California's CARE Court: A Step in the Right Direction or 'Terrifying' Step Backwards?

[quaint]

VoiceOfOC

The newly-approved and highly controversial system is known as CARE Court, and it isn’t exclusive to homeless people or intended for all of them.

Rather, the new law’s authors say it’s for those with mental health and substance abuse issues, who under the current system only get help after they deteriorate or commit crimes, or end up back on the street with no help at all.

The idea’s to court-order such people into a treatment plan for up to two years, with County of Orange officials joining six other counties in committing to an early rollout of the system over the next calendar year.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, state lawmakers and big city mayors have pushed CARE Court as non-coercive and individualized – and as the next step in the state’s move away from institutionalization.

Civil rights groups, on the other hand, say CARE Court is institutionalization’s next chapter, coercive by its very structure, while self-determination — voluntary but supportive treatment — is the best route through which people recover.

Lots more at link.

[Auggie]

1. My take: try it, see how it works, iron-out the kinks ...

If it doesn't work go back to the drawing board. At least we tried.

This humanitarian crisis is playing out in the streets.

[quaint]

2. Agree. We can't just keep wringing our hands.

[The Mouth]

3. It's no kindness to let people who can't function in society

wander around screaming, shitting on the sidewalk, and making things disgusting for all of us while harming their health and being readily available for exploitation.

some humans just can't function, it isn't being some kind of enlightened being or compassionate person to keep them from getting the help they need to at the very least not hurt themselves or others. It was the unholy combination of Reagan's budget cutters and woefully misguided 'civil libertarians' (of course the kind who call the cops in a nanosecend when a raver is taking a crap on their yard) who messed this all up in the first place.

[quaint]

4. All too true.

[msfiddlestix]

5. We have a very serious Mental Health Pandemic in Ca and I dare say the rest of the country

My 14 year old granddaughter will be entering a Residential Treatment Center today, not by court order but by seeking out on our own a place she could get the help she needs and found a mental health center staffed with highly qualified team of psy hiatric and medical professionals in an environment that is safe and healthy, and is actually covered by Kaiser and othrt Insurance Carriers.

We hope her recovery begins today. Not everyone has insurance and it's just fortunate we found this facility by chance. Fortunately, she/we hadn't had to deal with courts, as this didn't involve police or other law enforcement matters.

I think we need this and is way past due.

[quaint]

6. Peace and healing for your family.