California's CARE Court Has Reached More Than 10,000 People in Crisis; State Launches Behavioral Health Dashboard
SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom on October 1 released the 2026 CARE Act Annual Report and new statewide data showing that California's CARE Court pathways have reached more than 10,000 Californians through June 2026. Since the first programs began in eight counties in 2023 and expanded to all 58 counties by December 2024, more than 5,400 CARE petitions have been filed across 54 counties, resulting in 1,414 voluntary CARE agreements and 56 court-ordered CARE plans, while nearly 4,900 additional people were referred to services outside the formal process.
The Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act connects people with untreated or undertreated schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders to behavioral health care, housing and other supports under the supervision of a judge. Petitions may be filed by the individuals themselves, family members, first responders, behavioral health professionals or eligible county staff. Implementation is accelerating: Fresno County has doubled its petitions since last year and Kern County has tripled its count.
The state also launched the Behavioral Health Public County Profile, an online dashboard consolidating county-reported behavioral health planning, funding, service delivery and performance data in one place so residents can compare progress across counties. Michelle Baass, director of the Department of Health Care Services, said the profile presents complex data in an accessible format to support oversight and inform future investment.
On July 1, California transitioned from the Mental Health Services Act to the new Behavioral Health Services Act under Proposition 1, approved by voters in 2024, requiring counties to adopt three-year integrated plans tied to statewide goals on outcomes, equity and transparency.
Related: Governor Newsom to Announce Prop 1 Update on October 30 After Record Drops in Homelessness
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：加州州长办公室发布的CARE法庭实施进展官方图。来源：加州州长办公室（gov.ca.gov），政府官方发布 / Official graphic from the Office of the Governor of California (gov.ca.gov).
