New California mental health court sees more than 100 petitions in first two months

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 Friday. 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 Friday. “This is exactly where we want to be,” said Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency.