by Diane Stein, President, Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Florida | Apr 3, 2026
Introduction Florida’s children are at the center of an urgent and growing crisis — not one of mental illness, but one of systemic psychiatric overreach, parental rights violations, dangerous drug prescriptions, and the misuse of state law. The Citizens...
by CCHR Florida | Mar 20, 2026 | Children and Teens, Mental Health Screening, Parental Rights, Rights
The Mirabelli v. Bonta ruling can be invoked in every state as a binding U.S. Supreme Court precedent on parents’ constitutional rights to direct their children’s upbringing, including involvement in major mental‑health and gender‑identity decisions at...
by CCHR Florida | Jul 14, 2025
Helping children in crisis and reducing youth suicide are two areas of concern that everyone agrees must be addressed. Unfortunately, the solutions of the past (screenings, more funding, the Baker Acting of kids) have not worked. Prior to 1997, existing...
by CCHR Florida | Jun 18, 2025 | Uncategorized
At the peak in 2020/2021, there were almost 40,000 Baker Acts, involuntary psychiatric examinations, involving children with the Suncoast Region (Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas, Pasco, DeSoto, and Sarasota counties) having the greatest occurrences. CLEARWATER, FL,...
by CCHR Florida | Feb 7, 2025 | Children and Teens, Mental Health Screening, Suicide & Violence
This February during Children’s Mental Health Week, when industry attention and advertising is focused on children, parents should take a moment to examine what is actually happening in our schools to solicit potential new patients through mental health screening. So...
by CCHR Florida | Jan 17, 2024 | Children and Teens, ECT, Legislation, Mental Illness
Today’s doctors are struggling to treat psychological problems and despite that, we are still using electroshock — even on children. In 2003, Dr. Loren Mosher and Professor David Cohen wrote a brief paper, “The Ethics of Electroconvulsive Therapy.”...
by CCHR Florida | Nov 2, 2022 | Baker Act, Parental Rights, Rights
Recognized for their outstanding work, CCHR organized a campaign that helped pass key pieces of legislation protecting children and parental rights. On October 12th, the Florida chapter of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) took home the 2022 Platinum...
by CCHR Florida | May 24, 2022 | Baker Act, Parental Rights
The international Social Impact Awards honor communicators who use their platforms to better their community and the global community at large. The Florida chapter of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) received the 2022 Social Impact Award for their work...
by CCHR Florida | Jul 1, 2021 | Baker Act - Find Out More button
In 2021, the passage of the School Safety Bill, amended Florida law to require parental/guardian notification prior to the initiation of a Baker Act on a minor child. The intention behind these revisions was to reduce the number of inappropriate Baker Acts on children...
by CCHR Florida | Apr 7, 2021 | Baker Act, Legislation, Parental Rights
Over 37,000 Baker Acts were initiated in Florida on children during 2018/2019 and advocates are demanding a change to the law to protect children from abuse. The Florida mental health law, commonly called the Baker Act, allows for individuals of all ages to be taken...
by CCHR Florida | Mar 10, 2021 | Baker Act, Children and Teens, Legislation, Parental Rights
The Baker Act has been a formidable survivor of reformation and according to the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, changes to protect children are needed. Decades of abuse and loss of parental rights follow in the wake of the Baker Act. And despite demands for...
by CCHR Florida | Feb 17, 2021 | Baker Act, Children and Teens, Psychiatric Abuse
Baker Act abuse runs rampant and calls for reformation are resounding from press to parents. CCHR says it is time for change, one that is a long time coming. Fifty years of Baker Act abuse and maltreatment is more than enough for Florida citizens, practitioners, and...
by CCHR Florida | Jan 25, 2021
Join an instructional webinar for child advocates regarding the foster care system and the Baker Act. About this Event Please join us as we discuss options of improvement for the overall system and neglected children’s rights. In the United States, 470,000...
by CCHR Florida | Dec 23, 2020 | Baker Act, Parental Rights
The series explores the how outraged parents and advocates are fighting to stop the abusive use of this law on children. WUSF recently completed a five-part series regarding Florida’s mental health law also known as the Baker Act. Although this law was not written for...
by CCHR Florida | Dec 16, 2020 | Baker Act, Children and Teens, Parental Rights
Over 37,000 involuntary examinations, called a Baker Act, were initiated on children in Florida during 2018/2019. According to a report released this week by the Baker Act Reporting Center, there were over 210,000 involuntary psychiatric examinations initiated during...