California’s New Civil Commitment CARE Courts Connected More Than 3,300 People With Schizophrenia Or Other Psychotic Disorders To Treatment 

Between October 2023 and April 2025, 3,366 people with untreated or undertreated schizophrenia or other severe psychotic disorders engaged with California’s new civil court process through the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, according to a recent state report. CARE courts in each county offer a voluntary alternative to conservatorship or incarceration. The services can include short-term stabilization medications, recovery support, and connection to social services, including a housing plan. ;

CARE courts are intended for people with qualifying diagnoses and functional impairment who are at the highest risk of hospitalization, homelessness, and incarceration. The CARE . . .