The Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Florida will host its 9th Annual Humanitarian Awards Banquet on Sunday, November 8th, 2025, from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm at the historic Fort Harrison in downtown Clearwater. The event celebrates individuals and organizations dedicated to advancing human rights and improving mental health practices throughout the state.
This year's ceremony will honor attorney Paul Figueroa as the 2025 CCHR Florida Humanitarian Award Winner and Father Bob Swick as the 2025 CCHR Florida Lifetime Achievement Awardee. The awards recognize exceptional commitment to safeguarding basic freedoms and restoring dignity in mental health care, highlighting the importance of community advocacy in protecting vulnerable populations.
Diane Stein, President of CCHR Florida, emphasized the organization's mission to protect future generations. "Our mission is to restore and secure basic freedoms and rights—especially for our next generation, our leaders of tomorrow," Stein stated. "This event highlights the incredible work being done to ensure protection for all Floridians under the law, particularly in the effort to reform mental health legislation and prevent abuse."
The organization's advocacy work focuses heavily on Florida's Baker Act, which governs involuntary psychiatric examinations. CCHR Florida works to reduce involuntary commitments and promote more humane and transparent processes within the mental health system. This work has significant implications for civil liberties and patient rights across the state.
Founded in 1969 by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz, CCHR has maintained its commitment to exposing mental health abuses and protecting consumer rights. The organization continues the work highlighted by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, who brought attention to psychiatric abuses in 1969, writing about thousands being "seized without process of law" and subjected to harm "in the name of 'mental health.'"
The annual banquet serves as both a celebration of achievements and a call to continued action in mental health reform. Attendees will enjoy a banquet dinner and live musical performance while supporting the organization's ongoing efforts to educate the public about legal rights and work with lawmakers toward meaningful legislative changes.
CCHR Florida's work remains crucial as mental health legislation continues to evolve, with potential impacts on how involuntary treatment is administered and how patient rights are protected statewide. The organization's advocacy around the Baker Act represents an important check on psychiatric practices that could affect any Florida resident facing mental health challenges.
