LA County says a program meant to help people with serious mental illness is gaining traction

California's CARE Court, Governor Newsom's mental health initiative, is gaining ground in Los Angeles County after a slow start. The program empowers courts to order community-based treatment for people with serious, untreated mental illnesses. CalMatters reports that petitions in LA County jumped eighty-five percent between late 2025 and March 2026, reaching 68 that month alone—far exceeding the program's initial uptake. County officials credit better coordination with hospitals and first responders. Critics, however, including the ACLU, argue the program puts court orders on a broken system rather than fixing the underlying funding crisis. State analysis found the cost per person at roughly seven hundred thirteen thousand dollars, with about half of petitions dismissed. Still, more than four thousand Californians have been directed to alternative services statewide, and sixty-three percent of LA participants have stayed with CARE.

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