General Resources / Legal Resources / Medical Resources / Briefing Papers / State Activity    
Hospital Closures / Preventable Tragedies / Press Room / Search Our Site / Home

Sarasota Herald Tribune

November 2, 2003

Reprinted with permission of the author. All rights reserved.

Baker Act reform would aid many

The recent instance of Jean Pierre Villar being inappropriately held under the Baker Act is extremely unfortunate ("A dispute gone awry," Oct. 19, and "Longboat Key case shows need to reform mental health law," Oct. 22)

But it is also very unusual. The more widespread problem with the Baker Act is that it is not helping so many people who desperately need it.

My 25-year-old daughter received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, a severe mental illness, 10 years ago. For much of those 10 years she was not being treated, and her condition steadily deteriorated. But she refused treatment, as do many with severe mental illnesses, because she didn't believe she was ill. Not getting consistent treatment resulted in self-medicating, which led to greater deterioration and increased suffering.

People like my daughter who are truly ill sometimes need humane intervention in the form of court-ordered treatment. Mental-health courts can do that when someone enters the criminal-justice system, but the civil system has yet to provide that option. By doing so, the Baker Act reforms proposed by the Florida Sheriffs Association could have made all the difference in my daughter's life and ours.

I am truly sorry for Mr. Villar's pain, but this one unfortunate instance taints the real picture. In Florida, people with untreated severe mental illnesses are far too often homeless, incarcerated, victimized, suicidal, or involved in a preventable act of violence against another. The Baker Act as it stands today is far more likely to leave someone who needs help out in the cold.

Rhonda Atkins

Sarasota