On Wednesday, my colleague Catherine Salgado shared the news that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is investing $100 million in what it has called “The Great American Recovery.” One aspect of the program that Catherine didn’t mention but that caught my eye is that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy announced that faith-based recovery programs will be eligible for federal funding under this program.
Kennedy made the announcement at SAMHSA Prevention Day, and it’s big news. “The Safety Through Recovery, Engagement, and Evidence-based Treatment and Supports — or STREETS — Initiative will fund targeted outreach, psychiatric care, medical stabilization and crisis intervention, while connecting Americans experiencing homelessness and addiction to stable housing with a clear focus on long-term recovery and independence,” reads the HHS press release.
Kennedy referred to the “spiritual malaise” that affects our nation as he addressed the need for more resources to help people recover from addictions. The details aren’t set in stone yet, but faith-based programs will soon have options for federal funds.
“This is a chronic disease. It’s a physical disease, it’s a mental disease, it’s an emotional disease,” Kennedy said. “But above all, it’s a spiritual disease, and we need to recognize that. Faith-based organizations play a critical role in helping people reestablish their connections to community.”
Kennedy is a recovering addict himself, and he still attends 12-step meetings regularly to aid in his recovery from an addiction to heroin. I didn’t see whether he has taken advantage of any faith-based recovery options, but he’s planning on visiting some soon.
“The health secretary and his aides also previewed a barnstorming tour to visit and solicit input from recovery organizations, including ones operated through a faith-based lens,” reports STAT. “The trip would mirror a similar tour Kennedy took as an independent presidential candidate in 2024, when he visited drug courts, sober living facilities, and ‘wellness farms’ across the country while filming a documentary about the nation’s addiction crisis titled ‘Recovering America.’”
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I’ve seen the way faith-based recovery programs can give people their lives back. My home church launched the first Celebrate Recovery program in Georgia 25 years ago last month, and it has helped people break the chains of addiction, trauma, hurt, and sin and introduced people to a life-changing relationship with Jesus. Some 200 people walk through the doors of Eastridge Community Church every Thursday night to hear the message of recovery through a gospel lens.
There’s a double-edged sword to allowing federal funding for faith-based recovery. What if an administration starts making demands of programs that counter biblical values or cross ethical lines? What if organizations get used to grants or other forms of federal funding, and then a Democratic administration ends the program?
Those are battles to fight later, although strategies to fight those battles are worth thinking about now. The good news is that faith-based recovery programs, large and small, will soon receive what will give some programs more financial breathing room and what will be a lifeline to other organizations. Everything we can do as a society to break the cycle of addiction is welcome.
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