Committee forwards retroactive CARE grant acceptance for Public Defender for care court representation

The Budget and Finance Committee on March 20 forwarded to the full Board of Supervisors a resolution retroactively authorizing the Public Defender's Office to accept and expend approximately $524,765 in Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) grant funds to provide representation in care court proceedings.

Alyssa Lacoste, chief of staff for the Public Defender’s Office, said the CARE program authorizes certain parties to petition civil court for voluntary care agreements or court‑ordered care plans for people with psychotic disorders. Lacoste and colleague Tal Clement described planned use of funds for one attorney and one paralegal full‑time equivalent to provide representation, plus vouchers for temporary shelter, meals, transportation and hygiene needs to support participants engaged in CARE services.

Public Defender staff reported that CARE implementation began statewide October 1, 2023, with an option to retroactively bill back to August 2023; locally the office has been involved in implementation and reported coordination with legal service providers and referrals, and noted 21 petitions filed for the cohort of the first seven counties. Vice Chair Rafael Mendelmann and other supervisors expressed support for the program and joined as sponsors.

There were no public speakers. The committee forwarded the resolution to the Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation.

Next steps: the Board of Supervisors will consider final acceptance and appropriation of the grant funds. If approved, the Public Defender’s Office will proceed with hiring and expenditure as outlined in its spending plan.