Strengthening CARE Courts: Advancing Justice System Responsibility and Accountability for Program Participants

In 2024, California’s Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act established CARE Courts to connect people struggling with serious mental illnesses to voluntary treatment, housing, and other supportive services through a civil pathway prior to any contact with the criminal justice system. CARE Court partners—which include both justice agencies and behavioral health organizations—are responsible for working together to link individuals to crucial services. This explainer lays out the roles, responsibilities, and accountability measures of each partner required to support successful outcomes for CARE participants.

This is a companion to our previous report CARE Court Implementation: Identifying Core Practices, which highlights core practices needed during the design and implementation of CARE Court.