VICTORVILLE, Calif., July 20 (High Desert News Online) — For San Bernardino County residents trying to figure out how the CARE Act works in practice, the most immediate takeaway is simple: county behavioral health is still building the public-facing system that tells people where to go, what to ask for, and how to connect with help.
The California Health and Human Services Agency said leaders from CalHHS, San Bernardino County and the City of Victorville met at Victorville City Hall on July 7 to strengthen CARE Act implementation in the county. CalHHS said the gathering focused on training, public education, and coordinated referral pathways for people and families who may be eligible for the program.
What the CARE Act is meant to do
The CARE Act is California’s court-linked behavioral health process for connecting eligible people and families to services. In statewide rollout materials, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said the law was authored by state Sens. Thomas Umberg and Susan Talamantes Eggman and sponsored by the governor.
The governor’s office said implementation began in December 2022 with an initial group of counties. San Bernardino County was not in that first cohort.
Where San Bernardino County stands now
County documents say the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved CARE Act implementation in 2023, authorizing the Department of Behavioral Health and the Superior Court to begin putting services in place. The county said it launched implementation on Dec. 1, 2024, and that the Fontana Court District began accepting petitions on Dec. 2, 2024.
CalHHS said the Victorville meeting was part of a shared commitment by state, county and local partners to support public education, implementation readiness and collaboration across the region. The agency said the goal was not just training, but also making sure referrals and resources are easier to understand and use.
Why that matters for families
For a family dealing with a behavioral health crisis, the practical questions usually come first: Which office handles a referral? Where is a petition filed? What support comes after a court process starts?
The Victorville convening was aimed at those kinds of questions. CalHHS said the meeting brought together state, county and local partners to improve awareness of resources and to coordinate referral pathways for eligible individuals and families.
That matters because a program like the CARE Act depends on coordination between agencies, courts and community providers. If those steps are unclear, families may have trouble getting to the right place quickly.
What happens next in San Bernardino County
CalHHS said San Bernardino County’s Department of Behavioral Health has scheduled two virtual follow-up events: a CARE Act information session on July 15 from noon to 1 p.m. and a CARE Act office hour on July 30 from noon to 1 p.m.
The county has also been working with state partners on implementation for months. On Feb. 23, San Bernardino County Behavioral Health, the County Administrative Office and CARE partners hosted a site visit with representatives from CalHHS, the Judicial Council of California, the Department of Health Care Services, the Department of State Hospitals and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
CalHHS also said the CARE Act Working Group continues to coordinate state and local collaboration during county implementation and is scheduled to meet quarterly through Dec. 31, 2026. The working group page lists Dr. Alyce Belford Saldana of the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health as a member.
The larger picture
For residents, the value of these meetings is not the policy language itself. It is whether the system becomes easier to navigate when a person needs help.
San Bernardino County’s rollout shows the CARE Act being implemented through training, court coordination and public outreach rather than through a single launch date. State and local leaders say those steps are meant to make the process clearer for families and the agencies that serve them.
