March 18th, 2025
The Honorable Caroline Menjivar
Senate Health Committee
1021 O Street, Room 3310
Sacramento, CA 95814
Re: MHAC Opposition to Senate Bill 823 (Stern)
Dear Chair,
Mental Health America of California is writing to oppose SB 823 (Stern), legislation that would add Bipolar I Disorder to the criteria for a person to be petitioned into CARE Court and forced into involuntary treatment. CARE Court represents an ineffective approach to mental healthcare in California. It fails to address the systemic barriers individuals face and, in some cases, comes at the cost of their civil liberties.
MHAC is a peer-run organization leading the state in behavioral health public policy and advocacy since 1957. The mission of MHAC is to assist and encourage communities, families and individuals to experience hope, wellness and recovery from mental health and substance use disorder issues through voluntary services that are delivered in their local community with compassion and respect for everyone’s dignity and autonomy.
The primary barriers to accessing mental health services include a shortage of providers, stigma, and lack of voluntary services and supports. Investing in the behavioral health workforce, reducing stigma through community engagement, and voluntary community-based services has proven to prevent mental health crisis, reduce hospitalizations, institutionalization, and incarceration.[1] In contrast, CARE Court fails to address the provider shortage, inadvertently increases stigma due to its court-based setting, and provides no additional funding to increase mental health services and supports beyond what’s currently available.
The ineffectiveness of CARE Court is demonstrated in the enrollment numbers. When San Francisco rolled out CARE Court in 2023, city officials projected approximately 2,000 eligible individuals, but only 11 referrals were made.[2] The Department of Health Care Services also released its Early Implementation Report in November of 2024 which recorded a total of 100 Care Court participants, yet state officials estimated 7,000 to 12,000 people would be eligible.[3][4] One of the primary reasons for the low enrollment is due to the many respondents who are receiving care voluntarily or receiving supports and services in a different way other than CARE Court. This further supports the idea that when voluntary supports and services are available, people will accept them.
The state’s failure to meet expectations shows an inherent flaw in the system that won’t be solved by expanding the criteria of who can be forced into treatment via a court order. For these reasons MHAC opposes SB 823 (Stern) and asks for your “No” vote. If you have any questions, or if MHAC can provide any assistance on this bill or any behavioral health legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me or our Director of Public Policy, Karen Vicari, at kvicari@mhaofca.org.
In Community,
Heidi L. Strunk
President & CEO
[1] Yehya, N. A. (2024, November 27). Report finds State’s mental health programs need consistent funding, community engagement. UC Davis Health News.
[2] SF Chronicle “S.F. Helped Only a Handful of People So Far through California’s Ambitious New Health Program” (2024)
[3] Depart of Health Care Services . (2024, November). CARE Act Early Implementation Report. Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment Act.
[4] Mai-Duc, C. (2024, November 27). California falling short of enrollment goal as Mental Health Courts Roll Out Statewide. California Healthline.