CLEARWATER, Fla., July 21, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Since the opening of the new headquarters for the Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) of Florida in July of last year, there have been more than 3,000 tours of the Psychiatry: An Industry of Death museum. The museum presents the unvarnished history of psychiatry while also providing information on the state of psychiatry today. The construction of the CCHR headquarters and its museum was supported by members of the International Association of Scientologists.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/89732259-660e-451b-afd2-be6b6f998329
Tours of the museum have been given to everyone from a mother who wanted to know how to protect her children from involuntary commitment to psychiatric nursing students brought by their professors to learn the truth about psychiatry.
The headquarters has also hosted or participated in over 100 events designed to educate individuals on their rights under the mental health law of Florida commonly referred to as the Baker Act.
“Our goal is to ensure that Floridians know their rights under this law, especially parents since minors may legally be sent for involuntary examination without parental knowledge or consent,” said Diane Stein, President of CCHR Florida. “The museum tours and events help us to accomplish this goal faster and more effectively.”
In 2014, there were a total of 181,471 involuntary examinations initiated which was an almost 82% increase from 2002 to 2014 and 17% (30,850) of the total involuntary examinations were on children and unfortunately the majority of parents in the state are not aware of this risk.
Working to educate as many families has possible, CCHR has mailed 84,000 postcards to families in Florida directing them to a website where they can learn more about the law and download a legal form to help protect their children from unnecessary involuntary examination.
“We want to see a reduction of the number of involuntary examinations of minors in 2016 and hope to be able to restore the rights of parents under this law during next year’s legislative session,” said Stein.
The museum is open daily from 10am until 10pm and events are held weekly and monthly. Both are open and free to the general public. For more information please visit www.cchrflorida.org or call 727-467-6964.
About Citizens Commission on Human Rights:
CCHR is a non-profit, non-political, non-religious mental health watchdog. Initially established by the Church of Scientology and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz in 1969, CCHR’s mission is to eradicate abuses committed under the guise of mental health and enact patient and consumer protections. CCHR has helped to enact more than 150 laws protecting individuals from abusive or coercive mental health practices.
It was L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, who brought the terror of psychiatric imprisonment to the notice of the world. In March 1969, he said, “Thousands and thousands are seized without process of law, every week, over the ‘free world’ tortured, castrated, killed. All in the name of ‘mental health.’”
CCHR Florida has already proven a major player in the state’s fight against psychiatric abuse. After discovering that 55 percent of foster children in Florida had been prescribed powerful mind-altering psychotropic drugs, the commission documented the abuse to the health department which initiated changes that led to a 75 percent reduction in prescriptions for children under six.