Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Say NO to physician assistants & ARNPs being given the power to initiate involuntary examinations
Final supporters
The amount of people involuntarily committed under the Baker Act increased from 100,000 in 2002 to over 181,000 in 2014. This is an almost 82% increase - over 4 times the increase of Florida's population in the same period of time.
The reality is that Florida has a law which can involuntarily commit citizens, the criteria for commitment, as well as the treatment administered, is defined by the profession that makes a living off of people being in the system and law enforcement is used to fill these beds after being “educated” on how to diagnose people during a one-week course when in fact no tests for the diagnosing of mental illness truly exist.
“There are no objective tests in psychiatry-no X-ray, laboratory, or exam finding that says definitively that someone does or does not have a mental disorder.” “There is no definition of a mental disorder. It’s bull—. I mean, you just can’t define it.” — Allen Frances, Psychiatrist and former DSM-IV Task Force Chairman
While something needs to be done to address mental health in Florida, increasing the number of professionals who are able to involuntarily commit citizens against their will to mental health wards is not the answer.
Senate Bill 572, and the similar companion bill HB 325, serves no purpose but to continue skyrocketing the number of involuntary commitments in Florida.
Please vote no on SB 572 and HB 325.
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Updates
Reached 250 supporters
February 22, 2016
February 20, 2016
The petition has reached 100 signatures today. This response underscores the growing public concern regarding the expansion of involuntary commitment authority.
Reached 100 supporters
February 17, 2016
136 Comments
This dangerous bill will not increase actual assistance to the mentally ill, but will greatly increase the risk that anyone including children can be involuntarily committed without cause. This is a potential human rights nightmare.
Giving this kind of power to a wider group of unqualified people -- is just flat-out wrong. Actually, having psychiatry involved at all with these decision is a disaster. But, absolutely allowing that authority to spread to individuals who have no business with that kind of power, must not happen!
This proposal is not science based, this is a human rights violation & a way to force people into "treatment" that is not only not needed & wanted, but actually detrimental to their physical mental & emotional health. Please do not allow this.
I saw this in action 3 months ago where a PA was going to Baker Act a young man for no real objective reason. The questions she asked him were created to set him up for failure. I had to step in and handle her. Truly evil in action.
Involuntary commitment is already out of control and being abused, especially on children - over 31,000 in 2014 alone! Giving even more people the ability to do so would only worsen the situation.
This is unacceptable!
Stop illegally committing our citizens and making the taxpayers foor the bill!
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Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Say NO to physician assistants & ARNPs being given the power to initiate involuntary examinations
Final supporters
The amount of people involuntarily committed under the Baker Act increased from 100,000 in 2002 to over 181,000 in 2014. This is an almost 82% increase - over 4 times the increase of Florida's population in the same period of time.
The reality is that Florida has a law which can involuntarily commit citizens, the criteria for commitment, as well as the treatment administered, is defined by the profession that makes a living off of people being in the system and law enforcement is used to fill these beds after being “educated” on how to diagnose people during a one-week course when in fact no tests for the diagnosing of mental illness truly exist.
“There are no objective tests in psychiatry-no X-ray, laboratory, or exam finding that says definitively that someone does or does not have a mental disorder.” “There is no definition of a mental disorder. It’s bull—. I mean, you just can’t define it.” — Allen Frances, Psychiatrist and former DSM-IV Task Force Chairman
While something needs to be done to address mental health in Florida, increasing the number of professionals who are able to involuntarily commit citizens against their will to mental health wards is not the answer.
Senate Bill 572, and the similar companion bill HB 325, serves no purpose but to continue skyrocketing the number of involuntary commitments in Florida.
Please vote no on SB 572 and HB 325.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
February 22, 2016
February 20, 2016
The petition has reached 100 signatures today. This response underscores the growing public concern regarding the expansion of involuntary commitment authority.
Reached 100 supporters
February 17, 2016
136 Comments
I have first hand witnessed a baker act being initiated and it was with such whim and alacrity I was stunned. I think it is akin to the overuse of antibiotics but with potential for dissolution of our civilization's founding freedoms.
This dangerous bill will not increase actual assistance to the mentally ill, but will greatly increase the risk that anyone including children can be involuntarily committed without cause. This is a potential human rights nightmare.
Giving this kind of power to a wider group of unqualified people -- is just flat-out wrong. Actually, having psychiatry involved at all with these decision is a disaster. But, absolutely allowing that authority to spread to individuals who have no business with that kind of power, must not happen!
This proposal is not science based, this is a human rights violation & a way to force people into "treatment" that is not only not needed & wanted, but actually detrimental to their physical mental & emotional health. Please do not allow this.
I saw this in action 3 months ago where a PA was going to Baker Act a young man for no real objective reason. The questions she asked him were created to set him up for failure. I had to step in and handle her. Truly evil in action.
Involuntary commitment is already out of control and being abused, especially on children - over 31,000 in 2014 alone! Giving even more people the ability to do so would only worsen the situation.
This is unacceptable!
Stop illegally committing our citizens and making the taxpayers foor the bill!
More like this
Petition to make Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Matter in Florida
Injustice at The St Lucie FL Medical Center, Treasure Coast Behavioral Health…
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
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I have first hand witnessed a baker act being initiated and it was with such whim and alacrity I was stunned. I think it is akin to the overuse of antibiotics but with potential for dissolution of our civilization's founding freedoms.