Golden State Today

The Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court program is now operational in all 58 counties across California. This initiative aims to provide essential treatment and housing for individuals suffering from untreated or undertreated schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

The statewide implementation of CARE Court began with a phased approach in October 2023. Initial counties included Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Stanislaus, Glenn, and Tuolumne. Los Angeles followed in December 2023, with San Mateo joining in July 2024 and Kern in October 2024.

Governor Gavin Newsom expressed his support for the program: “Finding treatment, housing, and support for Californians with the most serious mental illness has been a top priority of my administration and I’m proud to see early achievements from this innovative new model. With every county’s CARE Court program now up and running, I am eager to see even more successes for our most seriously ill Californians, and continued progress in our state’s behavioral health transformation for all Californians.”

A notable achievement was marked by the first CARE Court graduation held in San Diego County last August.

California Health & Human Services Secretary Kim Johnson stated: “As of today, all 58 counties are offering this new pathway to safety and wellbeing for Californians with some of the most complex behavioral health needs.” She highlighted that the CARE Act fosters relationships between individuals needing care and those providing it.

Patricia Lock Dawson, Mayor of Riverside City and Chair of Big City Mayors, commented on the statewide expansion: “With the implementation of CARE Court expanding statewide, all cities have a new tool to provide support for our most vulnerable residents experiencing severe mental health illnesses.”

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg emphasized the importance of utilizing CARE Court as a legal tool to ensure that vulnerable individuals receive necessary services.

Early results indicate that CARE Court is addressing severe mental health crises effectively. In nine counties where it has been implemented initially, hundreds have received crucial treatment plans. Preliminary data shows over 1,400 people have been connected to either CARE Courts or county services directly.

CARE Court is part of California's broader effort to transform its behavioral health system. This includes significant funding commitments like $15.3 billion aimed at homelessness reduction and $11.6 billion annually dedicated to behavioral health services.

In September 2024, Governor Newsom signed SB 42 by Senator Tom Umberg to streamline processes within CARE Courts further. Additionally, Proposition 1 passed in March 2024 will allocate $6.4 billion towards building treatment settings and housing while reforming the Mental Health Services Act.