Community Assistance Recovery Empowerment (CARE)

• Adults, 18 years or older.
• Diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders.
• Experiencing behaviors and symptoms associated with severe mental illness.
• Not clinically stabilized in on-going voluntary treatment.
• At least one of the following:
  • The individual is unlikely to survive safely without supervision and their condition is substantially deteriorating.
  • The individual needs services & supports to prevent relapse or deterioration, which could lead to grave disability, harm to self or harm to others.
• Participation in CARE Plan or Agreement is the least restrictive alternative.
• Likely to benefit from participating in a CARE Plan or Agreement.

Family/Home

• A person who lives with the respondent
• Spouse, parent, sibling, child, grandparent, or another individual in place of a parent
• Respondent (i.e., self-petition)

Community

• First responder (e.g., peace officer, firefighter, paramedic, mobile crisis response, homeless outreach worker)
• Director of a hospital, or their designee, where the respondent is hospitalized (including for Welfare and Institutions Code 5150 and 5250 holds)
• Licensed behavioral health professional or their designee treating the respondent for mental illness
• Director of a public or charitable organization that provides behavioral health services to the respondent and where the respondent resides

County

• County behavioral health director or their designee
• Public guardian or their designee
• Director of Adult Protective Services or their designee

• Complete petition CARE-100 Petition and remember to fill out ALL requested information.
• Include evidence that the respondent was detained for a minimum of TWO periods of intensive treatment (WIC, 5250 Holds), with the most recent episode being within the last 60 days OR
• Have a completed CARE-101 Mental Health Declaration from a licensed behavioral health provider.
• Gather all required documentation to submit with the petition.
• Visit the Sonoma County Civil Self-Help Center for assistance in filing a petition.

E-Filing a petition and additional details on the petition process are available on the Care Court Superior Court of California | County of Sonoma

CARE Act Resource Center:

Home - CARE Act Resource Center - CARE Act Resource Center (care-act.org) – please note that preferred language can be selected in the upper right hand corner

Informational Video:

CARE Act Eligibility Criteria (youtube.com)

Information for Petitioners:

Petitioners - CARE Act Resource Center (care-act.org)

CARE-050-INFO Information for Petitioners—About the CARE Act

Forms:

These forms are available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean

• CARE-050-INFO: Information for Petitioners—About the CARE Act 
• CARE-060-INFO: Information for Respondents—About the CARE Act 
• CARE-100: Petition to Commence CARE Act Proceedings
• CARE-101: Mental Health Declaration—CARE Act Proceedings

Frequently Asked Questions - CARE Act Resource Center (care-act.org)