New California Mental Health Court Sees More Than 100 Petitions in First 2 Months

SACRAMENTO, Calif.—An alternative mental health court to compel treatment for people with severe mental illness has received more than 100 petitions since launching in seven California counties in October, state officials said Dec. 1. The state believes between 7,000 and 12,000 people statewide will eventually be eligible for “CARE Court,” which launched on a limited basis before Los Angeles County became the latest and largest county to start the program on Dec. 1. “This is exactly where we want to be,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. Mr. Ghaly told reporters he’s optimistic about the early results and that the number of referrals reflects the small population eligible until now. Only those who are at least 18 years old and have schizophrenia or a related disorder would qualify. Severe depression, bipolar disorder, and addiction by itself do not qualify....