U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Friday the eight communities that will receive funding through the agency’s Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Support (STREETS) program.
The STREETS initiative, which the agency announced in February, funds targeted outreach, psychiatric care, medical stabilization and crisis intervention for individuals experiencing homelessness and substance use disorder (SUD). It will provide $96 million across four years to help communities build coordinated care systems.
“STREETS takes treatment directly to Americans living on our streets and connects them to the care and support they need to recover,” Kennedy said in a statement. “Under President Trump, we will no longer accept a system that manages human suffering instead of ending it. We are helping people reclaim their health, rebuild their lives, and achieve the dignity, purpose, and independence that come with recovery.”
The eight communities to receive the funding are:
- Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board for Montgomery County (Ohio)
- Cherokee Nation (Oklahoma)
- City of Detroit, Health Department (Michigan)
- City of Houston, Health Department, Human Services Division (Texas)
- City Of Huntington (West Virginia)
- Miami-Dade County (Florida)
- Robeson County (North Carolina)
- Tangipahoa Parish Government (Louisiana)
Selected communities will receive $3 million annually for four years.
HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Chief of Staff Timothy Westlake said in a statement that hose who are homeless and struggling with mental illness or addiction “should not have to navigate fragmented systems alone.”
"We are organizing systems around recovery instead of asking people in crisis to organize themselves around systems,” Westlake said. “STREETS brings treatment, recovery supports, housing, and community partners together to help people achieve lasting stability and greater independence.”