<!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ --></p> <p>By Tom Scott, especially for CalMatters</p> <figure> <img decoding="async" width=""1200"" height=""800"" src=""https://i0.wp.com/calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/10092023_CARE-Court_AH_10.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1"" class=""attachment-post-thumbnail" size-post-thumbnail="" wp-post-image="" alt=""A" courtroom="" where="" care="" court="" hearings="" take="" place="" at="" the="" san="" diego="" county="" superior="" in="" on="" oct.="" photo="" by="" adriana="" heldiz="" calmatters="" decoding=""async"" srcset=""https://i0.wp.com/calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/10092023_CARE-Court_AH_10.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1" https:="" sizes=""(max-width:"/><figcaption>A courtroom at the San Diego County Superior Court in San Diego on October 9, 2023. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters<br /> </figcaption></figure> <p>This comment was originally posted by <a href=""https://calmatters.org/"">CalMatters</a>. <a href=""https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/"">Sign up</a> for their newsletters.</p> <p>Guest Comment written by</p> <p>Re: <a href=""https://calmatters.org/health/mental-health/2025/12/care-court-what-happened-in-legislature/"">How Gavin Newsom’s CARE Court Lost Its Teeth in the California Legislature</a></p> <p>The recent CalMatters article on how California’s CARE Court has evolved in the legislature<br />provides in-depth coverage of the challenges counties face in implementing limited policy.</p> <p>California Association of Public Administrators, Public Guardians and Public Conservators<br />(CA PA|PG|PC) represents county employees who serve people with the most serious mental health problems<br />illness, often when there is no family or support system. Our members see the difference between<br />The CARE Court’s intent and real-world application.</p> <p>Narrow diagnostic criteria, difficulties in finding people experiencing unprotected homelessness,<br />and assumptions about the results all current obstacles. </p> <p>CARE Court is funded and can produce positive results in some cases. But failing CARE Court should not be treated as an automatic path to LPS conservatorship: the burden of proof remains high, and many people may fail CARE Court for reasons unrelated to their ability to survive safely. </p> <p>Legislation should be judged by how it works in practice for Californians across the state.</p> <p>This article was <a href=""https://calmatters.org/commentary/2025/12/care-court-california-gap/"">originally published on CalMatters</a> and is republished under <a href=""https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/"">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives</a> license.</p> <p> Copy the HTML
