HHS Awards More Than $42 Million to States and Territories to Advance ‘Treatment First’ Model in Support of President Trump’s Executive Order

WASHINGTON, D.C. — September 18, 2026 — The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), today announced that it has awarded $42.3 million in new supplemental funding to states and territories through two federal block grants to advance President Trump’s Executive Order on Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets and accelerate adoption and implementation of the Best Practices Toolkit: Addressing Homelessness and Addiction through Treatment First. An additional $2 million was also awarded to the national office and all 10 regional centers of the Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network to support implementation.

“President Trump has directed us to break the cycle of homelessness and addiction by putting treatment, recovery, and self-sufficiency first,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “These investments will help states move people from crisis into treatment and from treatment into lasting recovery, stable housing, and work. We are funding results that help people reclaim their health and independence.”

With the Treatment First approach, the objective is lasting stability — not another temporary stop in the cycle between the street, shelter, emergency room, and criminal justice system. Helping people engage in effective treatment, supporting lasting recovery, and promoting self-sufficiency can improve individual lives while strengthening communities.

“Treatment First means building a system that does not leave people cycling between homelessness, emergency rooms, and the criminal justice system,” said SAMHSA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Christopher D. Carroll. “These investments will help states strengthen the infrastructure — partnerships, data, workforce, and recovery supports — needed to connect people with serious mental illness and addiction to effective treatment and support them on a path toward lasting recovery, stable housing, employment, and self-sufficiency.”

Of the $42.3 million, $17.3 million was awarded to Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG) recipients. The supplemental funding will help states and territories build the systems, partnerships, workforce capacity, policies, and technical infrastructure needed to put Treatment First principles into practice. The funding is focused on technical assistance, training, policy development, and cross-system coordination rather than the direct provision of treatment services.

Another $25 million was awarded to Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant (SUPTRS BG) recipients to expand capacity for safe, licensed, certified or chartered sober and recovery housing nationwide. The supplement provides funding for training and technical assistance to enhance efforts to increase the supply of recovery residences and strengthen quality and accountability standards that give individuals in recovery greater choice in selecting housing that supports long-term sobriety and self-sufficiency.

The SUPTRS BG funding supplement is designed to work in tandem with an additional $2 million in supplemental funding awarded to all 10 regional ATTCs and the ATTC National Coordinating Office, ensuring that best practices for workforce training, licensure, certification, charter support, and outcome measurement tools needed for successful implementation are shared nationwide. This supplement will equip states, recovery community organizations, and sober/recovery housing operators with evidence-based tools to expand safe, certified housing that supports self-sufficiency and long-term sobriety.

Consistent with the Treatment First model, states and territories may use the funding to strengthen coordination across behavioral health, healthcare, housing, courts, law enforcement, homelessness services, community organizations, and other partners — so individuals can move more effectively from crisis and stabilization into treatment, recovery, and long-term self-sufficiency.

Through these investments, SAMHSA is helping states build coordinated, accountable systems focused not simply on service delivery, but on measurable progress toward treatment engagement, recovery, improved mental health, stable housing, employment, self-sufficiency, and reduced repeated homelessness and crisis-system involvement.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. To locate a treatment facility or provider, visit FindTreatment.gov.