LA County Officials Push CARE Court Hiring Forward (And Other Headlines)

Los Angeles County is in the process of setting up CARE Court, a new state-mandated program that could create new ways for people suffering from serious mental illness to get the treatment they need. But there are challenges, including the question of how to staff it.

Accelerating CARE Court to help those in need

The idea for CARE Court is that people struggling with an untreated illness, like schizophrenia, could be referred to a court-ordered care plan that a county health worker or even a family member could initiate. If the plan doesn’t work, the individual could be hospitalized or placed into a conservatorship.

It was first introduced by Governor Gavin Newsom last year who then signed the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act into law in the fall, requiring counties to set up the infrastructure for getting the courts going.

The plan for L.A., to start, is to have one courtroom and one judge within the Superior Court in Norwalk. But with the program launching on Dec. 1, there is an urgency to hire enough staff to adequately serve Angelenos in need before that date. The County's Department of Mental Health has struggled to fill positions.

Earlier this week, as my colleague Robert Garrova reported, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors used an emergency declaration on homelessness to expedite hiring. But staff shortages aren’t the only hurdle for the CARE court. There’s also the issue of having enough beds for those in need, not to mention concern over "misuse or forced treatment."

Read Robert’s story here to find out more.

There’s more news below — just keep reading.

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• Looking for more fun stuff to do this weekend? You could watch Megan Thee Stallion and Mariah Carey dazzle in all of their queendom at the L.A. Pride Festival and Parade (more details below) or listen to Tony- and Grammy Award-winning performer Renée Elise Goldsberry (yes, Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton on Broadway) belt her heart out at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Or enjoy Native American art, food and culture at the American Indian Arts Marketplace at the Autry Museum of the American West. Check out what else you should do this weekend here.

Wait! One more thing...

Take pride and stride in L.A. Pride

The lineup for the 2023 L.A. Pride festival.

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Courtesy of L.A. Pride

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Get all of our celebratory Pride gear out, LGBTQuties and friends. Today starting at 3 p.m. is the beginning of the official L.A. Pride. Megan Thee Stallion will be headlining the festival on Friday at LA State Historic Park and Mariah Carey will be leading the event tomorrow. Tickets are $139 for the festival, but the parade is FREE.99.

Janelle Monae will join ACLU SoCal as the Community Grand Marshal during Sunday’s L.A. Pride Parade.

Queer comedian, actor and activist Margaret Cho will serve as the Icon Grand Marshal for the parade on Sunday. The late Emmy-winning actor Leslie Jordan will be honored as the Legacy Grand Marshal.

My colleague Caitlin Hernández has a lot more details and tips for you for this weekend’s festivities. Check it all out here.