California Gov. Gavin Newsom praised Alameda County on Monday and said its leaders had quickly scaled up their version of the Democrat’s signature mental health initiative, CARE Court, which aims to stabilize people with serious mental illness who are homeless.
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 “haven’t got it done.” That could mean Santa Clara County could begin footing the bill for the program.
“I’m just out of patience,” Newsom said.
A spokesperson for Santa Clara County did not provide a comment. In November, Santa Clara County Executive James Williams said the county had chosen to prioritize other treatment programs rather than “lengthy” and “inadequate mechanisms like CARE Court.”
That’s at odds with Newsom’s vision. He has touted the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment court program as a solution to stabilize and house people with schizophrenia 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’s spending initiatives to reduce homelessness.
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.
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.
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.
“Bottom line is, we need to see the individuals who can benefit from these resources and the CARE process served,” said California Health and Human Services Secretary Kim Johnson. “And they need to be served today.”
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.
As of October, Santa Clara County’s CARE Court had received 42 petitions and ordered just one treatment plan.
Newsom said leaders in Alameda County had embraced the court program. Its CARE court received 208 petitions last year, or 13 per 100,000 residents, according to the state’s data. That’s double the state average. It wasn’t immediately clear how many people had received a treatment plan through the process there.
Judge Sandra Bean leads the CARE court in Alameda County Superior Court. By working with public defenders, nonprofit providers and the county behavioral health department, she said, the process has improved the lives of residents who are unable to care for themselves. In the past, that kind of collaboration was curbed by “a lot of egos” in the courtroom, Bean said.
The process landed a former debate champion in an apartment after he had become mentally ill and homeless, Bean said. That petition was brought by his family, she said.
“He’s doing very well,” Bean said.
To speed up referrals elsewhere, state officials said Monday they’ve offered technical assistance and training. It’s unclear if they’d done so in Santa Clara County, where leaders have at times sparred with Newsom over housing and behavioral health programming. Newsom said Monday he’s considering other avenues to speed up petitions to CARE courts this spring, as he meets with lawmakers to hammer out the 2026-2027 budget and set priorities.
Hence then, the article about newsom praises alameda county for care court blasts santa clara county was published today ( ) and is available on mercury news ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Newsom praises Alameda County for CARE Court, blasts Santa Clara County )
Also on site :
- Todd Meadows Cause of Death: What We Know About the 'Deadliest Catch' Star's Death so Far
- ‘World of Warcraft’ Just Upgraded Its Best City for the First Time in 20 Years, and Now It’s Perfect
- MyFitnessPal has acquired Cal AI, the viral calorie app built by teens