California Gov. Gavin Newsom praised Alameda County on Monday and said its leaders had quickly scaled up their version of the Democrat\u2019s signature mental health initiative, CARE Court, which aims to stabilize\u00a0people with serious mental illness who are homeless.<\/p>\n
But Newsom called out Santa Clara County, saying its CARE Court has reached too few people since the program debuted in December 2024. State law requires all counties to host these courts. Newsom also said he may pull funding from counties that \u201chaven\u2019t got it done.\u201d That could mean Santa Clara County could begin footing the bill for the program.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just out of patience,\u201d Newsom said.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Santa Clara County Executive James Williams said the county has prioritized other treatment programs rather than \u201clengthy, costly, and often inadequate court-based processes that do not produce better outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCARE Court is one tool among many,\u201d Williams said. \u201cThe number of people who go through that process is not, and has never been, the sole measure of a county\u2019s performance. Instead, we have added hundreds of new treatment beds that can serve nearly 3,000 additional clients every year and are rapidly connecting individuals with severe behavioral health conditions to treatment and housing.\u201d<\/p>\n
That appears to be at odds with Newsom\u2019s vision. He has touted the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment court program as a solution to stabilize and house people with schizophrenia<\/a> and other mental illnesses. Family members, first responders and others can refer people with severe, untreated psychiatric issues to the program. It is one prong of Newsom\u2019s spending initiatives to reduce homelessness.<\/p>\n If a person is eligible for CARE court, a judge collaborates with them and county health officials to develop a personalized treatment plan that may include medication, drug counseling, residential treatment or supportive housing. However, a person must meet seven criteria to be eligible, including a diagnosis of schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder at a severe level.<\/p>\n Some mental health advocates and loved ones of people with severe illnesses have said CARE Courts are too limited or have rolled out too slowly.<\/a><\/p>\n Newsom began ratcheting up pressure on Santa Clara County and others last year. On Monday, his administration released a list of counties he said had reached the fewest people with their CARE courts, based on the rate of petitions, or referrals, to the program. In the Bay Area, that list included San Francisco, which reported 50 petitions in 2025, or six per 100,000 residents, and Santa Clara County, with 47 petitions, or two per 100,000 residents. State officials released the data in a public dashboard.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cBottom line is, we need to see the individuals who can benefit from these resources and the CARE process served,\u201d said California Health and Human Services Secretary Kim Johnson. \u201cAnd they need to be served today.\u201d<\/p>\n Mental health advocates have said that relatively few people are referred to CARE courts because law enforcement, health providers and loved ones of people with severe mental illnesses may not be aware it is an option. The National Alliance on Mental Illness launched training programs to raise awareness last year. Family members said they can feel overwhelmed by the petition process.<\/p>\n As of October, Santa Clara County\u2019s CARE Court had received 42 petitions and ordered just one treatment plan.<\/p>\n