Treatment First Faces Real Challenges | California News

The federal government’s bold new “Treatment First” initiative aims to end homelessness and addiction by prioritizing long-term recovery over quick fixes like housing alone. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. argues the old system fails because no one owns accountability for lasting change — so this plan ties behavioral health, housing, and employment into a unified recovery path. But cities like San Diego are already sounding alarms: there aren’t enough long-term treatment beds to support the 18-month stays needed for true healing, even as detox capacity grows. With success now measured by real-life improvement — not just service volume — the real test is whether communities can build the infrastructure to back up this ambitious vision. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/911b773f6ba614ac