FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 30, 2025
CONTACT: Cheyenne Drews / 386-314-7964 / cheyenne@progressflorida.org
Reckless legislation would block minors from calling a suicide prevention hotline without parental consent
Pediatric psychologist calls it “concerning and hazardous”
TALLAHASSEE – In response to a question (timestamp 4:47:43) on the House floor, State Rep. Rachel Saunders Plakon (R – Lake Mary) confirmed her reckless bill, (HB 1505) to restrict minors’ access to a wide range of health care services, would block young Floridians from being able to call a suicide prevention hotline without parental consent.
“It’s deeply concerning and hazardous to revoke a minor’s right to receive crisis interventions,” said Dr. Natasha Poulopoulos (Dr. Tash), a licensed clinical psychologist in Miami.
A respected member of the Society of Pediatric Psychology, Dr. Tash holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology with a focus on pediatric health. She pursued her postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital.
“Minors should never be deprived of potentially life-saving care,” Dr. Tash continued. “As mental health professionals, we must advocate for policies that protect and promote the well-being of all youth, including those living in unsafe, abusive, or rejecting homes, to ensure they have access to the care they need, when they need it.”
Line 124 of the bill references repealing this entire section of Florida law on minors accessing outpatient services, despite the fact that nearly every state allows for minors to access outpatient mental health care when they are in need of care.
Under this bill, anything that could be deemed mental health crisis intervention would not be allowed without parental consent, including access to critical resources like the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Additionally, individual or group therapy would be inaccessible to a minor seeking sexual assault recovery support if their parent, who could have been the abuser, doesn’t consent.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a staggering 9 in 10 adults believe the United States is amid a mental health crisis. At the federal level, a draft of the Health and Human Services budget that was leaked indicates the federal government intends to eliminate services for LGBTQ youth attempting to get help through the 988 hotline.
“Asking for help, which is very difficult to do, should have the least amount of barriers as possible. This law, if passed, would be another example of creating unequal and detrimental barriers to care which not only impacts the economy, but also more importantly, people’s lives and well-being. For people to take steps to utilize health care services, convenience is key,” said Dr. Gwilym Roddick, Founder and Director of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy of Central & South Florida.
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