It will go towards helping individuals who are homeless and living with serious mental illness or substance use disorders.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the selections Friday.
The funding comes through STREETS. The program stands for Safety Through Recovery Engagement and Evidence-based Treatment and Support.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration runs the program. Each selected community will receive $3 million a year for four years.
Eight Communities Will Receive Funding
The eight grantees represent eight states including tribal county and city governments.
The following selected communities:
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
The funding reaches communities across the Midwest South Southeast and Appalachia, with several of these areas having faced major challenges from the opioid crisis.
How STREETS Will Deliver Care
STREETS puts the administration’s “Treatment First” approach into practice.
The model starts with outreach and evidence-based treatment. Services are delivered where people are. They don’t have to find a clinic first.
The program then connects people with recovery support. It can also connect them with housing and other community services.
The goal is to keep people engaged in care. The program also aims to improve health and stability.
It seeks to reduce repeated homelessness and reliance on crisis systems.
Grantees will bring several groups together. These include local governments, behavioral health providers, healthcare organizations housing partners, law enforcement courts, first responders and community organizations.
People who are homeless and dealing with serious mental illness or substance use disorders often interact with several of these systems. Those systems don’t always work together.
Officials Want Treatment to Come to People
“STREETS takes treatment directly to Americans living on our streets and connects them to the care and support they need to recover” Kennedy said.
Kathryn Burgum serves as White House Senior Advisor for Addiction Recovery. She co-chairs the initiative with Kennedy.
“The Great American Recovery is building a national culture in which recovery is expected supported and celebrated” Burgum said.
What This Means for Treatment Seekers
For people who are homeless in these eight communities the goal is to make outreach treatment and housing support easier to access.
People with a substance use disorder and a serious mental illness may need treatment for both conditions.
STREETS is designed around that combination with integrated treatment to address mental health and substance use needs at the same time.
If you’re outside one of the funded communitiesm you can still search for programs that treat co-occurring disorders.
Where to Get Help Now
Anyone in crisis can call or text 988. You can also use the 988 Lifeline online. SAMHSA directs people looking for treatment to FindTreatment.gov. The site can help you search for treatment facilities.
Finding the Right Treatment Program
The new funding should expand local treatment capacity over the next several years but services may take time to launch in each community.
If you’re comparing treatment programs look at more than location. Check whether the facility treats co-occurring conditions, review insurance options before enrolling and erify the facility’s credentials as well.
Rehab.com’s directory includes verified treatment centers across the country and call
800-985-8516
( 
Sponsored Helpline )
to speak with a treatment specialist.
