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The Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court Program is now open in all California counties to help the most severely ill people with untreated or undertreated schizophrenia get the life-saving treatment and housing they need to stabilize, recover and thrive.
CARE Court was implemented statewide through a phased approach that began last October. The first locations to open CARE Court opened in October 2023 and included Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Stanislaus, Glenn and Tuolumne counties; Los Angeles will open in December 2023, San Mateo in July 2024 and Kern in October 2024.
“Finding treatment, housing and support for Californians with the most serious mental illnesses has been a top priority of my administration, and I am proud to see the early successes of this innovative new model,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.
And it is, CalHHS Secretary Kim Johnson said, "Starting today, all 58 counties are offering this new pathway to safety and well-being for Californians with some of the most complex behavioral health needs."
The CARE Act builds relationships and trust between people who need the most care and those seeking it, including families, behavioral health and outreach professionals, hospitals, first responders, public defenders, and legal services attorneys. CARE also includes a special civil court that protects your rights and focuses on progress toward recovery.
First results
Initial results from CARE Court’s early implementation demonstrate that the program is having a significant impact in addressing some of the most severe cases of mental health crises on California’s streets, the state said.
She added that in the nine counties where CARE Court has already opened, the program is providing hundreds of people with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders with crucial treatment and housing plans.
More than 1,400 people have connected to CARE Courts or county services directly, according to preliminary data.
CARE Court’s path to recovery is bolstered by $15.3 billion in state funding to address homelessness and $11.6 billion annually in behavioral health services.
In September, Governor Newsom signed SB 42 by Senator Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) to streamline county and court implementation of the CARE Act by improving the petition process, facilitating communication between petitioners, respondents, judges, and county behavioral health departments, and strengthening CARE as a means to ensure long-term stabilization of participants.
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