Newsom's Mental Health Court Threat: A Closer Look at CARE Court's Progress in California
In a bold move, Governor Gavin Newsom has threatened to withhold funding from California counties that are falling short of his ambitious mental health initiative, CARE Court. This program, launched in 2023, aims to address the dire situation of Californians grappling with severe mental illness by utilizing the court system to mandate treatment. However, the implementation has faced challenges, and Newsom's recent statement has sparked debates.
The 10 counties Newsom identified as underperforming are: Los Angeles, Orange, San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Bernardino, Kern, Riverside, Yolo, Monterey, and Fresno. He emphasized his determination to redirect funds to those counties that are successfully implementing the program. During a news conference, Newsom stated, 'I'm ready to redirect every penny to the counties that are making a difference. No more excuses.'
Despite the criticism, Orange County defended its efforts, asserting that it is fully utilizing the CARE intervention. The OC Health Care Agency, responsible for mental health treatment, confirmed this in an email to CalMatters.
CARE Court's inception in eight counties at the end of 2023 and its statewide adoption by December 2024 marked a significant step. The program targets individuals experiencing psychosis and unable to care for themselves due to treatment failures. However, a CalMatters investigation revealed that the program has served fewer Californians than anticipated, leaving many families disappointed.
As of January, the state had received 3,817 petitions for mental health care, with judges approving only 893 treatment agreements. Judges have ordered 32 individuals into CARE plans, a measure taken when participants refuse voluntary treatment. Newsom's administration initially projected that 7,000 to 12,000 Californians would qualify for CARE Court.
Surprisingly, over 4,000 individuals were diverted from the CARE program and received services through alternative means, as stated by Kim Johnson, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. Newsom also praised counties like Alameda, Humboldt, Santa Barbara, Tuolumne, Marin, Napa, Merced, Sutter, San Mateo, and Imperial for their effective use of CARE Court in connecting people with treatment.
The administration's success metric involves the number of CARE Court petitions received per capita, labeling the top 10 counties as 'CARE champions' and the lowest 10 as 'CARE ICU.' This classification, however, has faced scrutiny. San Diego County, for instance, didn't make the 'CARE champion' list despite having the most graduations from CARE Court, while Riverside, a close second, was labeled as 'CARE ICU.'
Newsom promised additional support for counties on the 'CARE ICU' list through the CARE Improvement and Coordination Unit, though the specifics of this assistance remain undisclosed. San Francisco, a county on the 'CARE ICU' list, expressed openness to state support to enhance its CARE Court program.
Orange County, with 231 CARE Court petitions and 79 participants receiving treatment and housing, defended its efforts, emphasizing the program's effectiveness in changing the trajectory of untreated mental health issues. Newsom's threat to withhold funding has sparked discussions about the program's future and the need for improved performance across California counties.
