Mental Health

Silhouette of a person standing at a railing looking out into a bay with boats and the skyline of buildings in the background. The run is shining down, reflecting in the bay and creating shadows on the person and ships around the frame.

Commentary

CARE Court can profoundly change lives, and California’s justice system, if given the chance

CARE Court changes judges’ role, says an appellate judge who presided over such a court. It requires judges to inspire trust and exercise empathy and relationship-building.

By Charles F. Adams • October 19, 2026

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a podium, surrounded by several people during an indoor event.

Mental Health

Fact check: Did Newsom’s mental health court hit his goal for helping Californians?

Gov. Gavin Newsom this week claimed a major victory for CARE Court, his program to provide mental health treatment to Californians with serious conditions. Did it really help 10,000 people?"

By Jocelyn Wiener and Marisa Kendall • October 2, 2026

People walk on and near a small staircase leading to the glass door of a gray-colored building with a sign reading “Superior Court of California County of San Diego,” and the California state seal on the wall above.

Homelessness

New laws make incremental tweaks to California’s mental health court, while bigger changes nixed

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two laws designed to help CARE Court better connect Californians with mental health care.

By Marisa Kendall • September 29, 2026

A person walks through a courthouse hallway carrying a blue baseball cap, notebooks and a water bottle. Behind them are the wooden doors to a Superior Court criminal courtroom, along with posted court notices and portraits of judges.

Justice

California’s tough on crime law promised treatment. Here’s why people are falling through the cracks

California's Prop. 36 gave certain people facing criminal charges an option to have their cases dropped if they complete drug treatment. Now, counties are on their own to figure out how to provide it.

By Marisa Kendall and Cayla Mihalovich • September 17, 2026

Mental Health

More girls are harming themselves. Only some show up in the ER

National research shows emergency room visits connected to self-harm climbed through 2021, and the numbers remain elevated above pandemic-levels in California even as other indicators of mental distress have declined.

By Anissa Durham • September 14, 2026

A woman holding a framed photograph of her son stands between two people who place their hands on her shoulders, with the Golden Gate Bridge visible in the background.

Mental Health

Newsom signed 13 new laws to protect kids from technology. Will they work?

Even a decade ago, the horror stories behind some of the 13 bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Thursday seemed the stuff of fiction. No more.

By Jocelyn Wiener • September 11, 2026

A person with short brown hair and wearing a white shirt, rests their left elbow on the edge of a window sill as they look out into the distance.

Justice

She made a fatal choice at 22. Now she’s in prison, figuring herself out one day at a time

Grace Coleman woke up in a hospital and learned she caused a fatal crash. Now in a California prison, she's striving to hold herself accountable.

By Joe Garcia • August 27, 2026

Mental Health

Why truckers always seem to be on the phone while they drive on the highway

Social media can be linked to feelings of isolation, but less so for truckers. They benefit from long phone calls and connections on apps like FaceTime and WhatsApp.

By Gagandeep Singh • August 6, 2026

An illustration shows a person sitting on a bed looking at a smartphone while supportive text messages appear in speech bubbles around them, including phrases such as "You're allowed to feel this way" and "It's a lot to carry and work through." Blue graphic shapes and a muted color palette emphasize the mental health theme.

Mental Health

As AI ‘therapists’ dish out advice, California lawmakers try to set some limits

With the rise in popularity of chatbots and AI use in mental healthcare, lawmakers are pushing legislation that they say is needed to protect consumers.

By Ana B. Ibarra • August 6, 2026

A courtroom where CARE Court hearings take place at the San Diego County Superior Court in San Diego on Oct. 9, 2023. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters

Mental Health

LA County says a program meant to help people with serious mental illness is gaining traction

Gov. Gavin Newsom's mental health court is gaining more participants in Los Angeles County. CARE Court treats people with serious mental health conditions.

By Robert Garrova • August 4, 2026