CCHR Educates Thousands of Florida Families in a Campaign to Protect Children

CLEARWATER, Fla., June 07, 2017 -- Alarmed at the number of children being sent for involuntary psychiatric examination, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) of Florida, a non-profit mental health watchdog established by the Church of Scientology and Dr. Thomas Szasz, has educated some 150,000 families on their rights under the mental health law known as the Baker Act.

The Baker Act allows for the initiation of involuntary psychiatric examination of children without parental knowledge or consent and according to the Annual Report of Baker Act Data, 32,475 minors were sent for examination during fiscal year 2015 to 2016.ⁱ

“A recent analysis of the calls CCHR receives from parents revealed that over 70 percent of these children did not meet the criteria for a Baker Act,” said Diane Stein, President of CCHR Florida. “Despite not meeting the criteria, these kids were sent for involuntary psychiatric examination without parental consent.”

CCHR’s campaign educates parents on the existing law, their rights under that law, and provides families with a form they can fill out and file with their children’s school.  This form uses existing state law to help protect parental rights and can be downloaded on the CCHR Florida website at http://www.cchrflorida.org/florida-non-consent-forms/. Additionally, any person living in Florida who is interested in protecting children from abusive Baker Acting are encouraged to sign a petition to stop the involuntary examination of children without parental knowledge or consent at https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stop-involuntary-commitment-of-children. For more information on this campaign please contact CCHR at 727-442-8820 or visit the center at 109 N. Fort Harrison Ave in Clearwater, Florida.

About CCHR:
Initially established by the Church of Scientology and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz in 1969, CCHR’s mission is to eradicate abuses committed under the guise of mental health and enact patient and consumer protections. It was L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, who brought the terror of psychiatric imprisonment to the notice of the world.  In March 1969, he said, “Thousands and thousands are seized without process of law, every week, over the ‘free world’ tortured, castrated, killed.  All in the name of ‘mental health.’”  For more information please visit www.cchrflorida.org

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ⁱ The Baker Act The Florida Mental Health Act Fiscal Year 2015/2016 Annual Report, Released March 2017 – Prepared for the Florida Department of Children and Families by the Baker Act Reporting Center
http://www.usf.edu/cbcs/baker-act/documents/annual_report.pdf

Media Contact:
Diane Stein
President, CCHR Florida
727-442-8820
[email protected]
www.cchrflorida.org