BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Gavin Newsom is calling out counties across California for falling behind on a key mental health program and Kern County is on that list.
At a press conference Monday, Newsom said several counties have not fully implemented the state’s CARE Court program.
“There are counties that haven’t gotten it done like Santa Clara County,”Newsom said Kern County is among ten counties the state considers “underperforming” when it comes to rolling out the program.
“Ultimately we fall short no state has been impacted more then the state of California the original sin is the lack of investment in behavioral health but the lack of investment in housing.”The CARE Court program, officially known as the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court, launched in October 2023. Kern County began participating in 2024.
The program is designed to provide court-ordered voluntary treatment, housing and support services to people experiencing severe mental health crises.
State leaders say the goal is to help prevent homelessness and unnecessary incarceration among people living with serious mental illness.
However, officials with Kern Behavioral Health say the numbers may tell a different story.
According to the department, Kern County has received around 200 referrals related to CARE Court.
Officials say roughly 40 percent of those patients were able to receive the help they needed without having to file petitions through the court system.
Jessica Armstrong says success in the program should be measured by how many people actually get connected with treatment.
“I don’t know that we were aware that the numbers of petitions filed means a county was successful we view success as clients getting into treatment and actively engaging in doing things that we need to do to make them successful.”
Armstrong says the state appears to be focusing on how many petitions are filed through CARE Court, but she believes that metric doesn’t fully capture what is happening locally.
“What we found is that we’ve been wild successful in engaging folks into treatment without having to file a petition process.”Armstrong also noted that mental health treatment often requires different approaches depending on the individual.
“I think at the end of the day there not one solution that works for all of the individuals that may come.”
If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis and needs services, you can contact the Kern County crisis line at (800) 991-5272.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
