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Alameda County reports rapid Care Court uptake; 60+ petitions advanced and county builds outreach and bridge housing supports
Summary
County behavioral health and Indigo, Inc. officials said Alameda County has rapidly implemented the state's Care Court process, filed dozens of petitions (71–75), prioritized bridge housing for participants, and developed push-notification outreach and interagency huddles to locate and engage eligible people.
Alameda County officials and consultants told a joint committee that the county implemented the state's Care Court program early and has seen faster-than-expected petition volume and participant engagement.
Dr. Roberta Chambers (Indigo) said planning began in October 2023 with an interagency work group that included Behavioral Health, the public defender, courts, housing and community providers. Alameda went live ahead of the state deadline in December 2024 and has since developed an outreach structure, a push-notification system to locate petitioned individuals, and a bridge-housing priority pathway to move enrolled participants quickly into interim housing.
Numbers and outcomes: Chambers reported 71 petitions as of May 7 (later noted as 73–75 during the meeting). Of those, 63 met prima facie and were referred to Alameda County Behavioral Health for outreach and assessment; 18 had agreed to receive services by the May snapshot, 38 remained in outreach/engagement and seven were dismissed for reasons such as insufficient information or ineligibility. Presenters said Alameda’s petition sources are unusually diverse — including first responders, family members and hospital staff — and that the state has visited to study Alameda’s process.
Operational lessons: County staff and contractors described intensive outreach requirements (an average of ~95 contacts or roughly four months to engage some individuals), the need for rapid, coordinated referrals to bridge housing and treatment, and court practices designed to minimize stress for participants (Chambers described supportive courtroom procedures and rapid judge review of petitions). The public defender’s office said it is ramping up capacity for self-referrals and expects additional petitioner categories (including system-involved people) to increase filings.
Capacity and funding: County behavioral health staff said they have capacity for 100 people in full-service partnership teams; presenters cautioned that continued scale-up depends on funding (BCHIP awards, CalAIM reimbursements, Measure W planning and potential Prop 1 impacts) and close coordination with courts and other justice partners.
What’s next: Presenters asked the Board to monitor and support process improvements, data collection and cross-agency coordination as Care Court enrollments grow; supervisors asked staff to track capacity, bridge-housing availability and any impacts on other prevention programs.
