White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Sara Carter on Monday launched a two-day summit focused on addiction treatment among homeless individuals, according to a press release from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
ONDCP is hosting the summit with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The release said the event was held in support of President Donald Trump’s Executive Order on Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets and seeks “whole-of-government solutions” for drug addiction among the homeless population.
ONDCP said officials and experts are working to create a national treatment model through discussions on best practices, ideal program characteristics, outcome measures, financing, the integration of faith and medicine, and drug-endangered children.
Participants included HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., VA Secretary Doug Collins, Assistant Secretary of Health Admiral Brian Christine, HUD Assistant Secretary Ronnie Kurtz, SAMHSA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher D. Carroll, and Kathryn Burgum, co-chair of the Great American Recovery Initiative, according to the release.
“There is inherent value and dignity to every human life, no matter the circumstances,” Carter said in the release. “We must continue to enhance, expand, and encourage treatment, especially in our most vulnerable populations like those without housing. It is a priority of the Trump Administration to find new and innovative ways to bring healing to those in need.”
Kennedy said the administration is moving treatment closer to those struggling with addiction and homelessness.
“The Trump administration will not tolerate a system that leaves Americans in addiction and on the streets,” Kennedy said. “We are bringing treatment directly to those in need and strengthening the link between housing and recovery. Today’s summit advances a national model that treats addiction as a public health crisis and delivers real results.”
HUD Secretary Scott Turner used the release to criticize “Housing First” policies.
“It is critical we focus on real solutions that lift Americans out of homelessness,” Turner said. “We must abandon the failed ‘Housing First’ policies that have misused taxpayer funded resources without any expectation of results and too often leave individuals trapped in addiction, untreated mental illness, and indefinite dependence on government systems. HUD will promote treatment, recovery, and self-sufficiency.”
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, critics of “Housing First” policies have argued that housing-only models often fail to address the addiction and mental health issues that contribute to chronic homelessness.
Carroll said SAMHSA is focused on confronting behavioral health challenges tied to homelessness while supporting recovery and stability.
“At SAMHSA, we’re focused on addressing homelessness by confronting behavioral health challenges as a key driver of the problem, while supporting efforts that promote stability and recovery,” Carroll said. “Integrated, community-based treatment models outperform fragmented care and systems, giving individuals who are homeless a greater chance at recovery and self-sufficiency.”
The press release said administration officials were joined by individuals who have overcome homelessness and addiction, along with physicians, social workers, and experts with successful treatment models.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, HHS in February unveiled a $100 million pilot program aimed at addressing homelessness and addiction in eight U.S. cities.
ONDCP said the summit also supports President Trump’s Great American Recovery Initiative, which it described as a coordinated response to addiction involving government, the healthcare sector, faith communities, and the private sector.