Care Court---California's new, controversial behavioral health program---is coming to Sonoma County. 

Sonoma County supervisors made the necessary approvals last week to set up and fund the state-mandated Care Court program. Sonoma is joining the second cohort of California counties to implement it.

"[Care Court] really is directing counties to focus heavily on individuals who qualify," said Supervisor James Gore. "We would call this high needs homeless in some degree. We would call this very difficult issues around mental health, behavioral health and substance abuse."

So how does Care Court work?

Those 'high needs' and often homeless individuals described by Gore are petitioned for treatment or programs and meet with a judge and lawyer,

They then either have their petition dismissed; reach a voluntary agreement for services like addiction treatment, housing programs, or mental health care; or have a treatment plan drafted for them.

"Some of our judges that I've spoken to and folks around the state say it really has limited capability of really designating outpatient services because even though it says to do this and it gives more authority, our judges and others have told us that it doesn't really change the basis of the law," Gore said.

Jennifer Solito is interim health services director for Sonoma County. She says Care Court's rollout in other counties has provided some early insight into how it might look here.

"It hasn't been the onslaught of new cases that it could have been....that they thought it might have been. We're anticipating it could get up to 40," said Solito. "But we think the rollout will be pretty slow as people understand that it's an option. It is a voluntary option that families can utilize."

Sonoma County is adding a behavioral health specialist and client support specialist to help with Care Court rollout, starting December 1.