CARE Court setting would provide services outside of closed facilities, with a community-based approach
Provides earlier and desperately needed help for people on the severe schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders
NAPA – Governor Gavin Newsom convened a CARE Court roundtable today at Napa State Hospital alongside Californians who could benefit from the new framework, medical professionals, service providers and elected officials to discuss his new court of care proposal.
The Governor visited one of California’s five state psychiatric hospitals to highlight the current status quo that provides quality treatment for people with serious mental illnesses, but too often only after criminal justice intervention or conservatorship , and more often in closed establishments. CARE Court is a paradigm shift; it focuses on providing individuals with mental health and addictions services before they end up roaming prison, emergency rooms and encampments. CARE Court is prioritizing the sickest Californians, helping many who live on our streets without shelter or medical care.
“CARE Court offers a new way forward, bringing treatment outside the walls of our psychiatric hospitals and prisons to community mental health providers who can treat Californians who are in desperate need of help,” Governor Newsom said. “Too often, our current system only provides services after an individual has become entangled in our criminal justice system, leaving many family members feeling powerless to intervene when a loved one is struggling. solve serious mental health problems. What we are proposing will allow us to act earlier and get people back on track before it is too late by giving them the support they need.
Click here for the b-roll of the Governor’s visit.
Governor Newsom Convenes CARE Court Roundtable at Napa State Hospital
Governor Newsom convened today’s roundtable at Napa State Hospital, which provides treatment for people living with serious behavioral health issues. Many of those receiving care at this facility have been assessed as seriously mentally ill and unable to stand trial in criminal proceedings. Today’s meeting is part of a series of statewide rallies with the governor and administration officials to bring together affected Californians, health care providers, first responders, workers in community, court representatives, local officials and other stakeholders.
Governor Newsom was joined in today’s roundtable by affected Californians, Department of State Hospitals Director Stephanie Clendenin, Department of State Hospitals Medical Director Dr. Katherine Warburton, Senator Bill Dodd, Senator Thomas Umberg, Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Assemblyman Richard Bloom, Napa Mayor Scott Sedgley, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, Napa County Supervisor, Belia Ramos, Napa County Health and Human Services Agency Director, Jennifer Yasumoto, Steven Boyd, Clinical Director of the Napa and Sonoma Programs at the Progress Foundation, and health care and service providers.
“Right now, we have a fragmented system that is not delivering fast enough on behalf of enough people to address the suffering we see on our streets,” said Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “We all need to get to a place where we say loud and clear that bringing people inside and giving them the help they need is key. We must support this proposal to hold government accountable for providing the treatment that so many on our streets desperately need, and we must continue to build the mental health system that was promised 55 years ago.
“Napa County is grateful to Governor Newsom and his team for taking the time to visit our community to receive stakeholder feedback on the CARE Court framework,” said Jennifer Yasumoto, agency director of Napa County Health and Social Services. “We look forward to building on our successes to serve and engage people with behavioral health needs, and this is a critical opportunity to provide feedback on local considerations and infrastructure as the state develops this framework. “
CARE Court, which must be approved by the Legislature, would allow courts to order CARE plans, which would require counties to provide comprehensive treatment to the most severely ill and untreated Californians and hold patients accountable for following their plans. treatment. The framework will provide an opportunity for a range of people, including family members, first responders, response teams and mental health service providers, among others, to refer people suffering from a list specific conditions, many of which are unhoused, and bringing them into community services. These include short-term stabilization medication, wellness and recovery supports, and connection to social services, including a housing plan.
CARE Court is building on Governor Newsom’s $14 billion multi-year investment to provide 55,000 new housing and treatment windows and nearly $10 billion annually in community behavioral health services. The Governor’s approach focuses on quickly relocating unhoused people with behavioral health issues, while bringing new units online, while transforming Medi-Cal to provide more behavioral health services to the most vulnerable people. difficulty.
###
