Can someone be Baker Acted if they’re from another state?

I’ve had a number of calls from people. They either had just recently moved to Florida; perhaps they were retired. They were here on vacation. They took just a family trip down here, and somebody in the family got Baker acted. And they said they’re from Illinois, from Michigan, or New York. How can this happen?

I’m here to tell you that if you are in the state of Florida, you are physically present. Whether you are a resident of Florida or a resident of another state, perhaps you’re not even a citizen of the country. I’m here to tell you that if somebody says you meet Baker Act criteria, guess what? You can be baker-acted. You can be held for a significant period of time. Frankly, the facility doesn’t care if you have plane tickets to go home or if you have plans to be back in school or back at work, or you might lose your job. They simply don’t care.

If you are in Florida and you get baker-acted, there is a very small window of time in which to get you out. Otherwise, you can get stuck here, and the state of Florida will be more than happy to bill your insurance or send you a bill for services rendered. So if you’re here and your loved one gets baker-acted, time is of the essence. Please give us a call. I’m here to help.

With that said, thanks for tuning in. See you in the next video.