News

Baker Act? Protect Your Children with 5 Simple Steps!
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...

Debunking the Myths Surrounding Suicide Assessments and Suicide Rates
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,...

CCHR Urges Overhaul of the FDA, Charging Approval of Electroshock Device Creates Harm
Summing up a five-part series of articles exposing the dangers of electroshock treatment (ECT) on its public information blog, TruthAboutECT, mental health watchdog, Citizens Commission on Human Rights International (CCHR) calls for an overhaul of the Food and Drug...

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...

Mass Acts of Violence in Our Communities, Are We Asking the Right Questions?
More than 30 studies, drug regulatory agency warnings and expert opinion link psychotropic drugs to violent and suicidal behavior. According to a report, “Psychiatric Drugs: Create Violence & Suicide”, written and released by the Citizens Commission on Human...

CCHR Florida Wins the 2022 Social Impact Award: Campaign Protects Children and 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...

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...

This April, CCHR Reminds You to Not Only Eliminate Stress but to Also Avoid Dangerous Solutions
In honor of April being Stress Awareness Month, CCHR provides tips to combat stress while avoiding false solutions that could actually be harmful. April is Stress Awareness Month. In challenging times, everyone has experienced stress to some degree. It’s just the way...

Human Rights Expert: Why We Need a Foster Child Bill of Rights
Legislation Can Make a Positive Difference For a range of reasons still being explored, the foster care system suffers from mishandling. This problem can be solved mainly by providing more rights to both children and their caregivers, including the parents with whom,...

Human Rights Expert: What the Mental Health Industry Gets Wrong About Suicide Prevention
Money May Fuel the Problem of Poor Mental Health Care Even though professionals have reframed mental distresses in different ways through the years (e.g., mental disorder, disorders of the brain), we are no closer to pinpointing a cause or cure than before, and there...

Holiday Suicide Myths: Contrary to Beliefs, CDC Reports that Suicide Rates are Lowest in December
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that the holiday suicide myth supports misinformation about suicide and might actually hinder prevention efforts. Despite all efforts to counteract suicide more than 48,000 people took their own lives in 2018. Recognized as...

Parents’ Bill of Rights – The Right to Help in Times of Crisis
As a parent in Florida, you have the right to help your minor child in a time of crisis before the initiation of a Baker Act. Schools are required to make reasonable attempts to notify a parent before initiating a Baker Act on a student. To learn more about your...

Parents’ Bill of Rights – The Right to Be Notified
As a parent in Florida, you have the right to be notified immediately if your minor child is removed from school, school transportation, or a school-sponsored activity and taken to a receiving facility for an involuntary examination. To learn more about your rights,...

Parents’ Bill of Rights – The Right to Refuse the Psychiatric Drugging of Your Child
As a parent, you have the right to refuse to give your minor child psychotropic/psychiatric drugs as a requirement for attendance or participation in public school services. To learn more about your rights, please visit www.know-your-rights.org.

Parents’ Bill of Rights – The Right to Refuse Psychological Screenings
As a parent you have the right to refuse psychological screening of your minor child in Florida. To learn more about your rights, visit www.know-your-rights.org.

Parents’ Bill of Rights – The Right to Make Healthcare Decisions
As a parent in Florida, you have the right to make health care and mental health care decisions for your minor child, unless otherwise prohibited by law. For more information on your rights, visit www.know-your-rights.org.