Tsev Txoj Cai Pabcuam, Kev Rov Qab Zoo, thiab Kev Txhawb Nqa Zej Zog​​ 

Kev Pabcuam Hauv Zej Zog, Kev Rov Qab Los, thiab Kev Txhawb Txoj Cai​​ 

Txheej txheem cej luam​​ 

Senate Bill (SB) 1338 (Umberg, Chapter 319, Statutes of 2022) established the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, which provides community-based behavioral health services and supports to Californians living with schizophrenia spectrum, other psychotic disorders, or bipolar I disorder with psychotic features who meet health and safety criteria. It is a new civil court process where certain people, such as family members, first responders, and providers, may file a petition to the court to create a voluntary CARE agreement or a court-ordered CARE plan. A CARE agreement or CARE plan may include treatment, housing resources, and other services. The CARE Act is intended to serve as an upstream intervention for individuals experiencing severe impairment to prevent avoidable psychiatric hospitalizations, incarcerations, and Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Mental Health Conservatorships. The CARE Process will provide earlier action, support, and accountability for both CARE clients, and the local governments responsible for providing behavioral health services to these individuals.​​  

Txoj Cai CARE tau siv nyob rau hauv ob pawg. Cohort Kuv tau pib thaum Lub Kaum Hli 1, 2023, thiab suav nrog xya lub nroog: Glenn, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, Stanislaus, thiab Tuolumne, thiab Lub Nroog thiab Lub Nroog San Francisco. Los Angeles County yog nyob rau hauv Cohort II tab sis raug xaiv los ua thaum ntxov, thaum lub Kaum Ob Hlis 1, 2023. Lub nroog Cohort II tseem yuav tsum tau siv rau lossis ua ntej lub Kaum Ob Hlis 1, 2024.​​ 

Kev cai lij choj​​ 

On July 10, 2023, Assembly Bill (AB) 102 (Ting, Chapter 102, Statutes of 2023) was signed into law. AB 102 requires the Department of Health Care Services, in consultation with the Judicial Council of California, to provide an early implementation report on key data for each trial court implementing the CARE Act. The report must include: (1) the number of petitions submitted, (2) the number of petitions dismissed, (3) the number of CARE Act participants, and (4) the number of court hearings held during October 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024. The early implementation report will be submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the Budget Committees of each house of the Legislature by December 1, 2024.​​   

Additionally, AB 102 requires the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission (LSTFC) at the State Bar of California to collect outcome data from each county’s public defender office, qualified legal services projects (QLSP), and support centers. The State Bar of California shall annually provide to the Judicial Council a report that includes funding allocations, annual expenditures, and program outcomes by service area and service provider to be included in DHCS’ annual CARE report.​​   

On September 30, 2023, Senate Bill (SB) 35 (Umberg, Chapter 283, Statutes of 2023) was signed into law. SB 35 clarifies requirements for the CARE process and makes technical changes that will allow the CARE Act to be implemented successfully. Additionally, the bill specifies the information, including protected health information, that must be shared between behavioral health agencies and providers. This information is necessary to support the determinations, conclusions, and recommendations for the written report submitted to the court to document the respondent’s eligibility for the CARE process.​​ 

On September 27, 2024, SB 42 (Umberg, Chapter 640, Statutes of 2024) was signed into law and contained an urgency clause that became effective immediately after signing. SB 42 creates an additional pathway of referring an individual from LPS designated facilities to the CARE Act process. This bill additionally amends the Welfare and Institutions Code regarding communication between courts, alternatives to conservatorship, technical changes to CARE procedures, as well as collaboration on system performance.​​   

On September 27, 2024, SB 1400 (Stern, Chapter 647, Statutes of 2024) was signed into law. SB 1400 amends provisions of the Penal Code related to misdemeanor incompetent to stand trial (MIST) referrals to CARE. The bill provides that if the defendant is accepted into CARE, the criminal charges shall be dismissed six months after the date of the referral to CARE, unless the defendant’s case has been referred back to the criminal court prior to the expiration of that time period. The bill additionally amends provisions of the Welfare and Institutions Code to expand the requirements for data reporting, including data related to inquiries and system referrals. This data shall be included in the annual report to examine the scope of impact and monitor the performance of CARE Act model implementation.​​ 

Thaum lub Cuaj Hlis 27, 2024, SB 1323 (Menjivar, Tshooj 646, Txoj Cai ntawm 2024) tau kos npe rau hauv txoj cai lij choj. SB 1323 hloov kho cov cai ntawm Txoj Cai Txiav Txim Siab ntsig txog kev tsis muaj peev xwm sawv cev rau kev sim siab (IST) rau kev ua txhaum cai lij choj kom tso cai xa mus rau CARE cov txheej txheem. Yog tias tus neeg raug foob raug lees txais rau hauv CARE, cov nqi yuav raug muab tshem tawm raws li Txoj Cai Txiav Txim Plaub Ntug 1385.​​ 

Thaum Lub Kaum Hli 10, 2025, SB 27 (Umberg, Tshooj 528, Txoj Cai ntawm 2025) tau kos npe rau hauv txoj cai lij choj. SB 27 hloov kho cov cai hauv Txoj Cai Kev Noj Qab Haus Huv thiab Cov Tsev Kawm Ntawv txhawm rau nthuav dav cov kev kuaj mob tsim nyog kom suav nrog cov tib neeg nyob nrog kev puas siab puas ntsws bipolar nrog cov yam ntxwv ntawm kev puas siab puas ntsws, tshwj tsis yog kev puas siab puas ntsws ntsig txog kev qaug cawv tam sim no. Daim nqi no kuj txhais cov kev kho mob ruaj khov hauv kev kho mob tsis tu ncua; muab txoj hauv kev ncaj qha ntxiv rau kev xa mus los ntawm Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT), LPS kev saib xyuas kev txiav txim siab, thiab kev ua phem thiab kev ua phem rau IST cov tsev hais plaub; muab cov kws kho mob thiab cov kws kho mob cov kws kho mob raug suav tias yog Cov Kws Lij Choj Kev Noj Qab Haus Huv Kev Noj Qab Haus Huv tsuas yog rau lub hom phiaj ntawm kev kos npe rau Daim Ntawv Tshaj Tawm Txog Kev Puas Hlwb hauv kev txhawb nqa daim ntawv thov CARE; tso cai rau lub tsev hais plaub txiav txim siab ua ntej yam tsis tau ua lub rooj sib hais; thiab lwm yam kev hloov kho. Tsis tas li ntawd, SB 27 hloov kho cov cai ntawm Penal Code los tso cai rau lub nroog tus cwj pwm kev noj qab haus huv lub chaw saib xyuas kev noj qab haus huv thiab cov chaw kho mob hauv tsev kaw neeg kom qhia cov ntaub ntawv kho mob tsis pub lwm tus paub thiab lwm yam ntaub ntawv cuam tshuam nrog lub tsev hais plaub rau lub hom phiaj ntawm kev txiav txim siab qhov muaj feem tsim nyog tau txais kev pabcuam kev noj qab haus huv thiab cov kev pabcuam.​​  

To read the bills in full, please visit the California Legislative Information webpage.​​  

Kev cob qhia thiab kev pab cuam​​ 

DHCS has contracted with Health Management Associates (HMA) to provide training and technical assistance, implementation support, and data collection and reporting for the CARE Act. HMA has developed the CARE Act Resource Center, which provides training, technical assistance and resources to county behavioral health agencies, counsel, volunteer supporters, and other stakeholders to support the implementation of the CARE Act. The Resource Center will continue to be updated with new information and training material.​​  

Join the HMA CARE Act email listserv to receive notification of trainings, technical assistance and other stakeholder engagement opportunities specific to the CARE Act implementation. For additional information, or to request training and technical assistance, please email info@CARE-Act.org.​​ 

DHCS Resources​​ 

Cov ntawv ceeb toom thiab cov hloov tshiab tseem ceeb​​ 

CARE Act at Work Videos​​ 

Cov ntawv ceeb toom thiab cov peev txheej​​ 

Cov peev txheej ntxiv​​ 

Tiv tauj peb:​​