Care Act
What is the CARE Act?
CARE: Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment Act. The CARE Act seeks to provide mental health services, support, and accountability for persons living with untreated schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders. It aims to divert and prevent restrictive conservatorships and incarcerations through a court-ordered CARE plan or an approved CARE agreement.
CARE Act will benefit community members diagnosed with Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders. CARE proceedings will build a relationship with each participant, develop a treatment plan, and provide ongoing support and services in partnership with the County of San Luis Obispo Behavioral Health Department. Each treatment plan will consider the individual’s needs, preferences, and goals.
Do It Yourself
We have a document preparation program available for you to use to complete the necessary forms to file a CARE Act petition. This program will ask you to answer questions that are needed to file a CARE Act petition. The answers you give will be used to complete the forms needed to start a CARE Act case.
Do It Yourself - CARE Act Case
If you would like the Self-Help Center / Family Law Facilitator's Office to review your forms before you file, then do not make copies until after the Center has reviewed your documents.
Who Can File a Petition?
CARE petitions may be filed starting December 1, 2024.
The party that files a petition with the court is called the petitioner. The party named in the petition is called the respondent. CARE-050-INFO provides information for petitioners and CARE-060-INFO provides information for respondents.
To commence CARE Act proceedings, a petition must be filed by someone who is familiar with the person requiring help. The petition and other CARE forms are available on the California Courts website. The petition must be filed using the mandatory form CARE-100. Certain documents must be attached to support the claims made in the petition. The petitioner may be referred to the Self-Help Center if the petition is incomplete.
The petition and supporting documents may be filed electronically or in person. For information on electronic filing please refer to the court’s Online Case Filing page.
The confidential CARE proceedings will be heard at the San Luis Obispo Courthouse.
Please visit the CA Courts Self-Help Guide for more information on the CARE Act process.