Utah's new initiative aims to tackle addiction, homelessness

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah will look to coordinate efforts to support addiction recovery, prevent homelessness and address mental illness, the governor announced Monday.

Gov. Spencer Cox signed an executive order establishing the state's new Recovery Utah Initiative at a ceremony in the Capitol's Gold Room, which was crowded with state and federal officials, and many who have struggled with addiction. The story of addiction is one "that we all know far too well," the governor said.

"But today, we are here to talk about the other side of that story. Today we are here to talk about recovery," Cox said. "We know that individuals can reclaim purpose, can rebuild their lives and discover that their past struggles can fuel a more resilient future. We know that families can heal those old wounds, break intergenerational cycles, rebuild trust and transform fear into true connection and strength. ... Most importantly, we can all regain hope for a better future."

What does the initiative do?

Cox's order also creates a new Recovery Utah Initiative Council made up of leaders from state agencies and two vice chairs who have experienced homelessness. The council will help coordinate the state's efforts to reduce drug deaths, reduce the share of people who become homeless after leaving state custody and increasing inpatient beds for serious mental illness.

The initiative makes Utah the first state to join President Donald Trump's Great American Recovery Initiative, according to Kathryn Burgum, a senior White House adviser for addiction recovery.

"I took my first drink in high school and spent the next 20 years living in blackouts, shame and repeated attempts to stop," Burgum said. "The clinical understanding is clear that addiction is a chronic, treatable disease, not a moral failure or a lack of willpower. We would not treat other chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer this way, and we should not treat the chronic disease of addiction this way."

Cox said the initiative aims to focus on increased accountability for those struggling with substance use.

"We tried to take the shame out of using drugs. That was the wrong approach," he said. "Wee need to take the shame out of recovery and that's why we're here today."

The initiative is also another step moving Utah away from a "housing first" approach to homelessness, something the governor has championed in recent years.

"We want people to have shelter, but that can't be the first and only goal," he said. "Recovery has to be a part of that, and making sure that we have the resources in place to hold people accountable absolutely matters. ... It doesn't mean we abandon them when they fall. It means we're there to pick them up again."

Leading from experience

Having people with firsthand experience involved in the effort is a needed change, according to Amy Daeschel, director of business development for Odyssey House of Utah, a nonprofit focused on addiction recovery. She said the new initiative is the first time the state is "starting to build from the ground up from a lived experience perspective."

"That is what creates change," she told KSL. "I've been in the space for the past nine years and the biggest problem that I've seen hasn't been availability on treatment beds. It's been accessing treatment out of fear, the stigma, the shame. That's what keeps people from picking up the phone — how their families are going to view them."

Dave Durocher, CEO of the Other Side Academy, agreed. Durocher said he spent 27 years as a "drug addict," and it wasn't until he was able to get into a long-term program that he got the help he needed.

"I went to a two-year program and stayed for eight and a half years," he said. "I stayed because I could, because it wasn't funded by the government. And what I mean by that is, I didn't have to leave the day the funding ran out. That's something we really need to look at when it comes to this model."

His advice for people still struggling?

"Ask for help," he said. "Sit down with someone who really understands the problem that can help you find the place that's going to best serve you."

Cox asks communities to 'step up'

Addiction and recovery issues are problems that require communities to "step up," Cox said, and he hopes his initiative will facilitate that. To that end, his order also creates a Recovery-Ready Community designation for counties and cities that "demonstrate a framework that removes barriers to care and strengthens resources across the entire continuum, including prevention, treatment and recovery support."

County and city governments can apply to the Recovery Utah Initiative Council to be recognized.

"Utah is bringing partners together around a shared response," said state Homeless Coordinator Tyler Clancy, who will also chair the new council. "Better coordination across the system will help us save lives, restore families and give more Utahns a path to lasting recovery."

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