CCHR Exposes Psychiatric Abuses in Florida Through Traveling Exhibit

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) brought its controversial Psychiatry: An Industry of Death traveling exhibit to Florida International University for a multi-day engagement focused on exposing what the organization describes as mental health abuses and the dangers of psychiatric drugging, particularly targeting children. Modeled after CCHR's permanent Los Angeles museum, the immersive exhibit presents historical and contemporary psychiatric practices through audiovisual displays and survivor testimony, reaching tens of thousands globally each year. The exhibit specifically highlights human rights violations including electroconvulsive therapy, coercive psychiatric practices, and the drugging of children while educating attendees about legal protections and advocacy avenues. The Florida chapter of CCHR, an award-winning nonprofit that exposes abuse in the mental health industry, hosted the event which attracted students, educators, community leaders, advocates, and medical professionals.

Notable speakers at the ribbon-cutting ceremony included Stephanie Anderson, philanthropist and president of NFL Sisters in Service, who delivered a powerful condemnation of psychiatric practices, stating they had "taken the potential from our loved ones" for the "monetization of drugs." Other prominent figures included Alfredo Amigozena of the Latin American Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Mari Carmen Rodriguez of Iman's Light Foundation, and Marta Vega of National Community Service. Many attendees reportedly pledged to collaborate with CCHR to prevent mental health abuses in Florida following their exposure to the exhibit's content. The organization also maintains a permanent installation of the Psychiatry: An Industry of Death museum in downtown Clearwater, featuring 14 audiovisual displays that reveal what CCHR characterizes as psychiatric abuses through interviews with over 160 doctors, attorneys, educators, and survivors.

The Florida museum has attracted over 10,000 visitors since its 2015 unveiling, including nursing students and technical college participants who incorporate the two-hour self-guided tour into their clinical training. CCHR couples museum tours with seminars and workshops delivered by attorneys and healthcare professionals focusing on Florida's mental health law, known as the Baker Act, aiming to educate lawmakers, doctors, and citizens about mental health abuse and legal rights. Both the traveling exhibit and permanent museum operate free to the public, with the Clearwater location open Monday through Friday from 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM and weekends from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM. CCHR, initially established by the Church of Scientology and psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Szasz in 1969, maintains its mission to eradicate abuses committed under mental health guise and enact patient protections.