MAY 7 th , 2024
INFORMATION. SO, WE HAVE SOME OF OUR PROFESSIONALS HERE WHO 1
WILL SPEAK. I'D LIKE TO INVITE MY FELLOW SUPERVISOR, VINCE 2
SARMIENTO IF YOU HAVE A FEW WORDS TO SAY. 3
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VICENTE SARMIENTO: THANK YOU, MR. VICE CHAIR, THANK YOU, 5
CHAIR, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD. YOU KNOW, I'VE NEVER BEEN 6
GOOD AT PUTTING PINS ON. I LIKE THOSE MAGNETIC ONES THAT YOU 7
DON'T HAVE TO PRICK YOURSELF IN THE FINGER. I DO WANT TO ECHO 8
WHAT'S BEEN SAID ALREADY. THIS MONTH IS FOCUSED ON FOSTERING 9
CONVERSATIONS ON THE SILENT STRUGGLES THAT MANY INDIVIDUALS 10
EXPERIENCE AT ONE POINT IN THEIR LIVES. AND THAT, I THINK, IS 11
REALLY THE MOST MEANINGFUL PART OF THIS WHOLE AWARENESS IS 12
THAT THERE ARE SO MANY THAT MAY PUT ON A VEILED FACE OF 13
STRENGTH, OF BEING FINE, YOU KNOW, THAT BRAVE FIGHT, BUT 14
THERE'S A STRUGGLE GOING ON SILENTLY WITHIN MANY OF US, AND 15
MANY OF THOSE THAT WE LOVE AROUND US. HAVING WITNESSED IT, 16
SOME PEOPLE CAN BE VERY STRONG ABOUT NOT SHOWING SOME SIGNS. 17
IT BEHOOVES US TO MAKE SURE WE DIG DEEPER, WE CHECK ON PEOPLE, 18
NOT JUST SUPERFICIALLY BUT IN A UNITED WAY. SUICIDE IS THE 19
SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH FOR PEOPLE BETWEEN THE AGES OF 20
10 AND 34 IN THE U.S. IT'S IMPACTING ALL ETHNICITIES AND 21
GENDERS WITH AN UPWARD TREND AMONG LATINO POPULATIONS AND 22
ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUTH IN THE UNITED STATES. ONLY 36% OF 23
LATINOS RECEIVED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES COMPARED TO NON- 24
HISPANIC WHITES WHO RECEIVE IT AT 52%. WE KNOW THAT MENTAL 25
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