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C<\/span><\/span>alifornia governor Gavin Newsom has proposed a court program that would force unhoused people with severe mental illnesses and addiction disorders into treatment. The moves comes in response to a worsening humanitarian crisis<\/a> of people living on the streets, but has raised concerns from disability rights and civil liberties advocates. The plan would create a \u201cCare Court\u201d requiring people with serious mental health challenges, such as schizophrenia, to accept treatment while also mandating that counties provide services, Newsom said Thursday when announcing the program.<\/p>\n If people don\u2019t follow through with forced treatment, they could be placed into conservatorships, a form of court-appointed guardianship that strips people of their rights to make basic decisions about their lives and care.<\/p>\n The homelessness crisis has become the top issue in political races across the state, as there are growing encampments and more visible signs of people struggling with mental illness on the streets. Some officials have responded with sweeps of tent communities<\/a> and new policies<\/a> prohibiting camping in certain locations individuals from sleeping outside. The announcement also follows intense scrutiny of California\u2019s conservatorship system<\/a> surrounding the case of pop star Britney Spears, who spent nearly 14 years under a court-appointed guardianship<\/a> that she said was abusive and controlling.<\/p>\n Depending on legislation \u2013 the court program would create a mental health branch<\/a> in counties\u2019 civil courtrooms and counties could face sanctions if they don\u2019t provide services. California Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary Mark Ghaly called it a new \u201cframework\u201d to respond to \u201cone of the most heartbreaking, heart-wrenching and yet curable challenges that we face in our communities and on our streets\u201d.<\/p>\n Ghaly estimated that 7,000 to 12,000 people in California<\/a> could be eligible. People who are arrested or facing charges could be diverted from the criminal justice system into the Care Court, officials said. Relatives, first responders and others could also refer people to the program, which would not just be for the unhoused.<\/p>\n
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