[caption id="attachment_69161" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Photo by Pavel Danilyuk[/caption] In Florida, the Baker Act is a statute under which an individual suspected of potentially injuring himself/herself or causing harm to another by reason of mental illness may be taken for mental health evaluation. The number of involuntary examinations for the fiscal year 2022-2023 was reported to be 173,721 for 111,803 people by the Florida DCF (Department of Children and Families). The Baker Act doesn’t mean someone is being arrested but rather, it’s a way to keep them safe while professionals check their mental health. A qualified professional may limit a patient’s rights to communicate with outside parties, receive or send mail or receive visits. You might come across the terms “baker act 52” and “baker act 32” when dealing with this particular law. The Baker Act 52 vs.32 refers to different parts of the law, and each one works in a slightly different way.