BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — It has been 11 months since the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Act — or CARE Act — launched a program to help those struggling with mental health issues, and the numbers in Kern County paint a different picture about the program’s effectiveness than what the community may have hoped for.
The CARE Act created a process that was supposed to get those with mental health conditions the help they need. Governor Gavin Newsom travelled across the state promoting the program promising 7,000 to 12,000 Californians would receive mental health services.
As of August 11, there have been 21 petitions filed with the Kern County Superior Court with more than half being denied. Out of the remaining 10 petitions, only four have been approved.
Bakersfield police impact team works to clear encampments along Kern Riverbed
Carlos Baldovinos, executive director of The Mission at Kern County, says outreach might be the problem…