Senate Bill (SB) 1338 (Chapter 319, Statutes of 2022) established the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act (in effect Jan. 1 2023) to provide community-based behavioral health services and supports to eligible adult Californians living with bipolar I disorder with psychotic features, schizophrenia spectrum disorder, or other psychotic disorders through a new civil court process. The CARE Act is intended as an intervention for the most severely impaired Californians to prevent avoidable psychiatric hospitalizations, incarceration, and Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Mental Health conservatorship.
The CARE Act is based on evidence which demonstrates that many people can stabilize, begin recovery, and gain supportive housing in less restrictive, community-based care settings. In order to achieve these results, the CARE Court will place individuals on a CARE agreement or court-ordered CARE plan for up to 12-months, with the possibility of a 12-month extension.
The Department of Health Care Services has contracted with Health Management Associates (HMA) to provide training and technical assistance and data collection and reporting support for the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act. HMA provides training and technical assistance to the following:
HMA supports counties in successfully implementing the CARE Act. HMA provides individualized technical assistance to address county’s unique needs, clarify program requirements, and share best practices. HMA also facilitates coordination across state and local partners to ensure smooth, long-term success.