Under CARE Court, judges can order people to get help, with counties required to provide aid. Critics argue the California mental health care program is costly and could strip people of their rights.
On any given night, more than 170,000 people are living on California's streets or in its shelters. It is the largest homeless population in the country -- fueled by a lack of affordable housing and the state's failure to provide adequate mental health care. It's a crisis that's bred fear in communities, as violent crimes rise. And this past week, Sacramento's top prosecutor sued California's capital city for allowing it to quote"collapse into chaos.
Here's how it will work: a person referred to CARE Court for a severe mental illness is evaluated. If they have an untreated psychotic disorder, like schizophrenia, a judge can order a mental health treatment plan including medication, therapy and a place to live. Anita Fisher: A lotta times he even can get very agitated. And then he starts to self-medicate. Whether it's alcohol or street drugs and that takes it to a whole different level.60 Minutes
Cecilia Vega: Your son would be convinced that he was fine mentally, that he didn't need his meds. How do you convince him otherwise? What has to happen?And, last October, he wasPharoh declined to be interviewed on-camera, but he described to us on the phone how difficult it can be to live with his illness.
Gov. Gavin Newsom: We have-- we have people end up in conservatorship all the time. And I get why people don't want to see more of those. But we have that system already. Garrow says that alternative is for the state to provide comprehensive care for all Californians with mental health disabilities. Eve Garrow: Yes. It is. If we invest in those services, instead of investing in a new court system. Of course it is.
For years, on and off, that included Marquesha Babers; a 28-year-old who told us she has several serious mental health conditions including bipolar disorder.Marquesha Babers has dealt with homelessness. She told 60 Minutes she has several serious mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder.Marquesha Babers: I go almost every day to ask if I could speak to a therapist or if I can, you know, get some mental health services or help. And there are really none.
Gov. Gavin Newsom: I'm done with the excuses. You should be done as a taxpayer. Everyone watching should be sick and tired of the excuses. There's plenty of money in this space.
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