Newsom Expands Mental Health Court Program — and Calls Out SF for Falling Behind

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that California is expanding resources to support its first-of-its-kind mental health court program, but threatened to divert those funds from counties, including multiple in the Bay Area, where implementation is falling behind.

Two years after the launch of the CARE Court program, which aims to connect unhoused Californians suffering from psychosis with housing and treatment plans, Newsom’s office awarded an additional $291 million toward housing and behavioral health services. The governor’s office is also adding accountability measures to speed up the adoption of CARE Court programs for counties like San Francisco, where the programs are struggling to connect people to services.

“Through CARE Court, we have seen inspirational stories of recovery and resilience, but many counties continue to lag behind their peers,” Newsom said in a statement. “Local leaders have a moral and legal obligation to deliver this transformational tool for those who need it most. We will not accept failure and excuses when lives are on the line.”

In October 2023, counties across the state began rolling out CARE Court programs created by the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment Act. All 58 counties implemented the programs by the end of 2024. The legislation aims to make it easier for first responders, doctors and family members to petition the court to help people suffering from psychosis due to schizophrenia and other behavioral health challenges.

If a case is accepted, a civil court judge presents a voluntary treatment plan, which can include access to housing, mental health counseling, medication and other services. If the person refuses, a judge can compel them into treatment.

So far, it’s failed to keep up with expectations in some parts of the state. While Newsom’s office predicted CARE could reach 7,000 to 12,000 people annually when it was introduced, only about 3,800 CARE petitions have been submitted to courts. An additional 4,000 cases where people have been considered for CARE have been diverted by connecting them with services without court participation, Newsom’s office said.

Still, CARE expanded in October to include people experiencing psychotic symptoms as a result of bipolar disorder. Now, Newsom is throwing additional resources behind the program — and calling out counties, like San Francisco, that are underperforming.

Newsom said that his office would direct $131.8 million in Proposition 1 funding to eight Homekey+ affordable housing projects, which provide supportive housing with services for veterans, people who are at-risk or experiencing homelessness, or living with behavioral health challenges.

Newsom’s office estimates that the funding will create 443 additional homes across the communities, including in Stockton and Contra Costa County.

The other $159 million is in newly awarded Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention funding, which will go toward 20 regions throughout the state to create permanent housing, sustain interim housing and “accelerate proven local interventions.”

Among those counties is Alameda, which Newsom called a “shining example” of CARE implementation. The county has one of the highest rates of petitions submitted per capita, and has seen an 11% drop in unsheltered homelessness since 2023.

San Francisco and Santa Clara counties, by contrast, are among 10 that have struggled to implement CARE programs. In San Francisco, fewer than 100 petitions have been filed since 2023. As of last September, about two-thirds of submitted petitions were dismissed, according to an investigation by CalMatters.

While Newom’s office said those counties would receive support from the “CARE Improvement and Coordination Unit,” details about what that will include wasn’t immediately clear. The governor suggested that funding could be diverted from those counties in his May budget revision if they don’t improve implementation.

“I’m happy to direct every damn penny in these programs to the counties that are getting things done,” Newsom said. “I’m not interested in funding failure.”