New federal funding expands programs addressing addiction, mental illness, homelessness, and recovery across the U.S.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently visited Easterseals MORC, a behavioral health clinic in Clinton Twp., Michigan, where he met with staff members and took part in a roundtable discussion about the growing number of Americans affected by addiction, mental health struggles, and homelessness. During the visit, he announced that more than $700 million in new funding will be allocated to programs focused on tackling these three issues. Kennedy said the money is specifically intended to help communities provide treatment and recovery services while working to reduce the number of people living on the streets because of addiction or serious mental illness.
One of the largest new efforts tied to the $700 million that was government announced is a program called Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Support (STREETS). The program will provide $96 million to eight communities across the nation. Each selected community can receive as much as $3 million per year over a four-year period. Officials said the program is designed to bring together local governments, health care systems, housing groups, police departments, and courts. The goal is to create local networks that can better serve people who are homeless and struggling with addiction, severe mental illness, or both at the same time.
According to Kennedy, drug-related deaths have taken more than one million lives in the United States since 2000. He also stated that more than 770,000 Americans are currently experiencing homelessness. He described addiction, mental illness, and homelessness as problems that are closely connected and said communities need stronger systems to address them together.
The new funding extends beyond the STREETS program, too. The Department of Health and Human Services said $223.1 million will be available for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, which provide mental health and addiction treatment regardless of a person’s ability to pay for these services. Another $238.6 million is set aside for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which offers emergency mental health support through phone calls, texts, and chats. Additional money will go toward substance use prevention and recovery services. Federal officials said about $80 million will support programs that help prevent addiction, expand treatment options, and assist people in recovery.
Kennedy also announced as part of the $700 package that roughly $150 million for other behavioral health efforts. That funding will help communities expand mobile crisis teams, improve school counseling services, support overdose prevention work, and strengthen programs for children, families, pregnant women, and new mothers. He called the overall investment one of the largest federal commitments to behavioral health services in many years, explaining that addiction can damage physical health, break apart families, and increase the chances that people end up homeless or caught in repeated crises.
The total funding package is tied to Republican President Donald Trump’s Great American Recovery Initiative, a larger effort that seeks to coordinate addiction and recovery programs across federal agencies, health care providers, faith groups, and private organizations. Kennedy said faith-based organizations will be encouraged to take part in the STREETS program and other recovery efforts. He argued that religious groups often play an important role in helping people overcome addiction and rebuild their lives.
Dr. Monty Burks, who leads the Center for Faith at the Department of Health and Human Services, spoke at the event and said there are roughly 350,000 faith communities across the United States. He said the administration wants those groups to have greater access to federal programs and funding opportunities connected to recovery and mental health services. Applications for the new grants are expected to open in the coming months as communities compete for a share of the funding.
Sources:
US Health Department announces over $700 million to combat mental health, addiction, homelessness
RFK Jr. touts $700M in new funding for programs to tackle addiction, mental health
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