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.