September 29, 2026
LACDMH Public Information Office
(213) 738-3700
pio@dmh.lacounty.gov
State’s Annual Care Act Report Highlights LACDMH Focus on Connection & Long-Term Stability
LOS ANGELES, CA — The California Department of Health Care Services recently released its 2026 Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Act Annual Report that highlights Los Angeles County’s commitment to providing long-term behavioral health care to residents in need. Since implementation in December 2023, the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) CARE team has been building the systems, partnerships and infrastructure needed to turn the civil court-supervised program into a compassionate, highly coordinated pathway to recovery.
The CARE Act was created to help eligible individuals living with serious mental illness connect with treatment, housing and supportive services. This year’s annual report helps state and local partners understand how CARE is being implemented, identify early lessons and help plan for the program’s growth.
For Los Angeles County, the State’s report highlights three significant milestones:
- Los Angeles County is building a highly coordinated process involving behavioral health providers, courts, first responders and community partners. This outreach has contributed to 1,172 CARE Act petitions filed in the County as of July 2026, including referrals made by local first responders. To expand this referral-making resource, LACDMH has successfully trained 133 community partners — including first responders, National Alliance on Mental Illness chapters, hospital systems and community-based behavioral health clinics — to build a stronger front-line safety net.
- Los Angeles County’s unique linkage model actively connects people with an array of voluntary behavioral health services before a formal court petition is dismissed. As a result, more than 43% of 162 dismissed CARE participants in the County were connected to services and supports, including outpatient treatment and Full Service Partnership (FSP) programs. In comparison, the average rate across the state for post-dismissal connection to services and supports was 27.9% of 689 dismissed CARE participants.
- Los Angeles County has successfully expanded specialized housing pathways. The State commended LACDMH’s use of flexible, service-rich housing strategies, including repurposing existing housing supply, converting local hotels and expanding residential care programs to support participants whose recovery depends on a stable living environment.
“The report reinforces what Los Angeles County is working to build through CARE — an increasingly coordinated pathway that helps people with serious mental illness connect to the right support at the right time,” said LACDMH Director Lisa H. Wong, Psy.D. “As one key part of the larger statewide effort, we are dedicated to helping our clients navigate this system, offering the tailored, personal support that is critical to meet each client’s specific housing and clinical needs.”
While the annual report highlights important early implementation findings, Los Angeles County recognizes that the work is far from complete. LACDMH is continually refining CARE implementation by identifying opportunities to improve field-based engagement and ensuring all diverse populations can benefit. To date, more than two dozen individuals have successfully graduated from Los Angeles County’s CARE Court, while nearly 50 participants have voluntarily extended their agreements to continue their progress. These outcomes highlight the program’s success in connecting individuals with complex clinical and housing needs to life-changing support.
“One of the most rewarding parts of this work is seeing what happens when someone gets connected to the support they need,” said Martin Jones, County-wide Manager over LACDMH’s CARE Court. “Every petition represents a person, a family and a community looking for help. Offering hands-on support to help individuals navigate the civil court process and finding the clinical connections that uniquely fit them is what makes this work deeply personal and reminds our team why it matters.”
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About the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) As the nation’s largest public mental health department, we ensure access to care and treatment for our most vulnerable residents in a region nearing 10 million people. With an annual budget exceeding $4.5 billion and over 7,800 budgeted positions, LACDMH is dedicated to hope, recovery, and wellbeing for everyone across Los Angeles County. For more information, visit dmh.lacounty.gov or follow @LACDMH on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and YouTube.