Where do we begin to establish a “More Perfect Union”…Race? Politics? Religion? Since we are more alike than we are different, I recommend “Togetherness”. I say we begin working on issues that affect all genders, all races and all communities in order to have a “More Perfect Union”.

When it comes to mental illness, we are a country divided right down the middle between those that have mental illness and those that don’t; between communities that must educate children with mental illnesses and communities that don’t. There has been a long-standing problem with stigma being associated with mental health, which has plagued our society and has divided our country by silence. This leaves families feeling ashamed, helpless, alone, and untreated.

With incarceration rates at an all-time high in the U.S., we see mental health issues not only drawing a close parallel to the criminal justice system but actually being placed on a direct collision course with the criminal justice system.  The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMH) reports that, “In a mental health crisis, people are more likely to encounter police than get medical help. Two million people with mental illness are booked into jails each year.”