If your child were lost in the woods, you’d do anything to find them.
You’d put on your boots, call every neighbor, alert the media, and rally help.

But what happens when your child is lost in their mind?

That’s the reality I face every day. My son lives with schizophrenia—and I’ve spent years navigating broken systems, dead-end laws, and a cycle of hospitalizations, homelessness, and incarceration that could have been prevented. While Florida has recently made some strides in addressing these issues with four recent bills, we are still in a mental health crisis.

The real crisis isn’t mental illness—it’s how we keep letting it walk out the door untreated. That ends with my six."

The Hope & Continuum of Care Act — a proposal that offers six essential fixes to Florida’s mental health laws.

This is a citizen-led call for change, built from the ground up by a mother who refused to give up. But I can't do this alone.

Sign this petition to urge Florida’s leaders—starting with Governor Ron DeSantis—to adopt these reforms and create a real system of care.

What Am I Signing? — The 6 Policy Fixes in the Hope & Continuum of Care Act

This citizen-led proposal outlines six urgent reforms to improve Florida’s mental health system:

1. Extended Evaluation Period for Repeat Mental Health Holds

If a person is Baker Acted twice or more within 30 days, the second hold must require a mandatory 7-day inpatient evaluation to allow for proper diagnosis and stabilization.

2. Centralized Continuum of Care Coordination System

Create a real-time digital platform that connects emergency rooms, mobile crisis teams, courts, and licensed providers—so that care decisions are based on shared, accurate information during crisis events.

3. Post-Hold Continuum of Care Housing Mandate

Prevent hospitals and facilities from discharging individuals into homelessness or unsafe housing after a mental health hold. Safe housing must be part of the care plan.

4. Collaborative Care HIPAA Exception

Allow limited, protected sharing of mental health information during transitions (such as release or transfer) to support accurate diagnosis and treatment—not legal action.

5. Judicial Access to Mental Health Records

Require that judges review mental health history when setting conditions for release or sentencing decisions—so that court actions reflect clinical needs.

6. Mental Health Facilities as Essential Infrastructure

Officially recognize mental health care facilities as essential infrastructure in Florida—qualifying them for stable funding, long-term development, and emergency protections.

I'm not asking for funding—I'm asking for accountability. The Hope & Continuum of Care Act offers six life-saving reforms that require no new dollars, just the will to do what's right.

Sign. Share. Stand with me.

Learn more at thefirstladyofpoetry.com
#HopeAct #MentalHealthReform #BringThemHome