Calaveras County To Launch Care Court Next Week

The Calaveras County Superior Court will start accepting petitions for the new Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court on Monday, December 2.

The CARE Act was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on September 14, 2022, creating CARE Court. It is a new initiative to deliver mental health and substance abuse disorder services to severely impaired Californians who suffer from homelessness or incarceration. It is intended to support people living with schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders by providing treatment, services, support, and a housing plan.

We reported earlier that neighboring Tuolumne County was one of seven pilot counties to implement the initiative in October of 2023, and the remaining counties, like Calaveras, are starting it up this year (Click here to find a 2023 Mother Lode Views with Tuolumne County leaders about CARE Court).

Petitions in Calaveras County may be filed at either the Self-Help Center or the Clerk’s office at the Superior Court located at 400 Government Center Drive in San Andreas. There is no fee to file a Petition for CARE Act proceedings.

The CARE Court cases will be heard in Courtroom 4 on Fridays at 8:30 am. CARE Court petitions, reports, and proceedings are confidential and not open to the public. The Calaveras Superior Court will be offering self-help services to assist CARE Court petitioners, respondents and families as they navigate the process.

More information about Calaveras CARE Court proceedings, links to forms, and other resources, can be found here.