CARE Court
WHAT IS THE CARE ACT?
CARE is a compassionate civil court process that provides participants with a clinically appropriate, community-based set of services and supports. Individualized CARE plans can initially be structured to last up to 12 months, and can be extended for an additional 12 months as necessary. CARE plans ensure participants receive a broad range of necessary services, including short-term stabilization medications, wellness and recovery supports, and connection to other social services such as housing.
The CARE process is based on evidence which demonstrates that many people can stabilize, begin healing, and exit homelessness in less restrictive, community-based care settings. With advances in treatment models, new longer-acting antipsychotic treatments, and the right clinical team and housing, participants who have historically suffered tremendously on the streets or during avoidable incarceration can be successfully stabilized and supported in the community.
CARE is not for everyone experiencing homelessness or mental illness; rather it focuses on people with schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders who meet specific criteria. Although homelessness has many faces in California, among the most tragic is the face of the sickest who suffer from treatable mental health conditions—this aims to connect these individuals to effective treatment and support, mapping a path to long-term recovery.
CARE engagement begins with a petition to the Court from a wide range of individuals, including care providers, family members, first responders, and others specified in the CARE Act. Participants will be provided with legal counsel and a voluntary supporter chosen by the participant, if desired, in addition to their full clinical team. The role of the supporter is to help the participant understand, consider, and communicate decisions, giving the participant the tools to make self-directed choices to the greatest extent possible. The CARE plan ensures that appropriate supports and services are identified, coordinated, and focused on the individual needs of the participant, including clinical treatment and housing.
