Activism

Advocates Concerned After CARE Court Launches in Alameda County

CARE Court, or the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court, is a civil court process that provides a 12-month treatment plan involving clinically prescribed, individualized interventions as well as supportive services, medication, and housing options.

Published

1 year ago

December 14, 2024

Magaly Muñoz

iStock.

By Magaly Muñoz

Alameda County Superior Court and Alameda County Behavioral Health Department (ACBHD) launched CARE Court last week in an effort to help individuals with particular mental health diagnoses or substance abuse disorders receive a range of support services.

Juan Taizan, director of Forensic Diversion and Reentry Services at ACBHD, said the program is intended to target the county’s most vulnerable communities.

He added that it is also designed to divert individuals away from conservatorship or incarceration.

To be eligible, individuals must meet the following criteria:

18 years of age or older
Diagnosed with schizophrenia or other associated psychotic disorders and currently experiencing symptoms
Not clinically stabilized in ongoing treatment
The individual’s mental health is substantially deteriorating, and they are unlikely to survive safely in the community without supervision and/or need services and support to prevent relapse and deterioration.
CARE Plan is the least restrictive alternative, and individuals who enroll are likely to benefit from participation
A pending criminal action does not disqualify the person from CARE Court

California has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in addressing mental illness, substance abuse, and its relation to homelessness over the years. Earlier this year, the governor backed a multi-billion-dollar bond that will help build on the work of behavioral health services at the local level.

Yet, advocates insist progress is too slow and more needs to be done.

Samuel Jain, senior attorney at Disability Rights California, told the Post that the CARE program is subjecting people with disabilities to a “coercive process” and threatens conservatorship if someone does not complete their plan in the intended 12 to 24 months.

According to Taizan, the program is completely voluntary. Even if loved ones or outside emergency services and legal professionals recommend someone to CARE Court, that person can refuse participation.

Jain said that the state has scapegoated people with mental health problems for the problems surrounding housing, or lack thereof.

“I think people in the disability community have just felt really attacked and don’t feel like these reforms are actually meeting their needs,” Jain said.

He added that people who fall directly under the umbrella of the CARE Court criteria should have a voice in decisions that are being made about them.

Jain suggested that instead of funneling money into a lengthy and unnecessary legal process, the state should focus on prioritizing the building of more affordable housing, providing more resources for voluntary mental health services, and a quicker system for people to receive much-needed support.

Taizan told the Post that Alameda County has learned from other counties that have already implemented the CARE court program: San Francisco, Orange, San Diego and Riverside Counties.

The process has been extremely difficult, as it’s intended to serve the population with the highest needs, he said.

Taizan said that not many people have graduated from the CARE program in the last year, but a learning curve is expected, and “our major takeaway is that this will take time” and “a lot of collaboration.”

Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper.

Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities.

The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

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Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper. Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities. The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

5 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.