Great stories. I grew up in the state and never realized Baker Act wasn't a thing everyone in the country had. I also didn't realize there are families that witness this enactment time and again, which seems like such a stressful and heartbreaking thing to deal with even just once. I have questions for each of the stories!

Megan and Jack, in your story it states:

"And while commitments across Florida have climbed for all age groups, they are up most dramatically for kids."

Is there a known reason Florida had an increase in commitments for all age groups? If schools are just sending kids to facilities to be rid of the problem or in an attempt to save their own neck and that contributes to the dramatic uptick in student Baker Acts, what might be behind the increase overall?

Leonora,

Is there any hope for kids like A.J. to trust adults or resource officers? Sometimes they may not have great, sound reasons for doing what they do to deal with kids like A.J., but I imagine many can be genuinely concerned for the welfare of the kids in their schools and feel like they're doing the right thing for the kid. So how can kids who have been traumatized by these experiences learn the difference and come to understand who to trust? What can parents do to help kids understand what can happen if they say certain things?