Existing law, the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act, authorizes specified persons, including a person with whom the respondent resides, family members, first responders, among others, to petition a civil court to create a voluntary CARE agreement or a court-ordered CARE plan and implement services, to be provided by county behavioral health agencies, to provide behavioral health care, including stabilization medication, housing, and other enumerated services, to adults who are currently experiencing a severe mental illness and have a diagnosis identified in the disorder class schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, and who meet other specified criteria.

This bill would authorize a first responder to contact the county behavioral health agency in the county in which the respondent resides to request the agency file a petition to commence the CARE process. The bill would require the agency to investigate whether or not the respondent meets the criteria to qualify for the CARE process within 30 business days. This bill would also authorize the requester to seek a court order if the agency does not investigate the respondent, or appeal the agency’s determination on whether or not to file a petition to commence the process.

This bill would require the department to create a referral form to be used by the first responders. The bill would also require the department to issue guidance on the procedure to request that the agency file a petition to commence the CARE process and county behavioral health agency data reporting requirements. The bill would also require the agency to include specified data in their annual report to the department.