Solano County panel outlines Care Court process as residents press concerns over access and criminalization

Vice Mayor Pam Bertani opened a public forum in Fairfield on Solano County's Care Court program on Dec. 20, introducing a panel that included Presiding Judge Alicia Jones, Jen Mullane (chief deputy director, Solano County Behavioral Health) and Kelly Welsh (deputy county counsel). The hourlong session explained who may be petitioned, what a Care Court agreement looks like and how the county is preparing for expanded eligibility.

Panelists said Care Court is a civil, voluntary process intended to connect people who have serious mental illness to treatment and housing resources rather than to punish them. "The governor's project was to fund robustly in every county a care court which would enable people to voluntarily participate in proceedings that would provide them with resources that are available in the community," Presiding Judge Alicia Jones said, framing the court's role as an entry point for services. Jones cautioned Care Court is not a cure: "All the money in the world... does not cure schizophrenia," she said, stressing the program's goal is to "ease someone's suffering."

Why it matters: Care Court is part of a statewide effort launched under Governor Newsom to create voluntary civil pathways to care for people with serious mental illness who may be living unhoused or otherwise disconnected from treatment. Local implementation affects where people can be referred for housing, whether they can access intensive outpatient teams, and how families and first responders initiate petitions.

How the process starts and who can file: County counsel Kelly Welsh said a petition may be filed by a range of people 18 or older who have a relationship to the respondent: a person who lives with the respondent, a spouse or domestic partner, a hospital director, a nonprofit director providing services, a licensed behavioral health professional, the director of a county behavioral health agency, a first responder, or the respondent themself. Welsh said the state Judicial Council forms (on the DHCS website) can be handwritten and that local courthouse staff and self-help offices will assist people in completing them.

Eligibility and recent changes: Panelists said early Care Court eligibility focused on schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, but recent legislation expands the list. "Come January 1, bipolar I is also going to be an eligible diagnosis," Welsh said; the panel said they expect that change to increase the number of people who can enter the process and are preparing county services accordingly.

Services and outcomes: Jen Mullane said Care Court clients typically receive services through the county's full-service partnership (FSP) teams: intensive outpatient care, help applying for Social Security or EBT, case management, and bridge-funded housing when available. Mullane said Solano County procured 100 additional FSP slots and that behavioral health staff will help transport and engage respondents. "We have bridge funded housing... every client that's been in Care Court has had the opportunity to accept housing," she said, while acknowledging capacity must be monitored as eligibility broadens.

Voluntary nature, legal limits and support: The panel repeatedly emphasized Care Court is civil and voluntary. Jones explained respondents receive an appointed lawyer from the public defender's office at no cost and that behavioral health teams perform statutorily mandated outreach and engagement. The panel said the court can order services in the process flow but described the system as "carrot and no stick": there are no criminal penalties for failing to comply with a care agreement in Solano County implementation.

Public concerns raised: Several audience members described personal encounters with policing, arrests and exclusion from services. Dennis Green Jr., who identified himself as someone with lived experience, recounted being arrested and said residents often are not asked why someone became homeless: "How did they go homeless? Nobody asked those questions," he said, urging the panel to consider criminalization and the real-world barriers people face. Judge Jones and others drew a legal distinction between civil Care Court proceedings and criminal courts, noting any change to create criminal sanctions would require action by the state legislature.

Gaps and complementary tools: John Mackenzie, president of NAMI Solano, and others called attention to a gap between voluntary Care Court services and tools such as assisted outpatient treatment (AOT) or conservatorship that can be used when people lack capacity or refuse care. Panelists pointed to conservatorship and the Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) processes as existing, legally constrained options and noted Senate Bill 43 would take effect Jan. 1 to help identify individuals in need; a county press release on SB 43 was foreshadowed by the panel.

How to get help: Mullane said people who want treatment do not have to go through Care Court and can instead contact the county access line at (707) 784-8080 for screening and assessment. Panelists also noted local programs (HIT, HEART and an upcoming navigation center in Fairfield) and said initial petitioners do not have an ongoing obligation: behavioral health typically assumes follow-up after a petition starts the process.

What's next: Panelists said Solano County has worked with courts, the public defender's office and community partners to prepare operations and will monitor capacity as eligibility expands on Jan. 1. The forum was recorded for Channel 26 and YouTube; panelists encouraged community education and named NAMI Solano as a partner for outreach and support.

Ending: The session closed with thanks from Vice Mayor Pam Bertani and panelists, who urged residents to use county behavioral health access and local navigation services if they or a loved one need assistance. "We're really blessed to have a wonderful court partner," Jen Mullane said, and the panel reiterated that Care Court is one of several tools local agencies will use to connect people to care.