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HomeWelfare and Institutions CodeDiv. 5Pt. 8Ch. 2§ 5975 Care Petition Filing Forms

§ 5975 Care Petition Filing Forms

Welfare and Institutions Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 5975 Care Petition Filing Forms

Key Takeaways

  • •There's a special form to ask the court for help with someone who needs mental health support under the CARE process.
  • •The form must include the person's name, where they live, and how you know them.
  • •You need to explain why you think this person needs help, with facts or a note from a mental health expert.
  • •If the person was recently held for mental health treatment twice, you can use that as proof instead of a doctor's note.

Example

Your friend is acting very differently, not taking care of themselves, and you think they need help.

You can fill out a special form to ask the court to help your friend. You’ll need to write down their name, where they live, and why you think they need help. You can also add a note from a doctor who checked on them or proof that they were held for treatment twice recently.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 5975 Care Petition Filing Forms

The Judicial Council shall develop a mandatory form for use to file a CARE process petition with the court and any other forms necessary for the CARE process. The petition shall be signed under the penalty of perjury and contain all of the following: (a) The name of the respondent and, if known, the respondent’s address. (b) The petitioner’s relationship to the respondent. (c) Facts that support the petitioner’s assertion that the respondent meets the CARE criteria in Section 5972. (d) Either of the following: (1) An affidavit of a licensed behavioral health professional, stating that the licensed behavioral health professional or their designee has examined the respondent within 60 days of the submission of the petition, or has made multiple attempts to examine, but has not been successful in eliciting the cooperation of the respondent to submit to an examination, within 60 days of the petition, and that the licensed behavioral health professional had determined that the respondent meets, or has reason to believe, explained with specificity in the affidavit, that the respondent meets the diagnostic criteria for CARE proceedings. (2) Evidence that the respondent was detained for a minimum of two intensive treatments pursuant to Article 4 (commencing with Section 5250) of Chapter 2 of Part 1, the most recent one within the previous 60 days. Evidence may include, but is not limited to, documentary evidence from the facility where the respondent was detained, or a signed declaration from the petitioner if the petitioner had personal knowledge of the detentions. (Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 640, Sec. 3. (SB 42) Effective September 27, 2024. Section conditionally operative as provided in Section 5970.5.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

petitiontreatmenthealthrespondentpenaltyportdetentionlicense

Related Statutes

  • § 5301 Extended Mental Health Treatment
  • § 6251 Judicial Commitment Petition Form
  • § 5150.2 Peace Officer Detention Limits
  • § 5204 Mental Health Evaluation Petition
  • § 5305 Outpatient Commitment Conditions

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Welfare and Institutions Code. Section 5975.
View Official Source