Lindsay Schachinger, right, holds a banner during a Feb. 14, 2023 Sacramento rally in support of California’s CARE Court, an implementation of a mental-health-focused civil court across California counties to refer severely mentally ill people into treatment.

Violent threats. Holes punched into doors and walls. Unprovoked assaults. Black eyes.

Over the past few weeks, every time I scroll social media and read opinions about the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner — allegedly at the hands of their son Nick, who has schizophrenia — it triggers memories of my own family trauma.

A meta-analysis of recent studies found that “child-to-parent violence is an increasing issue globally,” with an estimated 5.9% of fathers and 6.3% of mothers in North America experiencing violence perpetuated by their children.

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Such parents often feel they cannot safely and productively share their stories, because of the need to protect their children’s privacy, and because the causes of such violence are so complex, with mental health issues and substance abuse often overlapping. These issues often begin early in adolescence.

In California, this is where the shortcomings of our laws begin, too.  

As someone with family members who have navigated California’s system of care for serious mental illness, I want people to know: There is so much more that can be done at the state level to prevent tragic stories like the Reiners’. Those who blame “the system” that failed the Reiners but lament the impossibility of changing it are wrong. California legislators can make desperately needed changes any time they choose. They merely need to talk to families on the ground to see where the law is failing.

Most urgently, if a child is older than 12, parents cannot admit them to inpatient mental health treatment in........

© San Francisco Chronicle