CARE Act Petitions in Los Angeles County Increase 85% as Implementation Gains Momentum Statewide

What you need to know: State support and local coordination drive measurable gains in L.A. County’s implementation of the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, one component of a larger effort to rebuild California’s behavioral health system. Beyond increasing petitions, more Californians are getting connected to other county services when a CARE agreement or plan is not the right solution for them.

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County is making meaningful strides in its commitment to connect California residents who are in need of life-changing mental health and substance use treatment with the services they need. The number of CARE Act petitions filed in L.A. County jumped by more than 85% from November 2025 to March 2026, reflecting a growing momentum in implementing a landmark behavioral health program and underscoring how continued partnership with local communities makes this progress possible.

The increase in monthly petitions was driven by new outreach and partnership efforts. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH), with support from the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS), expanded efforts to identify people who could benefit from CARE Act services and connect them to care. The county also strengthened partnerships with the courts, and local first responders including the Los Angeles County Fire Department to improve outreach and create clearer referral pathways for eligible individuals. In addition to site visits to support the county team, CalHHS is providing targeted training, communications support, and guidance on resource coordination and funding access.

“Every petition filed represents a person—someone’s mother, brother, neighbor—who now has a chance at stability and a supportive path forward. CARE is designed to change how systems work together and L.A. is showing what that looks like in practice,” said CalHHS Secretary, Kim Johnson. “When the state and counties work hand in hand with a shared sense of urgency, we can accelerate CARE Act implementation and connect more people to the care and stability they deserve.”

The CARE Act is a cornerstone of the state’s work to modernize its behavioral health system. The CARE Act is a first-in-the-nation approach to empower individuals suffering from untreated or undertreated schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders to get the treatment and housing they need to recover and thrive. The CARE Act process begins with a petition to determine eligibility, which can be submitted by the individual, a family member, first responder or mental health professional. Eligible participants are connected with a team of providers, under the guidance of a civil court judge, to ensure those who need treatment do not have to go through the process on their own. While the CARE Act is overseen by a civil court judge, it is not punitive but instead structured for the participant’s success.

CARE is Changing Lives in Los Angeles County

CalHHS and county partners have worked together to streamline petition pathways, train first responders and community partners, strengthen coordination across courts, behavioral health, and legal systems, and provide outreach and implementation support.

“We have seen significant learning, growth, progress and impact in a relatively short period of time,” said Lisa H. Wong, Psy.D., Director of LACDMH. “This is a multi-agency partnership built on ensuring we assist our most vulnerable community members, so they may be supported and helped on their path to connection, recovery and community integration.”

“CARE has changed lives for families in Los Angeles County,” said LACDMH Program Manager IV, Martin Jones, Jr., LCSW. “We worked with a woman living with bipolar disorder who had stopped taking her medication and become increasingly isolated from her family and support system. After weeks of consistent outreach and support from our clinicians, she chose to reengage with treatment, helping stabilize her mental health and reconnect with her loved ones. One of the moments that stayed with us was when she was finally able to travel to Mexico to visit her sick mother — something her family once thought would not be possible.”

California is Rebuilding the Behavioral Health System

CARE’s impact, however, goes beyond petitions. More than 4,000 Californians have been connected to other county services when a CARE agreement or plan is not the right solution for them. These efforts are helping build stronger pipelines into care and more consistent engagement with people who need services.

CARE is one component of a larger effort to rebuild California’s behavioral health system, including implementation of Proposition (Prop) 1 (Behavioral Health Services Act and Behavioral Health Infrastructure Bond Act), the Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP), and California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM).

CARE provides a least-restrictive, structured pathway to stabilize people earlier and help prevent more intensive interventions in some cases, while supporting step-down from higher levels of care in others. At the same time, the state is expanding treatment capacity and housing through initiatives including Prop 1, which is expected to create more than 6,900 residential treatment beds, 27,500 outpatient treatment slots, and more than 4,000 new permanent housing units paired with supportive services. Together, these efforts are strengthening the full continuum of care—from outreach and early intervention to long-term recovery supports.

“Los Angeles County’s progress underscores that with sustained coordination, accountability, and investment, CARE is helping move more Californians from crisis toward stability,” Secretary Johnson said.

Learn more about CARE in Los Angeles County at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health website.