CCHR Florida, Author at Citizens Commission on Human Rights, CCHR

The Unworkability of Suicide Risk Assessments

by CCHR Florida | Apr 6, 2020 | Children and Teens, Mental Health Screening, Suicide

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death in young people in the US today and suicide risk assessment is often touted as the answer but experts in the field have repeatedly concluded that there is not any one scale that can predict who will commit suicide to any...

Parental Rights

by CCHR Florida | Mar 29, 2020 | Parental Rights

Introduction It is a fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their minor children. The U.S. Congress has decreed that based upon the Constitutional rights and human rights of all citizens, important information relating to a minor...

Mental Health Watchdog Hosts Legal Symposium Highlighting Baker Act Abuse Prevention

by CCHR Florida | Mar 11, 2020 | Baker Act, Continuing Education, Rights

The Florida chapter of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) hosted its fifth conference on the Baker Act which has been notoriously featured in the headlines for the past few months due to very young children being taken into custody. The symposium, held at...

CCHR Calls Involuntary Psychiatric Examination of Children in Florida a Human Rights Abuse

by CCHR Florida | Feb 18, 2020 | Baker Act, Children and Teens, Psychiatric Abuse, Rights, Universal Health Services

Over the past two weeks there has been a viral reporting of the tragic involuntary psychiatric examination of a 6-year-old girl in Jacksonville, Florida. Called a Baker Act, involuntary psychiatric examination is part of the Florida mental health law and it applies to...

Watchdog Calling for an Investigation into the Baker Acting of Children in Florida

by CCHR Florida | Dec 23, 2019 | Baker Act, Children and Teens, Mental Health Screening, Rights

In 2018 an astounding 36,078 involuntary psychiatric examinations were initiated on children in Florida, an almost 19% increase over the past four years. [1] Called a Baker Act, an involuntary examination of a minor allows for a child to be taken into custody and...

CCHR Warns: Baker Acting the Elderly Can be Fatal Due to ‘Transfer Trauma’

by CCHR Florida | Dec 18, 2019 | Baker Act, Elderly, Psychiatric Abuse, Psychiatric Drugs, Rights

Transfer trauma, also known as relocation stress syndrome, has been studied since the 1960s and according to controlled studies the mortality rate for elderly that are transferred is 2-4 times higher than those that are not subjected to this type of stress. [1] All...

CCHR Kicks Off 2020 Campaign with an Open House to Raise Awareness on Abuse of Mental Health Laws

by CCHR Florida | Dec 18, 2019 | Baker Act, Psychiatric Abuse, Psychiatric Disorders, Psychiatric Drugs

The Florida chapter of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR), a non-profit watchdog organization that exposes and eradicates abuses in the mental health industry, will be hosting a series of Open House events starting January 4th 2020 to kick off its 2020...

Surge in Children on Dangerous Psychiatric Drugs Not Just a U.S. Problem

by CCHR Florida | Dec 12, 2019 | Children and Teens, Mental Health Screening, Psychiatric Disorders, Psychiatric Drugs, Rights

Today in the United States approximately 7.2 million children between the ages of 0 to 17 are using prescription psychiatric drugs, and almost half of them are on drugs due to being labeled with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This epidemic of...

Debunking the Myths Surrounding Suicide Assessments and Suicide Rates

by CCHR Florida | Dec 12, 2019 | Mental Health Screening, Mental Illness, Psychiatric Drugs, Suicide

Each year an average of 44,965 people commit suicide in the United States making it the 10th leading cause of death for Americans. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide deaths were more than double those due to homicides in 2015,...

Shooter killed, at least 11 hurt at Pensacola Navy base

by CCHR Florida | Dec 6, 2019 | Mass Violence, Military & Veterans, Psychiatric Disorders

Authorities say an active shooter is dead after opening fire on multiple people Friday at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, and at least 11 people were hospitalized.Military Acts of Violence Linked to Psychiatric Drugs Marine Lance Corporal Delano Holmes (22), New...

CCHR Humanitarian Award Presented to Attorney Dedicated to Restoring Human Rights

by CCHR Florida | Nov 20, 2019 | Baker Act, Children and Teens, Fraud, Rights

Attended by hundreds of guests, the 4th Annual Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) Humanitarian Awards Banquet once again honored the many dedicated volunteers and supporters of CCHR for their work help restore rights and dignity to the field of mental health....

Justin Drach: Florida-based Attorney Fighting Widespread Abuses in the Psychiatric Industry

by CCHR Florida | Nov 20, 2019 | Baker Act, Children and Teens, Fraud, Psychiatric Abuse, Rights

Every year hundreds of thousands of people are taken into custody for involuntary psychiatric examination across the state of Florida. Called a Baker Act, the rampant abuse of rights under this law contributes to tens of millions of dollars in fraudulent billing. In a...

Surge in Child Baker Acts Prompts Watchdog to Call for Greater Protection of Children

by CCHR Florida | Nov 19, 2019 | Baker Act, Children and Teens, Mental Health Screening, Rights

The mental health law in Florida, commonly called a Baker Act, allows for a person of any age to be taken into custody and transported to a psychiatric facility for examination. During 2018 there were over 200,000 Baker Acts with more than 36,000 of them initiated on...

UK Legislators Asked to Increase Oversight and Criminal Accountability in U.S. Owned For-Profit Behavioral Hospitals

by CCHR Florida | Nov 5, 2019 | Acadia, Baker Act, ECT, Fraud, Psychiatric Abuse, Rights, Universal Health Services

Hundreds of UK legislators have been sent a White Paper on Fraud and Abuse in the UK’s for-profit behavioral industry, calling for tighter oversight and accountability of facilities owned by U.S companies, Acadia Healthcare and Universal Health Services (UHS). The...

CCHR, Mental Health Industry Watchdog, Rails Against Use of Commitment Laws That Detain Patients for Profit

by CCHR Florida | Oct 27, 2019 | Acadia, Baker Act, Mental Health Screening, Psychiatric Abuse, Rights, Sequel, Universal Health Services

Involuntary commitment laws are being used to detain mental health patients for profit, with the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) saying the system needs to be overhauled and stringent penalties put in place to stem the fraud and abuse. The group applauds...