Governor Gavin Newsom released the 2026 CARE Act Annual Report on Thursday, saying new statewide data shows the CARE Act is reaching more Californians with serious mental illness and connecting them to treatment, housing, and other supports through voluntary engagement.
The Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act connects individuals with untreated or undertreated schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders to voluntary support, with a judge presiding over each case to ensure accountability and outcomes. Petitions may be submitted by individuals, family members, first responders, behavioral health professionals, or eligible county staff.
The first CARE Act programs began in eight counties in 2023 and were fully implemented in all 58 counties by December 2024. Through June 2026, CARE Act pathways have reached more than 10,000 Californians, with more than 5,400 CARE petitions filed across 54 counties. Of those, 1,414 petitions resulted in voluntary CARE agreements and 56 in court-ordered CARE plans. Nearly 4,900 people who first engaged via CARE were referred to services outside the formal CARE Act process.
"By making data accessible and in one place, we are giving people the tools to see what's working, where the gaps are, and how we can build a system that delivers care, dignity, and hope for everyone," Newsom said. "Knowledge is power, and we are far from powerless."
Counties placed on the "CARE ICU" (Improvement and Coordination Unit) list earlier this year have made significant improvement after receiving targeted technical support and training. Fresno County doubled and Kern County tripled its number of petitions since last year.
Newsom also announced the Behavioral Health Public County Profile, a dashboard consolidating county-reported data on demographics, homelessness and housing-related behavioral health services, and performance measures. It follows California's July 1, 2026 transition from the Mental Health Services Act to the Behavioral Health Services Act, approved by voters through Proposition 1 in 2024.
"California set out to establish one place where the public can clearly see how our behavioral health system is functioning at the local level, and this tool delivers on that vision," said DHCS Director Michelle Baass.
Katia Benthale, Deputy Public Defender for Ventura County, said: "Success means this is the longest someone's ever been sober. Success means this is the longest someone's stayed out of custody. I've had clients say, 'This is the longest I haven't been arrested,' and that gives me goosebumps."
Brandon Fernandez, CEO of CRI-HELP, said the Governor's behavioral health transformation work "has been nothing short of extraordinary for both substance use and mental health providers," adding that integrating substance use disorder and mental health services will create better pathways into treatment. The state said implementation remains ongoing and longer-term outcomes will continue to be evaluated.