Photo: Alamy
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced Wednesday a $700 million behavioral health funding initiative that places renewed emphasis on faith-based recovery organizations as part of the Trump administration’s approach to addiction treatment and mental health care.
Speaking at the Easterseals MORC treatment center in Michigan, Kennedy unveiled a $96 million funding opportunity through the administration’s Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Support (STREETS) program, along with an additional $612 million in behavioral health funding opportunities.
Kennedy said the administration intends to restore access to federal funding for faith-based recovery groups, arguing that such organizations play an important role in helping individuals overcome addiction.
“One of the features of our STREETS program is opening up funding once again for faith-based organizations,” Kennedy said. “The Biden administration actively discouraged funding to faith-based organizations for recovery. We think they’re critical.”
A former heroin addict himself, Kennedy criticized harm-reduction approaches that have gained support in recent years, including needle exchange programs and supervised consumption sites.
“We know what doesn’t work. Ignoring addiction doesn’t work. Harm reduction doesn’t work,” Kennedy said, arguing that such policies contributed to the growth of open-air drug markets in some communities.
Public health advocates, however, point to research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse showing that syringe exchange programs can reduce the spread of infectious diseases without increasing crime or drug use in surrounding areas.
According to HHS, the STREETS initiative will provide grants to eight communities, with each receiving $3 million annually over four years. The program is designed to build coordinated systems of care for individuals experiencing homelessness, substance-use disorders, serious mental illness, or co-occurring behavioral health conditions.
Administration officials said the broader funding package reflects a strategy focused on treatment, recovery, housing support, and community partnerships rather than solely on harm-reduction measures.
The announcement represents one of the largest behavioral health investments unveiled by the administration and signals a continued emphasis on recovery-oriented and faith-based approaches to addressing addiction and mental health challenges nationwide.
