US to allocate over $700 million for mental health and addiction programs linked to homelessness

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced plans to allocate more than $700 million to combat mental illness and addiction linked to homelessness across the country.

Under the announced plan, $96 million will be distributed to eight different communities over four years. This funding is intended to provide care for homeless individuals suffering from drug and alcohol addiction and serious mental health issues.

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the program aims to make street-based outreach, treatment, and recovery support services faster and more coordinated. The model is expected to bring local governments, health and housing service providers, law enforcement, and courts under the same umbrella.

The remaining $612 million is slated to be directed toward various programs in the field of mental and behavioral health. This funding is planned to expand access to mental health and addiction treatment, strengthen the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, support rural health services, and increase services for children, youth, and indigenous communities.

In the ministry's statement, Kennedy said, “These investments will help get people off the streets and into treatment and recovery, strengthen families, save lives, and make communities safer.”