CARE Court can change lives and the CA justice system

When most people think of courtrooms, they picture places where disputes are settled, laws are enforced and justice is delivered. When I was a superior court judge, I presided over many types of cases — criminal, civil, family, and more. 

But after serving in the court’s probate division and managing the CARE Court calendar, I have come to believe a courtroom can be much more than a venue for adversarial proceedings. It can be a catalyst for profound change in a person’s life.

For too long, Californians with serious mental illness have faced barriers to achieving long-term stability. Family members who for years have sought to assist their loved ones often became disappointed by a lack of options. 

CARE Court is changing that — and changing the role of California’s judges in ways I never expected. The CARE Act calls for a new kind of judicial leadership, grounded in trust, empathy and relationship-building. 

Unlike most court proceedings, everyone in a CARE Court courtroom — judges, participants, family members, providers and county agencies — works toward the same objective: helping someone find a path to stability and hope, where perhaps that path previously was lost or difficult to find.

My experience as a CARE Court judge showed me how powerful a courtroom can be when it has the right tools and the right people. I have seen real change in people. 

CARE Court offers participants — who are usually unmedicated and impaired by an illness they did not choose or understand — an opportunity to become engaged in their own recovery and to make remarkable progress toward self-sufficiency and independence. 

This often means resolving criminal cases, transitioning from incarceration to treatment and finding housing. Perhaps most importantly, it means finding hope out of what were hopeless circumstances. 

In the process, participants rediscover themselves and make sustainable connections with service providers and family members.

Witnessing transformations like this is deeply moving. It reminded me that when someone is met with persistent, coordinated support, the courtroom can be a place of healing and possibility. 

CARE Court is a new tool in California’s behavioral health continuum, helping thousands access treatment, medication, housing and supportive services. It strengthens coordination across systems that too often have operated independently. 

Many CARE participants have cycled through hospitals, behavioral health programs, emergency departments, jails and other public systems without achieving lasting stability. Now these fragmented systems are brought together through a structured, person-centered process.

Participants who once associated courtrooms with judgment and consequences begin to see them as places of resolution and care — proof the justice system can work for them, not against them. 

My role was to ensure CARE plans meet participants’ unique needs and that agencies remain active, responsive and accountable.

Long-term recovery cannot be forced. Counties invest in relentless outreach and relationship-building to earn trust and engage participants. Family members, providers and partners now have meaningful avenues to advocate for individuals in need of structured support.

CARE Court is a work in progress, and it is not the right fit for everyone. Different pathways exist for different people, and the courtroom can be a place where those pathways begin. 

Challenges remain, as they do with any new approach to a complex issue, but that is not a reason to abandon a worthy cause.  

As California implements the CARE Act, members of the judiciary should advance its promise. By approaching these cases with compassion, accountability and collaboration, judges can ensure more Californians have meaningful pathways to care and long-term recovery.