16,708 veteran residents have higher unemployment and disability rates than the city’s non-veteran residents, as well as higher unemployment and poverty rates than veterans throughout Wisconsin, according to 2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, potentially reflecting and reinforcing Milwaukee veterans’ relatively high risk of mental health challenges; and
Whereas, Limited awareness of available resources is a barrier to addressing veterans’ mental health challenges and suicide risks, with 72% of veterans reporting knowledge of the VA’s Vet Centers for readjustment counseling, 65% reporting knowledge of the VA’s Veterans Crisis Line, and 54% reporting knowledge of the VA’s Center for Suicide Prevention, according to a 2018 nationally representative veterans survey published in Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research; and
Whereas, An example of initiatives to build awareness is the #22PushupChallenge, started in 2013 for individuals to post social media videos of themselves doing 22 pushups in order to raise awareness of how an estimated 22 veterans per day died from suicide in 2010; and
Whereas, Many Milwaukee first responders and veterans already participate in the #22PushupChallenge, according to a 2023 WISN article, suggesting that the City has an opportunity to build on local engagement in the areas of veterans mental health and suicide awareness; and
Whereas, An example of building upon this engagement is how the Wisconsin Legislature, including several representatives from districts that include the city of Milwaukee, advocated in a July, 2024, letter that Wisconsin’s federal legislators move to recognize November officially as Veterans’ Mental Health and Suicide Awareness Month; and
Whereas, Designating November as Veterans’ Mental Health and Suicide Awareness Month also has strong support from the Veterans Community Project, a Missouri-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization that is developing a specialized village of 40 tiny homes and on-site, wraparound services for unhoused veterans at 6767 North 60th Street in Milwaukee under Common Council File Numbers 220924 and 231294, adopted and passed on July 12, 2022, and March 19, 2024, respectively; and
Whereas, This designation also has support from the Milwaukee Department of Employee Relations, whose responsibilities include administration of the City’s wellness services, and the Milwaukee Health Department, whose responsibilities include provision of emergency health resources within the community; and
Whereas, Milwaukee County Veteran Services, which helps veterans and their families navigate federal and state benefits, further supports this designation; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the month of November is designated annually as Veterans’ Mental Health and Suicide Awareness Month; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Department of Employee Relations and the Health Department are encouraged to promote awareness of veterans’ mental health challenges and suicide risks among City employees and Milwaukee residents, respectively; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Common Council urges all Milwaukee residents to become more informed about the signs and symptoms of veterans’ mental health challenges and suicide risks, as well as the various medical and support resources that are available in the city of Milwaukee; and, be it
Further resolved, That the City Clerk shall forward a copy of this resolution to Peace for Change Alliance, Inc., a Milwaukee-based organization dedicated to building a safe, prosperous, and educated community, to Milwaukee’s delegation to the Wisconsin Legislature, and to Milwaukee’s delegation to the U.S. Congress.
Drafter
Ned Littlefield
LRB 180143-1
09/19/2024