Opinion: “CARE Courts Are A Step Towards Eradicating Us From Typical Society”
I am a target in this system. And while I’m a celebrated cellist and Shasta Scout journalist, I don’t think being shiny and well-liked will save me from forced institutionalization.
Editors note: In the 1960s, psychiatric hospitals began to close after large-scale, horrific abuses and neglect were uncovered. Patients were sent back to their families with no support and nearly a quarter of a million of those patients ended up living on the streets in California.
Current California initiatives to reduce homelessness state-wide include a new system called CARE Courts. The CARE acronym stands for Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment. The state describes the program as a “compassionate civil court process.” Combined with other new state mandates, it creates new pathways for compelled treatment.
After reading a CalMatters article about CARE Courts, Shasta Scout columnist and member of the unhoused community, Alissa Johnson, responded with this column in which she shares concerns about new and upcoming legislation.
As someone who is considered mentally ill, it’s particularly scary for me to watch someone like Gavin Newsom put forth system changes that could quite possibly lead to my institutionalization. I am a target in this system. And while I’m a celebrated cellist and Shasta Scout journalist, I don’t think being shiny and well-liked will save me from forced institutionalization. All neurodivergent people should be on alert in California about these changes.
When any new framework for “treatment” is brought up, I am wary of the use of the term “behavioral health” because it often means we neurodivergents are expected to conform to the behavior that other people consider typical, allowing those who make decisions to avoid confronting the issues we face. They want us to act differently, not help us.
How about if we forced you neurotypicals to act autistic in order to make me and others more comfortable? Would it be okay if I turned around and instructed you to speak with hand flaps and not look me in the eye? How would being disingenuous to your nature affect your mental health? Like me, many neurodivergents are tired of being treated like a pet project to fix.
When neurodivergents are unhappy they express it in different ways than neurotypicals. Sending behavioral technicians to make us more typical in how we express our emotions comes off like, “you’re not allowed to be upset, because we don’t want to acknowledge you or see you.”
These new laws say that if we don’t care for ourselves, that’s a reason to abduct us from our own lives. I acknowledge I am dysfunctional and excellent, and I embrace myself for both. I struggle to maintain housing because I can’t keep my environment clean which leads to repeated evictions.
Under the new guidelines, they absolutely can take me away. Aside from how that would take the rest of everything I’ve built in life away, I’ve never known a psych environment that would allow me to keep my cello with me. It wouldn’t even be a conversation.
We deserve accommodations for our disabilities, including autism and ADHD, but they just want to segregate us from the world again with their new rules on fancy paper. CARE Courts are, in fact, a backward step from disability accommodation and a step towards eradicating us from typical society. They just want us gone, even if that means the thin hairs of remaining rights are stripped and we are bound to a life of captivity. As long as they can feel comfortable not having to look at us.
Gay conversion is illegal and deemed unethical, but a common autism treatment known as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) was created by the same person who created gay conversion therapy. ABA is a mainstream “early intervention therapy” that has been known to cause anxiety, depression, and PTSD. I’ve already caught all three from their behavioral health shit.
Trying to be “normal” has been the bane of my existence since I was a child at the age of 2. I need to be genuine with myself and not push myself into things that will not improve and will make me hate myself when I continuously cannot do better than what I already do. Nobody knows what to do to help me, because they can’t put me in rehab for addictions when the only addictions I’ve got are cigarettes and coffee.
Why must everyone treat me like I am the part that has to change, instead of meeting me where my understanding of self is? I know how to be me, and I understand what needs to be done to have support around me.
The systems that stand are stagnant and expect me to be the flexible one for them. That’s not how disability accommodation works. What I need is support that is respectful and allows me to maintain my full autonomy and make my own decisions about what is best for me. Social Security Income is not enough to maintain my instrument and have access to food and rent. People need individualized support, not more ways to be removed from view or be broken to fit an impossible mold.
Resources about the human rights of autistic people, recommended by Johnson:
- Autism Inclusivity Facebook group
- Autistic Union
- Autistic Self Advocacy Network – ASAN
- Autistic Cooperative
Alissa Johnson is originally from Fargo, North Dakota, and has lived in Redding for about six years. She describes herself as the “chillest cellist of the North in the West.” She writes for Shasta Scout as part of our new Community Voices series, which illuminates lived experiences, identities, issues, or perspectives that are often misunderstood. Community Voices is supported by a grant from the North State Equity Fund. Want to share your thoughts and opinions with our readers? You can submit your writing here.
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discussing this with a friend…the back and forth— it seems it came down to this— really this isn’t so much “for” the people it “helps” — its really to help the “rest of us” (housed, working, needing routine in our lives) that are uncomfortable seeing people living on the street –
I have a a relative living on the street, every few weeks she gets kicked out of motels for ranting, paranoid behavior, accusations — I seriously doubt that she would consider this helpful, even though it would get her off the street. It would be a relief to us, we’d worry less if she were off the street.
I wonder if I know your relative.
Hooray! Ms. Johnson for saying what needed to be said. Has any of these “save the homeless,” groups who just sweep the homeless populations away met the homeless where they live? Or asked them directly what they want or need? Do they even care to find out or help on the homeless terms?
I was sleep on the sidewalk homeless for 2 years before i finally had a permanent bed to sleep in. That bed was thanks to other friends who were clean and sober. I was the same in the time before, during, and after my time homeless. I currently have 15 yrs clean and my own home. I am also neurodivergent – I am bipolar 1. I was diagnosed while homeless and it was a blessing to be medicated.
I would be mortified if someone or court tried to force anything upon me – home or not. I completely agree with the author of this article. Ms. Johnson you are right on target. All of these “homeless helpers” are missing the point of their help and putting so many rules in the way to that help that the homeless prefer to stay that way – no rules and it is freedom compared the programs offered.
They also need former homeless folks to use as outreach/intake personnel. These people speak their language and know their lifestyle. This could knock a few apples off tree making it easier for others to fall as well. I am cool with “rules” so I managed to stay at shelters and shelter jump until my time ran out. The friends I had were clean too. Most of the homeless I knew were clean, working class, or unemployed and lost their home. So as you walk or drive past them remember these are people – your old neighbors they want a hand up not a hand out.
God bless everyone. Its the season of giving. The homeless need our giving the most. Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Quanza, or any other holiday you may celebrate this time of year- be blessed. May abundace be upon you. >^..^<
Alissa J., I can’t say I really know you, but your writings make it a little more clear as to who you are and how you function. But, I don’t think CARE is aimed at you. Yes, you are for the most part, a free bird, living from place to place; and as you say not in a typical living arrangement because you can’t seem to keep places clean and orderly. Hmmm, not sure if the resources you list will help in that area; that’s entirely up to you. Your particular diagnosis, again, does not fall under the CARE program. You can live independently for the rest of your life if you want, orderly or not orderly. Keep playing the Cello, keep being an advocate for those in need, and you’ll be fine.
Hi Frank. As Alissa noted, she sleeps outside because of the difficulty she has caring for herself and her home environment in more typical living settings. And while I would certainly agree that Alissa may not be part of the population most likely to be targeted by new CARE Court policies, it seems not at all unreasonable that she would worry and also that she would seek to speak up on behalf of others more affected. I think your statement to Alissa that she’ll “be fine” is pretty condescending given that she does in fact face regular danger including police confrontations and repeated misdemeanor charges simply for sleeping outside.
Hello again Frank, I remember you. <3
I know you think CARE wouldn't be aimed at me, but I believe it is. Almost any system claiming to aid the homeless people seems to be misused if you follow the money, and that trend doesn't make me feel any better about the very real possibilities of conservatorship or institutionalization.
Did you see the links in there about the horrors that got the institutions shut down? Reinstating institutions does not prevent the same horrors on repeat.
This means someone could own me, and for me that's very frightening. Just because I'm "normal passing" doesn't mean they'll pass me by. Just because I have a large vocabulary doesn't make it ok for others to target, possess and entitle themselves to the lives of people society considers lesser, regardless. The disabled people are not children, they know what's happening, they do have a brain and can see what's happening. They hear everything said about them and around them, and often it is spoke like an object, as if they aren't in the same room.
I sent you a friend request Frank, if you feel like talking about it or anything else with me. You think you can calm me down about this? I will let you try.
Beautiful well written article, thank you.
The very idea of the ” Care Court” Fiasco is so repugnant thst it’d nauseating..! This is just a thinly veiled attempt pretend these individuals don’t even exists ..Period..NOT a real effort to help or treat them. .NOT everyone who finds themselves ” homrless” is mentally ill or has an addiction problem. STOP playing God mr newsom.
You are an amazing person. I use to work for the Opportunity Center which Shasta County decided to close. I worked with the disabled and can tell you they were amazing. I wish you all the best. No matter what are disabilities are and we all have at least one, we should be treated with respect. Once again I have to say you are AMAZING.