http://www.mhatexas.

org/
MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA OF TEXAS
1210 San Antonio Street, Suite 204
Austin, Texas 78701

F o r m o r e t h a n 8 0 y e a r s , w e ’ v e w o r k e d t o t r a n s f o r m t h e s ys t e m s t h a t p r o m o t e m e n t a l
health, prevent mental disorders and substance abuse, and achieve recovery from
mental illness and addictions through innovative education, advocacy and services.

Statement from Mental Health America of Texas

Mental Health America of Texas (MHAT), which has served as a voice for mental health advocacy and
education in Texas since 1935, is suspending operations effective Friday, August 18, 2017.

This decision by the organization’s Board of Directors was driven by financial considerations. It had become
apparent that continuing to operate would have resulted in the organization being unable to meet its remaining
financial obligations based on the information available to the Board.

For the past several years, MHAT operated under significant financial stress, and that stress became more acute
last year. While our Board and our staff team took many steps to remedy the situation, allowing operations to
continue until now, those steps were not enough to avert this decision.

We are working toward an orderly wind-down of our business affairs, will continue to perform certain essential
responsibilities after August 18, and will make further determinations concerning the organization’s future as
necessary between now and the end of 2017.

We believe it important to separate this decision from all of the other extraordinary work that is being
performed to improve mental health service delivery at the state and local levels in Texas. We are grateful for
the efforts of the 2017 Texas Legislature that reflect a continuing bi-partisan commitment to mental
health. Texas is making progress, and while there was a time when MHAT was the sole voice on these issues,
there are now many voices that will carry on this important work.

Finally, we extend our sincere gratitude to the many supporters, donors and advocates who have fueled our very
important mission for many decades. It is their energy and commitment that has allowed this movement to gain
strength and grow into a common cause for so many Texans.

End the Stigma

Working together we can end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental
illness. It starts with understanding.

First, we must recognize that mental illness is just that—an illness. Like most diseases of the body, mental
illness has many causes – from genetics to other biological, environmental and social / cultural factors. And
those who suffer from a mental illness are not mentally deficient; they just have an illness that hinders their
ability to function normally in a certain part of the brain.

1
One in four Americans live with a mental disorder and estimates indicate that nearly two-thirds of all people
with a diagnosable mental illness do not seek treatment. But when shame is removed from the equation, people
with mental illness will more readily seek treatment, achieve recovery and engage in meaningful activities.

Physical illness is just part of life. People get diagnosed with an illness, seek treatment and most of the time,
they get better. But those living with a mental illness are seen as untreatable – or worse. They often have to hide
their illnesses from people, sometimes even their own family members. The stigma they live with is the largest
obstacle to recovery, treatment and societal acceptance for people living with mental illness.

What Can You Do?

Be Mindful of Your Words: Using words like “psycho” or “nut” may be hurtful.

Educate Yourself: Myths exist about mental illness that contribute to stigma. Learn the facts.

Be Compassionate: Small acts of kindness speak volumes. Don’t stand by if someone is being labeled or
bullied. Treat a person who has a mental illness with kindness through a friendly smile or a helping hand.

Listen: Sometimes a person suffering from a mental illness just needs someone to listen.

Talk About It: Mental illness touches all of us in some way whether directly or indirectly. So break the silence
and start a dialogue. A good place to start is OkaytoSay.org.

Bully ing
Although it has always been around, bullying should never be accepted as normal behavior. The feelings
experienced by victims of bullying are painful and lasting. Bullies, if not stopped, can progress to more serious,
antisocial behavior. Recent incidents of school violence show that bullying can have tragic consequences for
individuals, families, schools, and entire communities.

Bullying is aggressive behavior. A child is targeted by one or more youths with repeated negative actions over a
period of time. These are intentional attempts to cause discomfort or injury and can include name-calling,
making faces, obscene gesturing, malicious teasing, threats, rumors, physical hitting, kicking, pushing, and
choking. More subtle is simply excluding a child from the group. Generally, bullying occurs when there’s an
imbalance of power favoring the bully. Victims usually feel they don’t have the strength to defend themselves.
Make no mistake, bullying is a form of violence that shouldn’t be tolerated.

SEE THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM

 The Journal of the American Medical Association recently reported that one-third of U.S. students
experience bullying, either as a target or a perpetrator.
 A high level of parents (47%) and teachers (77%) report children victimized by bullies. [1]

2
  Bullying and violence cause 160,000 fearful children to miss one or more school days each month. [2]
 Only a small percentage of children believe that telling adults will help. Children generally feel that
adult intervention is ineffective and will only bring more harassment.[3]

SPOT THE BULLIES

 They are both boys and girls. Boys bully more often and more physically than girls. Girls are more
likely to use rejection and slander.
 Bullies usually pick on others out of frustration with their own lives. They target other children because
they need a victim who is weaker than them.
 While they may feel uneasy about it, many children tease their peers simply to go along with the crowd.
 Bullies sometimes suffer from depression. [4] They’re often from homes where harsh punishment and
inconsistent discipline are used. [5] Sixty percent of male bullies will be arrested by age 24. [6]

KNOW THEIR TARGETS

 Girls and boys alike are targeted.

 Those who are physically different in race, body size, or clothing. Those with disabilities or those who
are dealing with sexual orientation issues. Both groups are kids who are typically anxious, insecure, and
suffering from low self-esteem. This makes them good targets.
 There are few differences among racial and ethnic groups in the numbers of students being bullied.
White and black students are more likely to report it than others. [7]

Three million U.S. teenagers have serious problems in school because they’re taunted with anti-gay
slurs. [8]According to several surveys, four out of five gay and lesbian students say they don’t know one
supportive adult at school. They say teachers ignore harassment 97 percent of the time. [9]

TAKE STEPS TO STOP IT

 Start early. Parent/child talks are critical. Teach kids to respect others before they start school and
continue to talk about this topic on an ongoing basis. Even small acts of teasing should be stopped in
their tracks. Don’t fail to correct this kind of behavior due to a child’s young age. This is exactly when
to stop it.
 Teach your children how to be assertive. Encourage your children to express their feelings clearly, say
no when they feel uncomfortable or pressured, stand up for themselves without fighting, and walk away
in dangerous situations. Bullies are less likely to intimidate children who are confident and resourceful.
 Stop bullying when you see it. Adults who remain silent when children are bullying others give
permission to the behavior and thereby encourage it.
 Tell your children to take action when they see bullying behavior. Tell them to speak out against the
bully and inform a teacher if the behavior doesn’t stop. Bullying continues only when we allow it to.
 Communicate clear policies and consequences. Bullying is less likely in schools where adults are
involved and firm about stopping bullying behaviors. Send out a clear message at your school that
bullying will have negative consequences.
 Team up. Work with your PTA or local mental health association to make sure that schools treat
bullying as violence. Help them develop programs to prevent bullying and promote safe school
environments.