Mental Health Awareness Month Open House – Hosted by the Florida Chapter of CCHR
Held in the state headquarters located in Clearwater, the event hopes to education citizens on their mental health human rights and the reformation needed to protect those rights. Clearwater, FL, April 30, 2025 – The month of May is annually observed as “Mental...
Forced Psychiatric Treatment: Is Anyone Safe?
All 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. have laws that permit involuntary psychiatric treatment, based on several landmark Supreme Court cases. The premise is safety for society, yet the results are catastrophic. Empirical evidence A 2014 Danish registry study...
CCHR Florida’s Black History Month Open House: Is Racism Still Alive?
The Florida chapter of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights is hosting a month-long open house at their center, located at 109 N. Fort Harrison Ave in downtown Clearwater, in order to raise awareness on the truth behind racism for Black History Month. The open...
The Baker Act and Your Rights: One Attorney’s Perspective
By: Dr. Stephen Talmadge Ph.D. psychology | Attorney INTRODUCTION I will address many questions about Baker Acts and will present a brief history and some facts about prevalence. I will talk about whether the Baker Act is criminal or civil law, patient rights, and...
CCHR Florida Takes Home the Platinum Award for Government Relations in Campaign to Protect Children
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...
Human Rights Expert: Is ECT making mental healthcare better or worse?
What Is ECT? Electroconvulsive therapy sends electricity through the brain. The voltage can be as high as 460, and the current causes a surge of electrical activity, resulting in a seizure. ECT got its start in 1934 when psychiatrist Ladislas Meduna, having recognized...
Human Rights Expert: Why Everyone Should Care About Coercive Psychiatry
To Lead the World in Freedom, We Must Start With Mental Health Around the world, civil liberties are declining. People in the United States have long celebrated these freedoms and have woven them into the fabric of American culture. The right to have autonomy over...
CCHR Florida Receives PRNEWS Nonprofit Award 2022 for Social Responsibility
Awarded for outstanding work, CCHR developed a successful strategy to organize a campaign resulting in the passing of legislation to protect parental rights. Many apply but only few are chosen. Each year PRNEWS Nonprofit Awards spotlight organizations challenging...
CCHR Hosts Continuing Education Course on the Florida Mental Health Law
The virtual course for mental health professionals is designed to help them identify the basic human rights impacted by the law and its unintended consequences. The mental health law in Florida, known as the Baker Act, allows for individuals of all ages, including...
Mental Health Watchdog Offering Continuing Education Course on the Baker Act
The virtual course for mental health professionals will help them identify the basic human rights impacted by the Baker Act and its unintended consequences. The mental health law in Florida, known as the Baker Act, allows for individuals of all ages, including...
Tens of Thousands of Children Sent for Involuntary Psychiatric Examination in Florida
Each year on October 10th World Mental Health Day is observed for the stated purpose of raising awareness on mental health issues. This year the Florida chapter of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a watchdog organization, hosted a seminar on mental...
Watchdog CCHR to Host a Baker Act Rights Seminar for World Mental Health Day
During a meeting of the Children’s Baker Act Task Force, it was revealed that a significant number of children sent for an involuntary psychiatric examination did not meet the criteria to be taken into custody. Unfortunately, this is not new information. The mental...
Watchdog Campaign to Restore Parental Rights Reaches Over 370,000
Recognized across the state for helping parents whose children have been taken to a psychiatric facility for involuntary examination under Florida’s mental health law, the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) launched a public information campaign earlier this...
Staffer sexually abused 19-year-old at Tampa Community Hospital, lawsuit says
The woman, who was not named in the lawsuit, was admitted on June 3, 2018 to undergo a mental health evaluation. She was then sexually groomed and abused by employee Frank Lasso during her five-day stay, according to the lawsuit. It was filed in Hillsborough Circuit...Contact CCHR Florida
109 N. Fort Harrison Ave.
Clearwater, Florida 33755
Tel: 1-800-782-2878
