In 2022, California established the , which helps people in California facing severe mental health challenges (schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders) receive care that they otherwise would likely not receive. ������Ƶ is proud to be a leading partner in this new effort, having been awarded three of the CARE Act programs currently operating or in development in eight counties. The State of California intends to implement CARE Act services in every county by December 1, 2024. ������Ƶ has CARE Act programs in San Diego and Orange Counties. 

The Orange County AOT CARE Act team (an expansion of our OC AOT program) was honored to be visited recently by the . Ms. Kaka’s role is to work with governments, community providers, and other related partners to learn about and implement best practices for addressing the homelessness crisis. She and her team share these learnings with state agencies and legislative partners to inform statewide initiatives. During the visit, Ms. Kaka asked questions about their experiences since they are among the first teams to implement the CARE Act model. The team was proud and excited to illustrate what’s working, where ������Ƶ is excelling, and to provide ideas on overcoming some of the barriers they are experiencing.  

“We work hard to ensure that services are specifically designed for the person in front of us. Everybody is an individual and will be honored like that here at this program. That’s what it’s all about.” 

Although it is early in the CARE Act model roll-out process, the OC team has identified three areas of strength at the OC site. First, the team meets people where they are, whether in the community, jails, or hospitals. They connect with them early and often, ensuring that people receive care when and where they need it. Secondly, the OC team provides valuable and insightful peer services. Our peer staff excels at creating relationships based on shared lived experiences and provides real examples and hope for recovery. Last but certainly not least, the team has developed a thorough and replicable process to identify sustainable, respectful, quality housing.  

“We are so excited and honored to be a part of this effort,” said Jessica Dirks, program administrator. “It speaks to the relationship we’ve built here in the community, as well as with our county and our court customers, that they’re trusting us to help embark on this journey together as a community. We’re putting the individual’s needs first, working with them to identify their needs and wants, and providing individualized services to ensure people have the best chance possible to succeed. We are thrilled to be on the leading edge of this effort and proud to be able to help shape the development of future CARE Act programs.” 

When people are connected to CARE Act services, families often wonder what kind of services their loved one will receive. “It's personalized,” says Jessica. “They’re not getting cookie-cutter care. We work hard to ensure that services are specifically designed for the person in front of us. Everybody is an individual and will be honored like that here at this program. That’s what it’s all about.” 

As more communities in California develop CARE Act services, we anticipate changes and adjustments to the services as we learn more about what works best. As we help inform this new initiative and treatment model, ������Ƶ remains committed to our mission: providing excellent care to people with complex needs to help them achieve their health, hopes, and dreams.