CARE-060-INFO - Information for Respondents—About the CARE Act

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Information for Respondents—About the CARE Act

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Form ID: CARE-060-INFO
Title: Information for Respondents—About the CARE Act
Effective Date: 2025-07-01
Mandatory Form: yes
Languages: 汉语, فارسی, 한국어, español, Tiếng Việt
Info Page: https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/jcc-form/CARE-060-INFO
Primary Download URL: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/care060info.pdf
Alternate Download URLs: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/care060infoc.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/care060infof.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/care060infok.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/care060infos.pdf, https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/care060infov.pdf
Form Detail Page:
Information for Respondents—About the CARE Act
(CARE-060-INFO)
Provides information for the respondent about the CARE Act. Explains what CARE Act proceedings are, summarizes petitioner’s and respondent’s rights, and describes the role of a supporter.
Get form CARE-060-INFO
汉语
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فارسی
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(Farsi)
한국어
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español
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Tiếng Việt
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(Vietnamese)
Effective: July 1, 2025
PDF Text:
Judicial Council of California, courts.ca.gov  
Rev. July 1, 2025, Mandatory Form  
Welfare and Institutions Code, §§ 5971–5977,  
5977.1–5977.3, 5980–5982
Information for Respondents— 
About the CARE Act
CARE-060-INFO, Page 1 of 4
CARE-060-INFO Information for Respondents—About the CARE Act
This information sheet provides information about the CARE Act and CARE Act proceedings.
1 Why am I being given these documents?
Someone has filed a petition with a court to start a CARE 
Act case for you. In the case, you are called the respondent. 
The CARE Act applies only to specific people. The 
petition asks a court to decide if you are one of them.  
The court has found that you might be. It is asking for 
more information to help it decide if you are. 
Important information for you:
l You have been appointed an attorney, free of charge. 
l Your court-appointed attorney will try to contact you 
about this case using the last known address or location 
on file for you. 
l You may also contact your attorney at any time. Your 
attorney’s contact information is listed in item 5 of 
Order for Care Act Report (form CARE-105) and item 
4 of Notice of Initial Appearance—CARE Act 
Proceedings (form CARE-110). You should have 
received one of those forms when you got this form.
l You should make sure that your attorney knows how to 
get in touch with you. Give them your contact 
information and let them know if it changes. 
l You may also choose an attorney to represent you 
instead of the appointed attorney. If you choose your 
own attorney, you are responsible for their fees.
l You have the right to an interpreter, free of charge, at 
every CARE Act court hearing. 
2 What is the CARE Act?
CARE stands for Community Assistance, Recovery, and 
Empowerment. The CARE process is a way to get court-
ordered treatment, services, support, and a housing plan for 
adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders or other 
similar psychotic disorders.
The CARE process uses outreach, meetings, and court 
hearings. The court will decide if you meet the eligibility 
requirements. One or more county agencies will be part of 
the process. If you are eligible, they will work with you to 
identify services and supports you might need.
If you are eligible for the CARE Act, the court will ask you 
to work with the county behavioral health agency to make 
a CARE agreement for services and supports. If you do not 
reach an agreement with the county agency, the court will 
order a clinical evaluation of your mental health. After 
reviewing the evaluation, the court will decide if you are 
still eligible. If you are, the court will order you and the 
county agency to develop a CARE plan.
3 What is CARE eligibility?
To be eligible for the CARE process, you need to be at 
least 18 years old and have a schizophrenia spectrum 
disorder or another psychotic disorder. That disorder, or 
another mental disorder that you have, must be serious. 
That means it has lasted for a long time, it can make you do 
things that interfere with your life, and it can make it 
impossible for you to live on your own for very long 
without treatment, support, and rehabilitation.
You also cannot be stabilized in a voluntary treatment 
program. In addition, either it must be unlikely that you 
will survive safely in the community without somebody 
watching over you and your condition is getting a lot 
worse, or you must need services and supports to keep 
your symptoms from coming back or getting bad enough 
that you would probably become severely disabled or 
would seriously hurt yourself or somebody else. Finally, it 
must be likely that going through the CARE process will 
help you and that nothing less restrictive than the CARE 
process will make sure that you recover and stabilize.
4 What is a CARE agreement or CARE 
plan?
A CARE agreement and CARE plan are written documents 
that contain services designed to support you. They must 
be approved by court order. They may include clinical 
behavioral health care; counseling; specialized 
psychotherapy, programs, and treatment; stabilization 
medications; a housing plan; and other supports and 
services, provided directly or indirectly by local 
government. These documents cannot give anyone the right 
to use force to medicate you.

Rev. July 1, 2025
Information for Respondents— 
About the CARE Act
CARE-060-INFO, 
CARE-060-INFO Information for Respondents—About the CARE Act
4
A CARE agreement is a voluntary agreement between you 
and the county behavioral health agency. If you are eligible 
for the CARE program, the court will order you and the 
county agency to try to reach a CARE agreement. The 
court can change the agreement before approving it. After 
the court approves the CARE agreement, it can still be 
changed if you and the county agency agree to change it.
If you cannot reach a CARE agreement, the court may ask 
you to work with the county to create a CARE plan. A 
CARE plan is an individualized range of community-based 
supports and services. It can include the same services and 
supports as a CARE agreement. You and the county 
agency will propose one or more CARE plans to the court. 
The court will order the final CARE plan and can also 
change it later.
What is a CARE agreement or CARE 
plan?
5 Who is the petitioner?
The petitioner is the person who is asking the court to start 
CARE Act proceedings for you. 
6 Who is the respondent?
The respondent is you, the person the court is being asked 
to start CARE Act proceedings for.
7 What happens after the petition has been 
filed?
The court reviews the petition and decides if you might be 
eligible for the CARE process. If it thinks you might be, 
the court may order a county agency to try to contact you, 
talk with you, and file a written report. The county agency 
must file the report with the court as soon as practicable, 
but within 30 court days, unless the court gives it more 
time. The county will let you and the petitioner know if the 
court orders a report.
What happens if the county agency contacts me?
The county agency will ask you about your mental and 
physical health. It will also ask how your mental health 
affects your life and what services and treatment you think 
would be helpful. It will ask if you are willing to work with 
the county to get connected to those services and treatment 
options.
What will the report include?
The county agency will file a report even if it is not able to 
contact you. The report will include:
l The agency’s opinion about whether you meet, or are 
likely to meet, the CARE eligibility requirements. These 
include your mental health diagnosis and current 
condition, whether you need additional services, and 
whether there are other services that would help you but 
be less restrictive than a CARE agreement or plan.
l The county’s efforts to get you to participate voluntarily 
in services and whether the county thinks you can 
participate voluntarily in services.
What happens after the court receives the report?
After the court receives the report, it will either:
l Dismiss the proceedings: If the court finds, based on 
the petition and the county’s report, that you are not 
eligible for the CARE process or that you are working 
willingly and effectively with the county agency and 
have enrolled or are likely to enroll in behavioral health 
treatment, the court will dismiss the case; or
l Set an initial appearance (court hearing): If the court 
finds that the county’s report shows that you may be 
eligible for the CARE process and the county’s contacts 
with you were not able to connect you with voluntary 
services and treatment, the court will set an initial 
appearance.
Note: The court has appointed an attorney for you. The 
attorney will contact you at the beginning of the CARE Act 
process. If the court sets an initial appearance, the county 
will give you notice of the date, time, and place of the 
hearing along with additional information.
Page 2 of 4

Rev. July 1, 2025
Information for Respondents— 
About the CARE Act
CARE-060-INFO, 
CARE-060-INFO Information for Respondents—About the CARE Act
8 What happens at the initial appearance 
and the hearing on the merits?
At the initial appearance:
l You may replace your court-appointed attorney with an 
attorney that you choose. 
Note: If you choose your own attorney, you are 
responsible for their fees, if any.
l You have the right to appear in person. You can choose 
to give up your right to attend personally, and your 
attorney can appear on your behalf.
l If you do not tell the court, through your attorney, that 
you are choosing not to attend and you do not appear, 
the court may have a hearing without you. To do that, 
the court needs to find that reasonable attempts to 
encourage you to appear have failed and that having a 
hearing without you would be in your best interests.
l The petitioner must be present at the initial appearance, 
or the court may dismiss the petition.
l A representative from the county behavioral health 
agency will be present.
l If the original petitioner is not the director of a county 
behavioral health agency, the court will replace the 
original petitioner with the director of the county 
behavioral health agency or their designee, who will 
then take over as the petitioner.
l If you are enrolled in a federally recognized Indian tribe 
or receiving services from an Indian health care 
provider, a tribal court, or a tribal organization, the law 
allows a representative from the program, the tribe, or 
the tribal court to be present if you consent. The county 
must give notice of the initial appearance to the tribal 
representative.
l The court will set a hearing on the merits of the petition.
l The hearing on the merits of the petition may happen at 
the same time as the initial appearance but only if you 
(the respondent), the petitioner, and the court all agree.
At the hearing on the merits:
The court will decide if you meet the CARE Act 
requirements. The court will consider the petition, the 
report from the county agency, and all evidence properly 
presented to it, including evidence that you provide.
l If the court finds that you do not meet the CARE Act 
requirements: The court will dismiss the petition. The 
original petitioner may be able to file a new petition if 
something changes unless the court finds that the 
original petition was not filed in good faith.
l If the court finds that you do meet the CARE Act 
requirements: The court will order the county 
behavioral health agency to work with you, your 
attorney, and your supporter, if you have one, to connect 
you with behavioral health treatment. You all will also 
need to decide if you and the behavioral health agency 
can reach a CARE agreement. The court will set a case 
management hearing.
Note: If you are enrolled in a federally recognized Indian 
tribe and you want a tribal representative to attend the case 
management hearing, you should let the tribe know the 
date, time, and place of the hearing.
9 What rights do petitioners have?
The original petitioner has the right to go to the hearing on 
the merits and make a statement. If the original petitioner 
lives with you; is your spouse, parent, sibling, child, or 
grandparent; or is someone who has authority to act as your 
parent, the court will continue to give them notice about 
the case, unless it decides that notice would be harmful to 
you. In addition, if you agree, the court may allow that 
person to participate in your CARE Act process. 
If the original petitioner is not someone listed above, the 
court will not give them additional rights.
Page 3 of 4

Information for Respondents— 
About the CARE Act
CARE-060-INFO, Page 4 of 4Rev. July 1, 2025
CARE-060-INFO Information for Respondents—About the CARE Act
10 What rights do respondents have?
You have the right to be informed of what is happening in 
your case. You have the right to participate in your case. 
You have the right to an attorney at all stages of the 
process. You have the right to an interpreter if you need 
one. You have the right to keep confidential all CARE 
evaluations, reports, documents, and filings. You also have 
other rights that are described in Notice of Respondent’s 
Rights (form CARE-113). You will get a copy of that form 
when you get notice of any court hearing in the CARE Act 
process.
11 What if I disagree with a court order?
You have the right to ask a higher court to review a court 
order in the CARE process. This is called an appeal. Talk 
with your attorney if you think you want to appeal a court 
order. To get more information, read Information on 
Appeal Procedures for Unlimited Civil Cases (form 
APP-001-INFO).
12 What is a "supporter"?
You have the right to choose a person to support you 
throughout the CARE Act process. The CARE Act calls 
that person a supporter. The supporter helps you 
understand, communicate, make decisions, and express 
your preferences. You can choose to have your supporter 
with you at meetings, appointments, or court hearings.
Your supporter must:
l Respect your values and beliefs and support your 
preferences as well as they can.
l Communicate with you to help you understand and 
make informed decisions.
Your supporter must not:
l Act independently from you.
l Make decisions for you or on your behalf unless 
necessary to keep someone from immediately getting 
hurt.
l Sign documents for you.
You have a right to have a supporter throughout 
the CARE Act process.
13 What if I don't speak English?
You have the right to an interpreter at all CARE Act court 
hearings. Let your attorney know that you will need an 
interpreter for court hearings. When you go to court, tell 
the judge you need an interpreter if you or your attorney 
haven’t already asked for one. You can also use Request 
for Interpreter (Civil) (form INT-300) or a local court form 
or website to request an interpreter. For more information 
about court interpreters, go to https://selfhelp.courts.ca.
gov/request-interpreter.                         
14 What if I have a disability?
If you have a disability and need an accommodation while 
you are at court, you can use Disability Accommodation
Request (form MC-410) to make your request.
You can also ask the Americans with Disabilities Act 
coordinator in your court for help. For more information, 
see How to Request a Disability Accommodation for Court
(form MC-410-INFO) or go to
https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/jcc-form/MC-410-INFO.

Retrieval chunks

• #1

  Form ID: CARE-060-INFO Title: Information for Respondents—About the CARE Act Effective Date: 2025-07-01 Mandatory Form: yes Languages: 汉语, فارسی, 한국어, español, Tiếng Việt Info Page: https://selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/jcc-form/CARE-060-INFO Primary Download URL: https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/care060info.pdf Al…

• #2

  received one of those forms when you got this form. l You should make sure that your attorney knows how to get in touch with you. Give them your contact information and let them know if it changes. l You may also choose an attorney to represent you instead of the appointed attorney. If you choose your own attorn…

• #3

  help you and that nothing less restrictive than the CARE process will make sure that you recover and stabilize. 4 What is a CARE agreement or CARE plan? A CARE agreement and CARE plan are written documents that contain services designed to support you. They must be approved by court order. They may include clini…

• #4

  physical health. It will also ask how your mental health affects your life and what services and treatment you think would be helpful. It will ask if you are willing to work with the county to get connected to those services and treatment options. What will the report include? The county agency will file a repor…

• #5

  l If you do not tell the court, through your attorney, that you are choosing not to attend and you do not appear, the court may have a hearing without you. To do that, the court needs to find that reasonable attempts to encourage you to appear have failed and that having a hearing without you would be in your bes…

• #6

  date, time, and place of the hearing. 9 What rights do petitioners have? The original petitioner has the right to go to the hearing on the merits and make a statement. If the original petitioner lives with you; is your spouse, parent, sibling, child, or grandparent; or is someone who has authority to act as your …

• #7

  You have a right to have a supporter throughout the CARE Act process. 13 What if I don't speak English? You have the right to an interpreter at all CARE Act court hearings. Let your attorney know that you will need an interpreter for court hearings. When you go to court, tell the judge you need an interpreter if…