Key facts
- The U.S. Health Department announced over $700 million in new funding.
- The funding targets mental illness, addiction, and homelessness.
- A new $96 million grant program, STREETS, will support eight communities with up to $3 million annually for four years.
- Additional funds include $223.1 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, $238.6 million for the 988 Lifeline, and $80 million for substance use programs.
- The initiative aligns with President Donald Trump's 'Great American Recovery Initiative'.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Wednesday that the Department of Health and Human Services will provide over $700 million in new funding opportunities aimed at addressing mental illness, addiction, and homelessness.
The package includes a new $96 million grant program called STREETS (Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Support). This program will award funding to eight communities, with each eligible for up to $3 million per year over four years. The initiative is designed to help local governments establish coordinated care systems for individuals experiencing homelessness who have substance use disorders, serious mental illness, or both, by bringing together various local entities including government, healthcare providers, housing providers, law enforcement, and courts.
Kennedy announced the funding during a visit to an Easterseals Michigan behavioral health clinic, stating the investments would help move people into treatment and recovery, strengthen families, save lives, and enhance community safety.
The broader funding initiative also allocates $223.1 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, $238.6 million for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, $80 million for substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery programs, and over $70 million for mental health services and supports. The Department of Health and Human Services noted that this funding aligns with President Donald Trump's 'Great American Recovery Initiative' and an executive order focused on ending crime and disorder on U.S. streets.