Update On Aspire Health Partners

Update on Aspire Health Partners

Unfortunately, we’ve received no communication from Aspire Health Partners or their CEO, Babette Hankey, regarding the issues we’ve raised. Rather than addressing our concerns, it seems they’ve chosen to block me from viewing their Facebook page. While disappointing, this won't stop me from advocating for the rights of patients and their families.

Our Experience with Aspire Health Partners

To provide a bit of context: our daughter has been facing mental health challenges for nearly 10 years. There have been instances when the police have had to invoke the Baker Act, and the only facility they would take her to is Aspire Health Partners. Before she turned 18, Aspire was diligent about following the law, keeping us informed every step of the way. However, since she turned 18, despite us retaining legal guardianship, their communication and care practices have significantly deteriorated.

For example, Aspire failed to inform us about changes in her medication and even attempted to serve her tree nuts multiple times, despite being fully aware of her allergy. We have had to send Aspire copies of our guardianship paperwork multiple times, as they claim they don’t have it on file. In my opinion, this suggests a failure to safeguard medical records, and possibly even a HIPAA violation. Most recently, she was given what she was told were antibiotics, yet no one informed us or explained why they were prescribed.

Legal and Patient Rights Concerns

As guardians, we should have been notified about every aspect of her treatment, as outlined in Florida Statutes 394.459, which protects the rights of mental health patients. Furthermore, Florida Statutes 394.4573 outlines a “No-Wrong-Door Model” that ensures individuals cannot be denied treatment due to their condition. However, my daughter was told by Rosa White not to return to Aspire for services, which I believe may constitute a violation of this statute. In my opinion, this disregard for statutory rights and regulations is deeply troubling.

Florida law also mandates that guardians or guardian advocates be fully informed about any treatment plans, medication dosages, and discharge procedures when a patient is adjudicated incapacitated. In my opinion, Aspire’s failure to communicate with us on these issues could be a violation of these statutes.

Moving Forward

There are additional concerns regarding failure to notify us or our caseworker about critical court hearings, which I plan to address in future posts. Our goal remains to ensure that the rights of mental health patients are protected and upheld.

If anyone has relevant information or experiences they’d like to share, please reach out to Mental Health Watch Dogs at info@mentalhealthwatchdogs.org. Our organization is dedicated to advocating for the rights of individuals with mental health challenges, because we believe that mental health is not a taboo subject—it’s a vital part of overall well-being.