Florida Human Rights Organization Honors Volunteers and Partners at Annual Awards Event

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Florida proudly announces the 9th Annual Humanitarian Awards Banquet, honoring dedicated volunteers and community partners who work tirelessly to advance human rights and improve mental health practices in the state. This special event will take place on Sunday, November 8th, 2025, from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm at the historic Fort Harrison, located in downtown Clearwater. The organization will acknowledge the 2025 CCHR Florida Humanitarian Award Winner, attorney Paul Figueroa, and celebrate the 2025 CCHR Florida Lifetime Achievement Awardee, Father Bob Swick.

The Humanitarian Awards Banquet recognizes individuals and organizations for their commitment to safeguarding basic freedoms and restoring dignity in the field of mental health. Attendees will enjoy an inspiring evening that includes a banquet dinner and a live musical performance as the community comes together to celebrate these achievements and promote continued positive change. Our mission is to restore and secure basic freedoms and rights—especially for our next generation, our leaders of tomorrow, stated Diane Stein, President of CCHR Florida. 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.

CCHR Florida remains actively engaged in public service by educating the general public about their legal rights, exposing abuses, and working with lawmakers to enact meaningful reforms. The organization is recognized for its advocacy surrounding Florida's Baker Act, working to reduce involuntary psychiatric examinations and advocating for more humane and transparent processes. The Citizens Commission on Human Rights was initially established by the Church of Scientology and renowned psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz in 1969, with a mission to eradicate abuses committed under the guise of mental health and enact patient and consumer protections. L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology, first brought psychiatric imprisonment to wide public notice: 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,' he wrote in March 1969.